On December 16th, 2010, the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethics released its first report entitled “New Directions: The Ethics of Synthetic Biology and Emerging Technologies.”
President Obama requested that the commission study synthetic biology following a major breakthrough in the field announced in May 2010 by researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute. The Venter Institute copied and modified an entire genome of a small bacterial cell, inserted it into a living cell of another species, and by doing so created a new, synthetic organism.
Synthetic biology offers opportunities to apply biological and engineering principles to benefit humankind in unprecedented ways. Clean energy sources, customized vaccines and targeted medicines, environmental cleansers, and hardy crops are some of the potential applications of this burgeoning field of science.
Please join us for a discussion about the synthetic biology report with Bioethics Commission members Nelson Michael, MD, Ph.D., and Daniel Sulmasy, MD, Ph.D., moderated by Jonathan Moreno.
Featured Panelists:
Nelson Michael, MD, Ph.D., Member, The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
Daniel P. Sulmasy, MD, Ph.D. Member, The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
Moderated By:
Jonathan Moreno, Ph.D., Editor-In-Chief, Science Progress