Results and discussion

--under construction--
This section outlines and discusses the results of the survey for each question individually as well as per subject. Furthermore, a summary of the results of the correlation calculations between questions can be found here. An abstract of the results and discussion as well as conclusions and recommendations can be found in the conclusions section.

Personal

The reason to ask the following rather personal questions is to get an indication of the sample's background. Although we already know they are practically all involved in the 2009 iGEM competition, questions about gender and home country can display the male/female ratio and denotes different cultural backgrounds.

Graph i.

i. How are you involved in iGEM?
A. Participant
B. Supervisor
C. Advisor
D. Other:

Of the 242 survey contributors, there are 60 people with an advisor/supervisor role, which equals 25%. It might be interesting to compare their answers to those of the 168 participants, to see whether a different relation (student vs. instructors) to iGEM and synthetic biology in general has influence on their opinions and perceptions. This will be discussed HERE.

Graph ii.

ii. What gender are you?
A. Male
B. Female

Although engineering in general mainly attracts male students, the iGEM competition shows a mixture of gender where 36% of our survey-participants is female. One of the questions that might be interesting: could there be a differences between male and female answers on ethical issues in synthetic biology? We come back to that HERE.

Graph iii.

iii. Which country are you from?
Open question

The colorful pie-graph already indicates the high diversity of backgrounds. There are 22 different nationalities involved in this study, which supports the independence of the overall study results towards cultural differences. Whether people with different nationalities have different perceptions/opinions on the ethical issues will not be discussed here, due to an uneven distribution of geographical backgrounds. The biggest contributors to the survey are expectedly the USA and Canada.

Reductionism and evolution

The following questions are an introduction to the main ethical issue: whether the reductionist approach in biology has any effect on our current perception of life and if so, how. The questions meddle with general traditional and established viewpoints. The general content of these multiple-choice question comes back in the last open question, where the survey-participants could choose to write their opinion on what is life and whether the reductionist approach would lead to fully understanding life.

Graph 1.

1. Reductionism (also known as the top-down approach) aims to understand the nature of complex things by reducing them to the interaction of their parts. The reductionist approach has been applied to biology in order to understand the complexity of living things by studying its components (such as DNA, proteins, etc). Do you think that the reductionist approach will lead to understand life?

1. No, living systems are too complex to fully understand, they have properties that cannot be explained by studying their individual parts
2. No, biological phenomena are fundamentally special in a way that prevents them from being completely understood
3. Yes, fundamental research in biology will eventually result in the ability to fully understand life
4. Yes, we already understand living systems completely, due to the reductionist approach
5. Other:...

• This question is difficult to answer because it depends on future expectations. What can be seen from the results is that the synthetic biology community has very different believes. The group is practically split in two equal camps where 48% thinks that the reductionist approach will lead to understanding life, while 39% votes for the complete opposite. The majority of the latter group thinks that mankind will never be able to fully understand the mechanisms of life, because they have properties that cannot be explained by reductionism. Although not explicitly stated in answer A, this would probably indicate that they believe that biological systems have emerging properties that can not be explained using the reductionist approach.
  
  

The other-answers:

• There was a very small group that did not agree on the explanation of reductionism as given in the question. The question states that reductionism reduces systems to the interaction of their parts and that it is a method to study systems by studying their components, while they believe that reductionism only applies to studying the individual components. Reductionism covers quite a broad field, it is explained differently and many definitions can be found. But the main theme that we tried to address is the scientific approach of working on complex systems top-down to understand them by studying the subsystems (both components and interactions).
  
• The most open-answers indicated that although the reductionist approach might be limiting, it will bring us far towards discovering the secrets of life. Some blended this answer with an additional statement saying that when the top-down approach is combined together with for example systems biology and holistic approaches, we will/might discover the principles of life eventually.
  
  

Although not everyone agrees on the relevance of this question because we cannot know what the future will bring us, we intended to make people aware of this issue and able ourselves to think about this issue and its possible consequences to prepare ourselves independent of the eventual outcome. The big differences within our sample group shows the importance of thinking about these subjects.

Graph 2.

2. Various people think that reductionism challenges the tradition which holds that life is valuable because it is more than "merely physical". The special status of living things and the value we ascribe to life may be changed by reductionism. If we assume that a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of life necessarily decreases the value life, should we then pull back from the pursuit of understanding life?

1. Yes, because we can not foresee the implications that this knowledge might have
2. No, understanding life is more important than the possibility that reductionism devaluates life
3. No, because I do not believe that biology can change the meaning/value of life, the dimensions of the human experience cannot be explained exclusively by physics
4. Other:

• It is important to point out that this question is based on a hypothetical situation that might or might not occur in the future. The majority (82%) would not pull back from the pursuit of understanding life, mostly because they believe that the value of life cannot be changed by research, but also because understanding life is more important than the possibility of decreasing the value of it. Researching the principles of life should go on, the values and meaning of life will not be harmed because life cannot be explained completely by physics, says 56%.
  
• Although the majority of the synthetic biology community agrees that the possible consequence explained in the question is either irrelevant or insignificant compared to the importance of research in this field.
  
  

The other-answers:

• Of the 25 people who chose the other option, the majority does not agree with the assumption made in the question. Most of them argue that understanding life does not necessarily devaluate life and some feel that it only enhances its value because it shows why we value it.
  
• One statement says that "life" is just a description of a class of interactions, and therefore there is nothing special about it more so than the name. This is a rather materialisitic point of view, and shows a standpoint that is particularly assessed in question 16.
  
• Some believe that the answer is a matter of cost/benefit, where the question depends on how much value life would lose compared to how many lives would benefit materially and intellectually. There is one argument stating that research should not aim for understanding life, but should rather focus their efforts on benefits for the public (in terms of e.g. medical research).
  
  

When interpreting the answers, it seems that the possible effect of the pursuit of understanding life as described in the question is not a reason to stop the research, mostly because people argue that the value of life cannot be changed or might even be enhanced by understanding the mechanisms of life. When including the other-answers, a majority of 90% would not pull back from fundamental research on the principles of living matter.

Graph 3.

3. In biology, evolution is the change in the genetic material of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. Should mankind modify organisms (direct its evolution) by the use of genetic engineering?

1. Yes, because it has known benefits
2. Yes, because we have the moral obligation to apply genetic engineering if it is possibly beneficial
3. No, because we cannot foresee the consequences and implications of our actions when we interfere with evolution
4. No, because evolution is a natural process that research should not interfere with
5. Other:...

• Synthetic biology can be explained as (re-)engineering biological systems with the use of genetic engineering tools. Most iGEM teams deal with genetic modifications and constructing BioBricks to achieve their goal, which why we expected most people to vote yes to genetic engineering. 62% of the survey participants believes that mankind should apply genetic engineering to modify organisms, mostly because it has known benefits, but also because of moral obligations towards the possible beneficial outcomes.
• Nevertheless, 15% believes that the implications of interfering with evolution cannot be foreseen, and argues that mankind should not use genetic engineering. Only 4% thinks that evolution should not be meddled with because of its natural character. In total, 19% of the sample does not feel comfortable with genetic engineering in the light of interfering with evolution, which is more than we anticipated from a group expected to be involved in using genetic engineering principles.
  
  

The other-answers:

• One primary theme that comes forward from the open answers is the usefulness of applying genetic engineering. It is often stated that genetic manipulation principles should only be used when needed, when it is useful for man or science. We need to have a clear goal before engaging in using genetic engineering tools.
• Some focus on the risks and safety of these techniques. They state that researchers should be fully aware of the complexity and implications, analyze the risks and predict the outcome using models. One comment states that "organisms should be modified with care".
• Others alternatively point out that genetic engineering has been going on for centuries in the form of selective breeding, so "why not?", an argument that was already incorporated in answer A.
  
  

The majority of the groups thinks that modifying organisms by the use of genetic engineering should be available because of the (possible) benefits that it carries along. A minority of 19% is worried about the consequences that these techniques might have when meddling with evolution. Although the techniques are well studied, the complexity of DNA and the translation system are not yet completely understood and should make researchers use genetic engineering with care, and only apply it for beneficial purposes. A risk/benefit assessment could help identifying when these techniques should be applied.

Venter et al.

One of the biggest contributors to synthetic biology research and possibly one of the most controversial researchers in (synthetic) biology is Craig J. Venter. His project on creating a minimal genome is groundbreaking and raises a lot of questions, primarily by media machinery. How does the synthetic-biology-research community think about his research and bold statements?

Graph 4.

4. Craig Venter is one of the lead researchers in the minimal genome project. He intends to synthesize a bacterial genome from scratch, and then insert it into a cell (a Mycoplasma bacterium, from which the original genome is removed) to see if it can have the normal functions of the organism (Hutchison, 2003). Do you think Venter's approach is typically new?

1. Yes, his approach is novel; he uses new techniques
2. No, he just uses genetic engineering principles
3. Other:

• This question is based on the research of one specific group. Although some might not have heard of Craig J. Venter and his research, most people working in synthetic biology have heard/read about his project. Because of the controversial character that is assigned to Venter's research, we were interested about how the iGEM community perceives Venter's approach.
• The media refers to Venter's research as "new", but the results show that a majority of 52% says that his research is not new, but is only based on engineering principles. In contrast 36% thinks his approach is new and that he uses new techniques, which makes the sample highly diverse.

The other-answers:

• A small group is unaware of the research and honestly state they cannot answer this question because of insufficient specific knowledge of the research.
• Most other-voters state that Venter is not doing anything new, but some of them nuance their answer by dividing it in two parts. The approach and idea of Venter is often considered new ("as new approaches usually are"), because this typical project has never been done before. Nevertheless, the techniques he uses are not perceived as new, but are categorized as standard genetic engineering methods.
• Some mention that Venter is improving known genetic engineering approaches and that the combination of techniques is novel.

The most substantial result is that the synthetic biology community does not have a universal answer on this topic. Whether the research of Venter is new or not is apparently a difficult to answer question. Reasons for that can include that more specific knowledge on his research is needed, and that it is hard to when an approach or technique is typically new. Nevertheless, the technical challenges that Venter faces are acknowledged. The other-answers indicate that the tools of genetic engineering are not yet sophisticated enough to easily synthesize a complete genome.

Graph 5.

5. (See previous question) Venter says he will be able to create a life form artificially. What is your perception on his statement?

1. Venter is playing God by trying to create a new life form artificially
2. Venter is only applying genetic engineering to artificially change this bacterium
3. Other:

• Compared to the last question, the results here are much more coherent. The use of the words "playing God" in combination with (among others) Venter's research is often come across in news papers but also in scientific papers and other media, consequently giving his research a controversial character. The iGEM community is clear on this point: only 4% thinks that Venter is playing God, versus a 76% that believes Venter is only applying genetic engineering. Nevertheless, 20% took the opportunity to fill in their own answer.

The other-answers:

• There are a range of different open answers that all depict a different aspect important for this question, such as the definition of life and "what is creating?". Although very relevant, these issues cannot be answered easily. The definition of life will be discussed later. What is more important is what this controversial research and what is written about it in the media does with the perception of the iGEM community. In regard to the last question it is remarkable that far less people are limited by their unfamiliarity of the actual research.
• One small group is trying to find a way in between the given answers and explains that Venter, although not "playing God", is creating (artificial) life.
• The majority of the open answers indicates that his research is overstated by media, Venter is not creating life nor will he ever be able to. Some arguments that fund this statement: using existing materials without understanding its origin is hardly creating life and he would only create life artificially if he started out with man-made components only.

Although Venter is pushing the technology as far as it goes, over 80% (including the other-answers) does not believe that Venter is playing God by creating life artificially. Although depicted as controversial in media, the scientific community believes Venter is not creating life (let alone play God), but rather uses smart engineering principles to succeed in his goals.

Graph 6.

6. (See previous question) What do you think the perception of the public would be?

1. Venter operates controversially by trying to create a new life form artificially
2. It is just research, he is not able to really create life. He is only able to put biological components together
3. Other:

• This question should indicate how the synthetic biology community thinks that the public perceives Venter's research. Although researchers themselves believe that Venter is only using engineering principles, a majority of 51% assume that the public will think the research is controversial and that Venter is trying to create life artificially. Nevertheless, a group of 35% thinks that the publics opinion will be rather the same as theirs.

The other-answers:

• A large group of the other-voters believes that communication is crucial, the public's perception on synthetic biology and specifically on Venter's research depends on how it is communicated to them. The media has great influence on the publics opinion through giving a new technology a certain positive or negative swing (more on this topic can be found in the Communication section).
• There are also people who think that the public does not have enough specific knowledge to understand the complex principles of synthetic biology and the research that is going on to understand it.
• Only a few have difficulties to envision what the public's perception from their own current point of view.
• Some believe that poor communication of research will lead to fear in the general public.

It is hard to think for someone else, but in some cases one can estimate to a certain extend how somebody would react on particular information. In this case, the informed scientific community is asked to estimate the public's perception on the controversial research of Craig Venter. The answer's are diverse, where the majority (51%) thinks that the public will perceive the research as controversial and Venter is trying to create new life forms, while a relatively large minority of 35% of the researchers think that the public will think that he is only putting biological components together. From the open-answers one strong point was made, focusing on the importance of proper communication in order to inform the public objectively. Using statements such as "playing God" might work to draw attention, but can be interpreted negatively.

Risks

As outlined in the background information section, one of the main issues in synthetic biology concerns bio-safety and security. To obtain information on how researchers in the field think about this subject, we questioned the relevance of these concerns. Both the dangers of errors and terrors are addressed, as well as the attitude towards risk-taking in this emerging field of science.

Graph 7.

7. Synthetic biology may enable us to create biological systems artificially. There is a possibility that someone will create something dangerous. Are you afraid that synthetic biology might result in the production of a biological system containing some sort of error, which makes it hazardous?

1. Yes, I acknowledge this possibility, but think it is not significant because there is sufficient regulation
2. Yes, I recognize that this is a possible outcome and think new regulations/policies should be enforced, to minimize this possibility
3. No, I think that researchers approach synthetic biology careful enough already
4. No, I do not fear this at all
5. Other:

Graph 8.

8. Are you afraid that synthetic biology might result in the production of a biological system that can be used for terrorist purposes?

1. Yes, I acknowledge this possibility, but think it is not significant because there is sufficient regulation
2. Yes, I recognize that this is a possible outcome and think new regulations/policies should be enforced, to minimize this possibility
3. Yes, I acknowledge this possibility, but there is nothing we can do about it
4. No, I think that researchers approach synhethic biology careful enough already and are sufficiently discrete
5. No, I do not fear this at all
6. Other:

Graph 9.

9. The naturalness of a certain system is generally explained as "its quality of being natural or being based on natural principles". How do you perceive the risk of human interference with nature (for example, trough new technology)?

1. If you cannot prove that these new technologies are safe assume they are dangerous
2. If you cannot prove that these new technologies are dangerous assume they are safe
3. If this technology really tends to get out of hand I will react, otherwise there is nothing to do about it
4. I minimize the risk before doing the actual research
5. Other:

Graph 10.

10. (see previous question) How do you think the public percieves this?

1. If you cannot prove that these new technologies are safe assume they are dangerous
2. If you cannot prove that these new technologies are dangerous assume they are safe
3. If this technology really tends to get out of hand researchers should react, otherwise there is nothing to do about it
4. Researchers should minimize the risk before doing the actual research
5. Other:

Life, beliefs and opinions

The following are a set of questions that should indicate how the synthetic biology community thinks about life, what values they give to it, what it means to them, and to what extend it can be explained (reduced) in terms of physics. To a certain extend, these questions should make the reader aware that they are working with living systems with a certain worth but and make them think about how research may effect the value or perception of life. The ultimate way of applying the reductionist approach could well explain life, consequently have certain implications. Whether this point will ever be reached is doubtful. What is the scientific opinion?

Graph 11.

11. "Assume that research will show that life is only based on the interactions of atoms (biochemical reactions) with specific properties. Consequently, research shows that life is fully reducible and independent of special, holy, sacred or magical properties." Would you believe this information?

1. Yes, and I would not have a problem with it
2. Yes, but I would like to believe there is more to life
3. No, I would not believe it, because there is more to life
4. No, because it would devaluate my perception of life
5. Other:

Graph 12-1.

12. I accept that God's hand is involved in life
Please indicate on a scale of 1-10 how much you agree on this.

Graph 13-1.

13. I believe that life is holy/sacred
Please indicate on a scale of 1-10 how much you agree on this.

Graph 14-1.

14. I think that the properties of biological systems can be explained by their reducible subsystems
Please indicate on a scale of 1-10 how much you agree on this.

Graph 15-1.

15. I think that a complex living system is more than the sum of its biological components
Please indicate on a scale of 1-10 how much you agree on this.

Graph 16-1.

16. Life is physical and can be explained materialistically
Please indicate on a scale of 1-10 how much you agree on this.

Researchers and the public

General interest in the reasons for people to work in synthetic biology lead to the first of the following question. Insight in the goals of synthetic biology can help in defining the fields were possibly more regulation is needed. One of the problems in science in general is the way to communicate research to the public. It gets even more difficult when controversial subjects raise ethical issues that might be hard to understand without any scientific background knowledge. Should the scientific community inform the public about every detail, or is the material to complex to communicate? Should ethical questions be dealt with together, or should the scientific community self-regulate and decide on dilemmas without informing the public?

Graph 17.

17. What is your goal in synthetic biology?

1. I aim to explain biology in terms of physics and chemistry
2. My priority is gaining and sharing knowledge on novel fundamental biological processes in life
3. I would like to see that my research on non-natural occurring biological systems is being used for social objectives, such as curing cancer or making bio-fuels
4. With synthetic biology I would like to create a bridge between biology and computer science, to use biological systems for machine-like purposes
5. I hope that my research in synthetic biology will be used in the industry, consequently giving me finanicial benefits
6. Other:

Graph 18-1.

18. Advances in synthetic biology should be communicated to all of society.
Please indicate on a scale of 1-10 how much you agree on this, with 10 being full agreement.

Graph 19-1.

19. The scientific community and the public have to work together in addressing key ethical and religious concerns.
Please indicate on a scale of 1-10 how much you agree on this, with 10 being full agreement.

Life

When discussing ethical questions concerning the implications of the approaches in synthetic biology, the ultimate questions that always come up are: what is life? and what is natural?. Although these questions are possibly never fully answerable, there are a lot of different definitions going around and people have different opinions on it. The questions before are partially a means to help answer these questions. Can the reductionist approach ever lead to an explanation of life? Even though we tried to focus on a narrow subject in all the ethical issues that are raised by synthetic biology, the questions that involve life are still too massive to handle. Famous philosophers have thought about comparable dilemmas centuries ago. The prospects of synthetic biology re-initiates the discussion, a result of researchers working on the brink of understanding and creating life. How do the people involved in the iGEM competition think about life?

Graph 20.

20. What constitues life? Is the reductionist approach limiting in explaining life?
Open question (optional)