Ethical Considerations in Synthetic Biology

An Introduction

Our university iGEM team are pioneering the first truly synthetic biology project here at Aberdeen; previously genetic manipulation projects have simply involved expressing, or overexpressing, a single gene. We are the first researchers to attempt to assemble a biological circuit, by combining components to generate an emergent property.

Before our lab work commenced, a few safety and ethical issues had to be considered. We were required to submit an application for permission to the local University of Aberdeen Advisory Committee of Genetic Manipulation (ACGM), the outcome of which can be seen in the document below.

An emergent concern of the committee was the potential danger to an individual under the circumstance that our lysyl oxidase expressing e.coli be accidentally ingested, and subsequently replicate to high levels in the gut. In response to this issue we highlighted the theoretical ability of our system to self-lyse.

We were, therefore, granted permission to commence our project under the proposed constraints: we were required to prove, with submitted experimental evidence, that the automatic holin-based cell lysis system worked, prior to expressing our two component biological glue (tropoelastin and lysyl oxidase components).

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