The use of Biology, its protocol and tools in art is actively pursued in these days. And this type of work are categorized into bio-art that is a crossover of art and the biological science. Although bio-art is one of contemporary art, the origin of it can be linked to two former originators. The one is an artist, photographer Edward Steichen, and the other is a scientist, the discoverer of penicillin, Alexandr Fleming. We don't intend to elaborate their works, meanings and effect. But the important things are that their works didn't attract much attention and, more importantly, were reductively defined only in the terms of beauty.

Recent bio-art is more controversial and can't be judged only in the term of beauty. For example, by using transgenic technique, they created transgenic organism that raised issues of how we should consider care for a bioengineering life[link] . Artists try to criticize a number of issues related to current biotechnology such as gene recombination, gene diagnosis and cloning technology. These bioethical issues are closely linked to synthetic biology. To tackle these issues, interdisciplinary work between scientist and artist must be needed.

This year, our iGEM project is strongly oriented to Bio-art (See PROJECT for overview our project). As a ethical project, herein we discuss bio-art from the view of "media (expressing something)" and "Bioethics". Both aspects are highly affected by recent advance of synthetic biology and cross each other. Considering synthetic biology in art and the reverse offers a new insight on both science and art.

New media

At the present day, we use computer technology to express a lot of things such as photo, movie and music, in other words, use computer technology as "medium". And this cross over between computer technology and traditional media gave rise to the term of "New media" (リンク）. New media is mostly digital, which has characteristics of being is expressed numerical. Numerical expression enable manipulation and programming, even material from traditional media. Adobe photoshop and CG in Matrix may be good and simple example to imagine what is new media.

On the other hand, what is "bio media"? The structure determination of DNA, human genome projects make us recognize that life can be described in numerical way. Genomic information of DNA(AGTC) is absolutely digital one. However in bio media, we cannot separated DNA information (software) from hardware which composed of organism. In iGEM, all participants try to make life system by programming DNA information. They are sometimes work as designed but mostly not. Although more systems biological knowledge should be needed to answer this question, synthetic biologists have attempted to regard biological organism as modularized information. Regardless of consequence of this trial, we all have already started to make bio media and try to accomplish something that is done by computer or none has done yet.

Personalization of biology beyond standardization

When technology develops very well and becomes inexpensive enough to prevail in average citizen, it will be used not only for original purpose but for unexpected one. For example, in 1970s, personal computer started to be sold at a low price. Before then, electronic computers was available only to people in academic or research institutions. Due to the introduction of microprocessor, computer was rapidly personalized. And this personalization of computers created new usages of computer such as computer art and music [リンク]. Same kind of stream could potentially occur in Biology and now is going on. The concept of iGEM and BioBrick intends to follow the model of open source in software industry. Through iGEM competition every year, we make a lot of genetic parts standardized with respect to assembly process and ultimately aim to create simple and man-made biological system. Genetic manipulation are sill expensive technology and not accessible for no-expert people. However, if the cost of genetic engineering decreases and regulatory and ethical problem is alleviated to the some degree, more and more people would be able to hack biology by programing the genetic parts. Personalization of biology and biotechnology should lead its usage on various way

On the other hand, current advance of molecular biology, genome and post genomic research press us to re-think bioethical issues.

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