جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « بیولوژی سینتتیک » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

As an emerging interdisciplinary area of science with a multitude of potential facilities and applications, synthetic biology integrates different disciplines with one another ranging from basic science to engineering. This interdisciplinary branch therefore encompasses sciences that require specific development and ethical approaches.

Science management principles were used to design the framework of discrete ethical issues of synthetic biology in terms of the creation, storage, distribution and application of synthetic biology.

There is a debate over whether or not the artificial organisms created as living machines deserve ethical considerations. The free storage of knowledge as open libraries about manufacturing the parts, devices and biological systems is another issue. In this respect, technological gap and justice could also be debated. Biosafety and biosecurity are also important in applying synthetic biology, as this science is increasingly facing the community of garage biologists. In biosecurity, creating organisms with dual applications raises ethical issues regarding bioterrorism.

The complexity and broad scope of ethical issues regarding the application of synthetic biology products require that distinct ethical principles be developed in collaboration with experts in ethics and law and futurists in discourse with the civil community.

Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary branch of biology and engineering. As synthetic biology develops into a promising science and engineering field, we need to clarify the purpose and nature of this science in terms of security, ethics and the recognition of the benefits of potential risks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the researchers’ attitudes toward synthetic biology in Bushehr University of Medical Science.

This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 80 faculty members of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences who have the research experience. To collect information a researcher-made questionnaire consisted of 19 questions in fields of benefits and risks of synthetic biology, compliance with religious beliefs, uncertainty about the boundaries between man and God, the necessity of policy making in this science and the speed of progress of this science were used. Demographics characteristics of subjects were also assessed through the questionnaire.

In this study, 22 women and 58 men with the average age of 43.87±7.35 years of 20.79±14.56 (range 31 to 60 years) with mean history of research of 12.43±6.2 years were enrolled. The results showed that 85.65% of study subjects had a positive approach to the benefits of this science, 72.46% expressed concern about the serious risks of synthetic biology and 72.33% had positive attitude towards policy making in this field. There was an intersectional and boundary relationship between conflicts with religious beliefs and trust the policymakers and scientists (P=0.052). Also, there was no significant relationship between age, sex, and research history with any of the questionnaire items (P-value>0.05).

The academic society was aware from the benefits and risks of synthetic biology. They did not express a conflict between this branch of science and their religious beliefs and trusts. They also considered an interdisciplinary approach and training of a skillful human resource among the fundamental strategic policies in the field of synthetic biology.

Synthetic biology is a novel branch of biological sciences. The creation of a synthetic microorganisms with minimal genome compatible with life by Craig Venter had provoked the prior hot philosophical discussions about the nature of life. The recent advancements in synthetic biology brings new philosophical analysis about hybrid entities “synthetic organisms” and “living machines” and fundamental difference between biological machines and the living world. This paper is a critical analysis of the philosophical perspective on the design of synthetic organisms, minimal genome and artificial life. It also presents a critical view on knowledge-making practices in synthetic biology on Richard Feynman’s statement: “What I cannot create, I do not understand.”

According to the Royal Academy of Engineering (2009), “synthetic biology aims to design and engineer biologically-based parts, novel devices and systems as well as redesigning existing, natural biological systems”. It has been predicted that synthetic biology would be one of twelve destructive and creative technologies in the future and would transform the life, business and economic world.
By considering critical infrastructures in biological sciences, biomedical research centers, biotechnological infrastructures, national innovation system, national scientific roadmap and centers for doctoral training in I.R. Iran and recent experiences for progress of synthetic biology in different countries, a conceptual framework for the development of synthetic biology in I.R. Iran was designed.
Five strategies may be considered in order to develop synthetic biology in I.R. Iran. 1. The establishment of centers of excellence for research in synthetic biology; 2. Support of multidisciplinary cores for biomedical technologies in universities; 3. Networking and building a national Smart Specialization Platform for synthetic biology; 4. Education and training in synthetic biology to provide the critical national workforce mass; 5. Public engagement with synthetic biology.
Together these five strategies provide an important foundation for establishment of essential infrastructures and expert workforce for the development of synthetic biology in I.R. Iran. By conducting a practical roadmap, Iran would be a leading nation in synthetic biology in the west part of Asia in the future.