iGEM of UBC » synthetic biology ethics

Ethics: Technology to screen for synbio abuses lags

Eric Ma — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 05:59:03 +0000

What’s very interesting here is that there is no international framework for dealing with sequences that may be potentially harmful to the environment or human health. Also, how would one deal with ordering of small fragments of a lethal (to humans) gene that was ordered from multiple companies and shipped to multiple sites but would eventually end up in one individual’s hands? Is the onus on the government to collect information on the ordering of even just fragments of lethal genes, if not the full-length ones?

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/spu-tts091610.php

iGEM 2010 Forum

wmelody — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:36:00 +0000

The iGEM 2010 forum is up and running! Please join the discussion and share your thoughts.

Synthetic Biology: Caught between Property Rights, the Public Domain, and the Commons

Eric Ma — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:48:06 +0000

http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.0050058

More on the issue of patenting, law, and intellectual property.

What health reform means for innovation

Eric Ma — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:27:53 +0000

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v28/n4/full/nbt0410-293.html

This is a very insightful article on the impact of President Obama’s recent healthcare legislation on the biotechnology industry. Not just about economics, this article also discusses how economics itself will drive innovation in the biotechnology industry w.r.t. healthcare products in diagnosis and treatment.

Judge Invalidates Human Gene Patent

Eric Ma — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:36:28 +0000

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/business/30gene.html

This ruling could have ramifications in synthetic biology as well, given its close ties with biotechnological development. What happens now to genes cloned out and placed in novel situations? Since those parts are, by definition, “a product of nature”, and thus “involve a law of nature”, are they equally (un)patentable?

Patenting biotech beyond the central dogma

Eric Ma — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:35:09 +0000

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v28/n3/full/nbt0310-230.html

This is a very insightful article – a recommended read for a human practices project.

Bioengineers launch first open-source genetic parts production facility

Eric Ma — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:46:36 +0000

Bioengineers launch first open-source genetic parts production facility

This facility has the potential to really help commoditize the use of synthetic biology in biotechnological development! How could its presence affect the patenting landscape?

Pentagon Looks to Breed Immortal ‘Synthetic Organisms,’ Molecular Kill-Switch Included

Eric Ma — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:00:09 +0000

Pentagon Looks to Breed Immortal ‘Synthetic Organisms,’ Molecular Kill-Switch Included

This news article gives us a lot to think about w.r.t. ethics in synthetic biology, especially the “Science & Society” discourse.

Changing the rules of the game: addressing the conflict between free access to scientific discovery and intellectual property rights

Eric Ma — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:35:35 +0000

Changing the rules of the game: addressing the conflict between free access to scientific discovery and intellectual property rights

This article discusses patent law in brief, and addresses the balance that scientists need to strike between allowing free access to information vs. capitalizing on their Intellectual Property rights. It’s a very interesting article, and it’s strongly recommended for anybody who’s thinking of doing ethics work this year.