Policy and Practices

Overview

A new form of green energy, based on our production of conductive nanowires from harnessing an endogenous amyloid export system in E.Coli, will soon be paving the way towards renewable energy sources in commercial products and residences.

From the very beginning we have engaged politicians and professionals in the science community towards our research, in order to develop a wider understanding of how they conceive the use of our product in the real world and its success. As you browse through our policy and practices, you will come across the interviews we conducted with these professionals and the conclusions we were able to come to.

Our continuous efforts to reach out to the public were rewarded when the University of Kent invited us to present our findings at the Stacey Symposium, a public event where we were able to reach a large audience of esteemed lecturers, investors and alumni and explain to them the importance of our work within synthetic biology and the community. This led to us hosting a public workshop, where we were able to demonstrate our work and provide AFM demos to further engage the public.

From educating and engaging the public to interviewing politicians, our human practices and outreach work was fundamental to developing our research. With this said, you can find out more below.

Interviewing Politicians

Summary

Franco Panizza - Italian Senator

Profile
Franco Panizza is an Italian Senator and the leader of the PATT ( Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party). He graduated from the University of Padua with a degree in Forestal Sciences. For many years he was part of the government of the Trentino Province, which is autonomously governed since 1946, being an area of dispute between Italy and Austria before then. Senator Panizza’s values and political activities aim at the development in the Province while maintaing a strong bond to Trentino’s rich historical heritage. While in the Senate, he has been a member of a wide variety of Commisions, such as the Agriculture and Food Production Commission and the Land and Environment Commission.

Questions (This interview has been translated from the original in Italian)

1) What role do you believe Synthetic Biology will play in the next 10 years?

In Italy, the role of Synthetic Biology in the next 10 years will strongly depend on its ethical implications. Personally, I am not very knowledgeable in the field of synthetic biology as I lack a full picture on the topic. In our Country, there is a strong feeling of the so-called “Frankenstein Syndrome”, which is the fear that scientific innovation could get out of hand or that scientists without ethics will bring chaos to the relationship between nature and humans. A lot will depend on this.

2) What are the implications and ethical dilemmas faced by synthetic biology- related technologies being introduced into the society? If generally negative, how can we overcome this? If generally positive, where is the room for improvement?

The public needs to be engaged. The debate needs to go beyond all the emotional bias, unlike how it too often happens in Italy when talking about themes such as synthetic biology. Everything needs to be put on the field, including risks, opportunities, possible developments and implications. Too often this has not been the case in Italy, because the scientific community here starts from the assumption that the technical concepts are too complicated for the majority of the population to understand.

3) A large percentage of the current electronics are not renewable and contribute to growing volumes of e-waste. One of the components is copper and other non-renewable metals used in circuit boards. Our technology would replace these and allow for old circuits to be revamped. How much of an impact do you think this will have on the global e-waste production?

If all the ethical aspects have been cleared, meaning if there are no controversial implications, it is undeniable that your technology could have an important role. In the past few years in Italy, great focus has been brought on environmental sustainability. The planet should not consume more than nature can produce. If I remember, it is called environmental footprint.

4) The charging stations that we proposed would contain bacteria to produce the energy. What are your views on the matter?

At a first glance it is quite unsettling to think about. However, if the public would become knowledgeable about this idea, it could have a lot of potential.

5) What do you think will make this new technology, in terms of live bacteria producing energy, attractive to the general public?

To make the public accept this technology it is necessary that all the ethical implications are laid out, that it is proven to be safe and that if follows a principle of sustainable development.

6) Based on our research there are 8 potential nuclear power plant sites, of which only 5 are currently in development. We are planning to use one of the three available sites to cut down costs of establishing a new infrastructure. What are the main concerns, in your opinion, if we are planning to use this nuclear reactor site as a pilot plant for our project?

The main concerns are definitely safety and the public’s approval. In a Country such as Italy it will be remarkably hard to help the idea come across, mostly because of the lack of faith towards the government and public institutions in general. For example, consider for a moment the current debate on the return of nuclear power in Italy, or even the controversy surrounding the high-speed train in Piedmont. Any kind of complex public work will generate a great sense of fear. The population in Italy doesn’t trust in the ability of the government to manage these works, and at the same time there is also a lack of faith towards regulating the private sector.

7) In the upcoming Climate Change conference happening in Paris this December, what are the possible agendas that your political party will advocate for?

My party will advocate for anything that will promote sustainable developement. It appears that there is a growing awareness on this topics. For example, in July I lead a diplomatic mission in China and the authorities in Beijing reiterated their engagement. If this could head somewhere, it would definitely result in a historial change.

8) Since funding for solar and wind energy is being reduced, is there a chance that funding could be allocated to the development of our technology given its potentials?

By always keeping track of any ethical implications, your technology could become a great opportunity for developement. However, to succeed, it will certainly need the cooperation from the public.

9) If our iGEM team's technology will be successfully applied in the society, what are the possible regulations that will be imposed in the energy industry?

For now it is difficult to predict. There are too many variables involved.

Terry Westgate - Canterbury City Councillor

POSTnote

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) is Parliament's in-house source of independent accessible analysis of public policy issues related to science and technology. This provides overviews of research from across the biological, physical and social sciences, and engineering and technology. The best known format for these briefings are ‘POSTnotes’: summaries of public policy issues based on reviews of the research literature and they are peer reviewed by external experts. POSTnotes are often produced proactively, so that parliamentarians have advance knowledge of key issues before they reach the top of the political agenda.
The development of biological systems addressing global issues is breaking ground; this is a critical time to incorporate the presence of synthetic biology within the political framework. Our aim for writing this POSTnote is to get parliament to notice and recognize the impact synthetic biology can have on society. The document focuses on:

Public Workshop

Stacey Symposium

Birbeck Meetup

Westminister Meetup

Social Media

Survey