Difference between revisions of "Team:Bordeaux/Practices"
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− | <h5 align=" | + | <h5 align="center" >What is synthetic biology?</h5> |
<p align="justify">Synthetic biology is a new field of research in biology which <b>mixes science and engineering</b>. It focuses on the conception and the construction of new reliable functions through the creation of biological systems or the re-engineering of organisms which already exist. The singularity of synthetic biology compared to traditional biology is about engineering live beings to have a <b>predictable behavior</b>. In order to do so, scientists focus on optimizing existing biosynthetic pathways or creating new ones while bypassing or suppressing inefficient pathways in order to increase productivity. | <p align="justify">Synthetic biology is a new field of research in biology which <b>mixes science and engineering</b>. It focuses on the conception and the construction of new reliable functions through the creation of biological systems or the re-engineering of organisms which already exist. The singularity of synthetic biology compared to traditional biology is about engineering live beings to have a <b>predictable behavior</b>. In order to do so, scientists focus on optimizing existing biosynthetic pathways or creating new ones while bypassing or suppressing inefficient pathways in order to increase productivity. | ||
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In order to limit this fear, the question of transparency is important for scientists. Besides publishing his results, the researcher has to be able to explain his research process and the challenges of the project by stating the explored and the ignored areas. The general audience has to be able to understand his whole scientific approach. The results found, thanks to this approach, contribute to the production of new knowledge and innovation that could be shared to the general public. It is also important for the researcher to analyze his results, looking at the possible negative impacts of his research and estimating the safety and environmental risks and as well the ethical problematic.</p> | In order to limit this fear, the question of transparency is important for scientists. Besides publishing his results, the researcher has to be able to explain his research process and the challenges of the project by stating the explored and the ignored areas. The general audience has to be able to understand his whole scientific approach. The results found, thanks to this approach, contribute to the production of new knowledge and innovation that could be shared to the general public. It is also important for the researcher to analyze his results, looking at the possible negative impacts of his research and estimating the safety and environmental risks and as well the ethical problematic.</p> | ||
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+ | <h5 align="center" >The synthetic biology legal framework in Europe</h5> | ||
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+ | <p align="justify">However, the researcher cannot be the only one in charge of the safety and ethics of his research. Creating guidelines and a legal framework is essential for safety reasons and to reassure the general public. In Europe, there is no law specifically concerning synthetic biology but synthetic biology is framed by common biology laws (exemple du Mr) and ethic committees set up by the European Union. | ||
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+ | Among these committees we can state: | ||
+ | <br>- The European Commission | ||
+ | <br>- The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies | ||
+ | <br>- The Inter-service Group on Ethics and EU policies | ||
+ | <br>- The Executive Management for Research and Innovation | ||
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+ | Specifically for synthetic biology, a European project called SYNBIOSAFE approved by the European Commission has focused on ethics and safety of synthetic biology. In 2012, it published an <a href="http://www.biofaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/igem-biosafety-2013.pdf" target="_blank">article</a> concerning the bioethical and biosafety attentions in iGEM competitions. | ||
+ | <br>Thanks to the laws concerning ethical aspects of science (ref) and projects like SYNBIOSAFE that focus on synthetic biology, many ethical questions arose on synthetic biology and we have tried to answer them in the clearest way possible. Therefore, not only law may limit synthetic biology. Aspects concerning Politics, Economy, and Philosophy could influence the bioethics questions. | ||
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Revision as of 21:56, 31 July 2015