Public Perceptions
Synthetic Biology Project director discusses opportunities and challenges of synthetic biology on The Kojo Nnamdi Show (NPR).
A new report from the Hastings Center and Synthetic Biology Project calls for a comprehensive approach to addressing ethical and social issues of emerging technologies as a whole so that scarce intellectual resources can be used optimally.
A new interactive map shows a growing landscape of synthetic biology activity throughout the United States and Europe.
Project scholar presented recent research findings on the public perception of synthetic biology before the European Group on Ethics.
"Laws like the Toxic Substances Control Act and Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act simply were not designed to handle 21st century advances.," contends Michael Rodemeyer in his new report, New Life, Old Bottles...
Examines the benefits and drawbacks of using the existing U.S. regulatory framework for biotechnology to cover the new products and processes enabled by synthetic biology.
The safety of early applications of synthetic biology may be adequately addressed by the existing regulatory framework for biotechnology, but further advances in this emerging field are likely to create significant challenges for U.S. government oversight, according to a new report.
A periodically updated list of synthetic biology events and conferences
The Synthetic Biology Project is being launched to identify gaps in our knowledge of the potential risks of the field, explore public perceptions towards it, and examine governance options that will both ensure public safety and facilitate innovation. Take the quiz! Winners Announced!
Synthetic biology is being touted by scientists and venture capitalists as “the next big thing.” Researchers claim to be on the brink of creating artificial life in a laboratory and making the world’s first synthetic microbes. But will the promises and pitfalls of synthetic biology catch governments, ethicists, experts, and the public by surprise?
Tracking the last five years of media coverage
Nanotechnology and synthetic biology are two of the most exciting fields in science. They are the focus of venture capitalists, government and university laboratories, major corporations, and startup companies. But how much have Americans heard about these two fields that promise to change virtually every aspect of their lives?
A groundbreaking poll has found that nearly nine in 10 Americans say they have heard just a little or nothing at all about the emerging field of synthetic biology. This new insight into limited public awareness of emerging technologies comes on the cusp of a major leadership change in the nation’s capital.
