eLife (Nov 2017)
A transatlantic perspective on 20 emerging issues in biological engineering
- Bonnie C Wintle,
- Christian R Boehm,
- Catherine Rhodes,
- Jennifer C Molloy,
- Piers Millett,
- Laura Adam,
- Rainer Breitling,
- Rob Carlson,
- Rocco Casagrande,
- Malcolm Dando,
- Robert Doubleday,
- Eric Drexler,
- Brett Edwards,
- Tom Ellis,
- Nicholas G Evans,
- Richard Hammond,
- Jim Haseloff,
- Linda Kahl,
- Todd Kuiken,
- Benjamin R Lichman,
- Colette A Matthewman,
- Johnathan A Napier,
- Seán S ÓhÉigeartaigh,
- Nicola J Patron,
- Edward Perello,
- Philip Shapira,
- Joyce Tait,
- Eriko Takano,
- William J Sutherland
Affiliations
- Bonnie C Wintle
- ORCiD
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Christian R Boehm
- ORCiD
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Germany; Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Catherine Rhodes
- ORCiD
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Jennifer C Molloy
- ORCiD
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Piers Millett
- Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Laura Adam
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
- Rainer Breitling
- ORCiD
- Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SYNBIOCHEM), Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Rob Carlson
- Bioeconomy Capital, Seattle, United States
- Rocco Casagrande
- Gryphon Scientific, Takoma Park, United States
- Malcolm Dando
- Division of Peace Studies and the Bradford Centre for International Development, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom
- Robert Doubleday
- Centre for Science and Policy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Eric Drexler
- ORCiD
- Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Brett Edwards
- Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
- Tom Ellis
- Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Nicholas G Evans
- ORCiD
- Department of Philosophy, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, United States
- Richard Hammond
- Cambridge Consultants Limited, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Jim Haseloff
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Linda Kahl
- ORCiD
- BioBricks Foundation, San Francisco, United States
- Todd Kuiken
- ORCiD
- Genetic Engineering & Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, United States
- Benjamin R Lichman
- ORCiD
- John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Colette A Matthewman
- ORCiD
- John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Johnathan A Napier
- ORCiD
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, United Kingdom
- Seán S ÓhÉigeartaigh
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Nicola J Patron
- ORCiD
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Edward Perello
- Desktop Genetics, London, United Kingdom
- Philip Shapira
- ORCiD
- Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, United States
- Joyce Tait
- Innogen Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Eriko Takano
- ORCiD
- Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SYNBIOCHEM), Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- William J Sutherland
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.30247
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 6
Abstract
Advances in biological engineering are likely to have substantial impacts on global society. To explore these potential impacts we ran a horizon scanning exercise to capture a range of perspectives on the opportunities and risks presented by biological engineering. We first identified 70 potential issues, and then used an iterative process to prioritise 20 issues that we considered to be emerging, to have potential global impact, and to be relatively unknown outside the field of biological engineering. The issues identified may be of interest to researchers, businesses and policy makers in sectors such as health, energy, agriculture and the environment.
Keywords
