Team:Copenhagen/Ethics
From 2011.igem.org
As participants in iGEM we have been confronted with several ethical dilemmas. We have grown increasingly interested in discussing these subjects and believe that it is an important debate to have among scientist as well as on an interdisciplinary level. We believe that iGEM with its young and idealistic team members can serve as the perfect platform for such discussions. Since the competition regards ”machines” built of biobricks, it made us wonder if it is possible to distinguish between biological machines and natural organisms. What similarities exist between the two? Is an organism really just a very complex small machine consisting of parts different from the ones in machines that we are used to, for example a cell phone?
In the iGEM competition and in biological science in general, we remove or introduce new genes that result in new skills that enable the organism to serve a specific purpose. A central question would be, how much genetic material one could remove or introduce, before the organism was changed so much that it would have changed substantial characteristics to be either a new organism or a biological machine. It is an ongoing discussion, which we want to be a part of, as we consider it being a central part of the iGEM competition. Another central theme of the iGEM competition is that everything is open source. Therefore we find it relevant to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of open source. It may be naive to think, that it won’t be exploited or used carelessly, which could have huge consequences for the environment and human life.
One purpose of creating biobricks is to make manipulation of organisms easier and faster for scientists. However, when all information in the parts registry is open source, this makes it possible for non-trained persons to create their own manipulated organisms in the garage at home. It might not be an issue for now, but as the techniques and instruments become less complicated and expensive, society will stand before a great challenge regarding regulation and control. Already, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) biology groups are growing in number around the world. The basis of theese are open source and sharing of knowledge. Recently the DIY biology movement found its way to Copenhagen, as a mini lab was set up at Labitat in H.C.Ørstedsvej. This indicates that work with organisms in laboratories outside a professional scientific environment, is not only hypothetical, and that there is an interest for DIY biology. This could be a reason to discuss the pros and cons for open source biology.
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Machines
Go to discussion The minimal cell
Go to discussion Open Source
Go to discussion |
Comments or questions to the team? Please mail us at igemcopenhagen@gmail.com |