on a common platform ( Singh and Dhar 2013 ).
One of the major outcomes of synthetic biology research has been the development of ‘ long DNA synthesis ’ technology .
For the last ten years , the cost of chemically synthesizing DNA bases has dropped at least 10 times - from a dollar a base to 10 cents a base . Some companies are claiming a much higher drop in the cost of DNA synthesis . Along with a significant reduction in the cost of synthesizing DNA , the ability to cook up longer DNA sequences has increased remarkably . From a primer level ability to synthesize DNA sequences , the current technology allows chemical synthesis of whole microbial genomes !
The power of low cost DNA synthesis combined with the power of synthesizing long DNA sequences opens up a realm of unimaginable possibilities . Suddenly the term “ responsible innovation ” starts ringing the bell !
One consciously looks for trenches and caveats that may not be visible to an innocent eye . The attention moves from a network of applications to a network of responsibilities . Given that Synthetic Biology community is largely based on a slippery slope of self-regulation , it could lead to scenarios that are detrimental to life on this planet impacting biodiversity and health .
On one side , societal needs require innovations to improve the quality of life . On the other side , dual use technologies , if left undiagnosed and untreated can cause disturbance of delicate balance and irreversible damage to environment and human health .
The long and short of DNA Synthesis
The first evidence of chemical DNA synthesis came from HG Khorana ’ s lab in 1950s leading to the cracking of genetic code .
Fast forward technological advancements to 2016 and we see chemically synthesized genome sequences coming at a fraction of cost and time . Though long DNA synthesis has helped speed up recombinant DNA research , we visualize a scenario where synthesizing zika virus can merely cost of a desktop and Herpes Virus cost a sedan ! Thus , a thin line that exists between available technology and emergence of a deadly virus , may be that of an intent .
Recently , a discreet meeting of scientists at Boston ( revealed by the press ) talked about making of synthetic cell line with a complete
human genome that can , with further research , lead to creation of designer human babies . This raises serious ethical questions which , until now , have not been properly addressed at the societal level and may lead to detrimental effect on human lives .
This is not to say that long DNA synthesis should be stopped on its tracks . The key word really is ‘ responsibility ’. This technology can help scientists quickly arrive at results leading to useful products . What used to take months can now be achieved in a matter of weeks . This technology has the power to transform several industries - be it biopharma , agriculture or biomaterials .
For industries , this technology is a potential asset worth billions of dollars . However , for legal luminaries , it is an opportunity for writing new laws at the boundary of fundamental right to human health and responsible scientific explorations .
For academicians from sciences and social sciences it ’ s a mirror image scenario . The former looks at an exciting gift of a technology to the society and the latter ( social scientists ) try to study the convergence and foresee uncomfortable folding ’ s or grey areas , which can be a threat to the society . In our view , finding the right balance
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