{"62104":{"#nid":"62104","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Norton Asks Presidential Commission to Consider Impacts of Synthetic Biology on Biodiversity","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in the emerging field of synthetic biology are going beyond the recombination of genetic material, such as hybrid corn or genetically altered vegetables, to create new material and life forms with no precedents in the natural world. Is that an important difference? \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFurther, might such synthetic life forms damage efforts to protect Earth\u2019s naturally occurring biodiversity? \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cSuch questions should be fundamental to formulation of biodiversity policy and consideration of the future of biodiversity,\u201d says Bryan G. Norton, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Science, and Technology in the School of Public Policy.\u0026nbsp; \u201cYet debate on the topic has been muted, at best.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA biodiversity advocate, Norton presented his concerns during the second meeting of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues September 13-14 in Philadelphia. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnderlying the specifics Norton raised to the commission [see full remarks], is his concern that, \u201cAs the emergent field develops a conceptual framework appropriate to its internal needs, it may lose its connection to biology and ecology, and practitioners may lack the conceptual links that encourage them to recognize the importance of natural habitats for wild species.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cSynthetic life forms are not, and cannot be, a substitute for a living, breathing, evolving species.\u0026nbsp; To the extent that life forms are reduced to collections of \u2018biobricks\u2019 without a clear articulation of the importance of natural diversity for both instrumental and more moral reasons, synthetic biology may unwittingly become the enemy of biodiversity protection in situ.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENorton did not predict answers to the discussion points he posed to the commission; he posed possible scenarios and evermore profound questions for consideration such as will society\u2019s current values about nature and wild species somehow be devalued by the advance of synthetic biology? \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cIt is not implausible to claim that a culture that sees life as collections of biobricks might lose its passion for wild nature and forget its moral value beyond its exchange value,\u201d said Norton. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHe advocated an active effort to encourage dialogue between synthetic biologists and conservation biologists. \u201cOur culture needs to have an enlightening discourse, in conjunction with the examination of policies to guide synthetic biology, about the diversity of meanings of \u2018diversity\u2019 that currently stifle any common discourse among practitioners of conservation biology, environmental policy, and synthetic biology.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENorton\u2019s discussion of concerns about the divorce of synthetic biology from the broader discourse of biology was complemented in the ethics session by a discussion, presented by Jonathan Moreno, the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Ethics and Professor of Medical Ethics and of History and Sociology of Science at Penn, of the risks that synthetically created life forms might escape from laboratories. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was agreed by Commission members that both of these concerns must be an important part of the future discussion of policy regarding synthetic biology.\u0026nbsp; The Commission will, ultimately, advise President Obama relative to bioethical issues and technologies with a goal of \u201cidentifying and promoting policies and practices that ensure scientific research, healthcare delivery, and technological innovation are conducted in an ethically responsible manner.\u201d\u0026nbsp; It continues to gather input from academic and other experts.\u0026nbsp; The next meeting occurs November 16-17 in Atlanta. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EArchived video of Norton\u2019s presentation can be seen at: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bioethics.gov\u0022\u003Ewww.Bioethics.gov\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; Go to Meetings, Past Meetings, Aug. 29-30, 2010, choose \u201cArchived Video\u201d and go to Session 5.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in the emerging field of synthetic biology are going beyond\nthe recombination of genetic material, such as hybrid corn or\ngenetically altered vegetables, to create new material and life forms\nwith no precedents in the natural world. Is that an important\ndifference? \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFurther, might such synthetic life forms damage efforts to protect Earth\u2019s naturally occurring biodiversity? \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cSuch\nquestions should be fundamental to formulation of biodiversity policy\nand consideration of the future of biodiversity,\u201d says Bryan G. Norton,\nDistinguished Professor of Philosophy, Science, and Technology in the\nSchool of Public Policy.\u0026nbsp; \u201cYet debate on the topic has been muted, at\nbest.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A biodiversity advocate, Bryan Norton presented concerns about synthetic biology during the second meeting of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues September 13-14 in Philadelphia."}],"uid":"27418","created_gmt":"2010-10-12 14:51:08","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:34","author":"Lauren Langley","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62116":{"id":"62116","type":"image","title":"Biodiversity","body":null,"created":"1449176355","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:59:15","changed":"1475894481","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:21","alt":"Biodiversity","file":{"fid":"191401","name":"Biodiversity_Norton.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Biodiversity_Norton_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Biodiversity_Norton_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":64788,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Biodiversity_Norton_0.jpg?itok=twWBme3d"}},"62102":{"id":"62102","type":"image","title":"Bryan Norton","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894539","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:19","alt":"Bryan Norton","file":{"fid":"191394","name":"Bryan_Norton_200x300.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Bryan_Norton_200x300_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Bryan_Norton_200x300_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":32705,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Bryan_Norton_200x300_0.jpg?itok=xWDOOaID"}}},"media_ids":["62116","62102"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/bioethics.gov\/meetings\/091310\/","title":"Commission Second Meeting Agenda"},{"url":"http:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/files\/wysiwyg\/Norton_Remarks_Synthetic_Biology_9_13_2010.pdf","title":"Bryan Norton\u0027s Full Remarks to Commission"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.spp.gatech.edu\/aboutus\/faculty\/BryanNorton","title":"Bryan Norton Bio"}],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10936","name":"Biodiversity"},{"id":"2758","name":"Bryan Norton"},{"id":"171033","name":"Synthetic Biology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERebecca Keane 404-894-1720\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rebecca.keane@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}