Synthesizing Law for Synthetic Biology
Andrew W. Torrance · Minnesota journal of law science & technology · 2010
In his influential 2005 article Foundations for Engineering Biology, Drew Endy, a professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Stanford University and "one of synthetic biology's foremost visionaries," 1 described the considerable promise and limitations of synthetic biology. 2 On the optimistic side of the ledger, it had already "been used to manipulate information, construct materials, process chemicals, produce energy, provide food, and help maintain or enhance human health and our environment."3 However, he also lamented that "our ability to quickly and reliably engineer biological systems that behave as expected remains quite limited." 4 In the ensuing five years, synthetic biology has begun to realize its scientific potential and has reached the public consciousness.In November 2010, the seventh annual International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition will be