Key Cutting‐Edge Biotechnologies Today
Xinyu Song, Weiwen Zhang · 2024
This chapter provides an overview of the advancement of synthetic biology and genome editing, as well as the detailed explanation of the dual-use concerns raised by these technologies. Genome editing, also known as gene editing, is a group of technologies used to engineer specific modification(s) within target genes and has proceeded through three generations of development. Although cutting-edge biotechnologies, such as synthetic biology and genome editing, have the potential to bring significant benefits to human health and agriculture, among other areas, there are also potential risks and ethical concerns that need to be addressed carefully. There are also biosecurity concerns about the deliberate misuse of cutting-edge biotechnologies, such as the creation of bioweapons or the enhancement of human traits, which could have significant ethical and social implications.