Category: Updates
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Groups call on Ecover and Method to drop extreme genetic engineering plans
Consumer, environmental, farming groups say synthetic biology is not natural or sustainable FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—June 2, 2014 San Francisco, Calif.– In an open letter released today 17 national and international consumer, environmental, women’s health and farming groups called on leading “natural” cleaning and personal care products manufacturer Ecover and its U.S.-based subsidiary, Method Products Inc., to cancel […]
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Scientists Add Letters to DNA’s Alphabet, Raising Hope and Fear
By ANDREW POLLACK Originally posted by the New York Times on May 7, 2014. Scientists reported Wednesday that they had taken a significant step toward altering the fundamental alphabet of life — creating for the first time an organism with DNA containing artificial genetic code. The accomplishment might eventually lead to organisms that can make […]
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Video: How Private is your DNA? with Troy Duster, Jeremy Gruber & Milton Reynolds
Scientists are now able to map our bodies’ DNA with increasing ease and decreasing costs. But what is being done with this information and for whose benefit? How much control do we have over our genetic information and what can we do to protect our privacy? Recorded at the Brower Center Theater 2150 Allston Way […]
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Map of Synthetic Biology Sites in San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area is at ground zero in the explosion of Synthetic Biology Labs and other related facilities. According to a recent survey by the Wilson Center there are already 37 such sites in the Bay.
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Vandana Shiva: What is Earth Democracy?
Excerpted from an interview by Sarah Ruth van Gelder for Yes! Magazine photo by Linda Wolf Vandana Shiva: [Earth Democracy] comes from a very ancient category in Indian thought. Just like Chief Seattle talked about being in the web of life, in India we talk about vasudhaiva kutumbkam, which means the earth family. Indian cosmology […]
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DIY SynBio Lab “BioCurious” Questions Glowing Plant Project Propriety – East Bay Express Article
BioHackers By Azeen Ghorayshi July 31, 2013 Reposted from the East Bay Express A recent Kickstarter campaign to genetically engineer a glowing plant and distribute its seeds across the country has raised questions about the ethical responsibility of DIY scientists in the brave new world of synthetic biology. What if we used trees to light […]
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Reactions to the Supreme Court Ruling on Patenting Human Genes
by Pete Shanks Originally published on Biopolitical Times The unanimous Supreme Court decision [pdf] (June 13, 2013) that human genes may not be patented was greeted with unbridled enthusiasm by the large coalition of plaintiffs and supporters. Early reactions concurred that the decision is indeed a momentous one. The Center for Genetics and Society response […]
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Mapping the Growth Of Synthetic Biology: Wilson Center Findings For 2013
View the map Download the PDF summary of findings Except from the Wilson Center TRACKING THE GROWTH OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY: FINDINGS FOR 2013: Major Findings: The number of entities conducting research in synthetic biology increased significantly between 2009 and 2013, resulting in a total of 508 unique entities in the 2013 inventory [See footnotes1 2 […]
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SITE UPDATE: SynBioWatch.org is growing!
May 16, 2013. SynBioWatch.org is expanding to include more issue areas and broader participation from the convening organizations. The site navigation and design will be changing over the next few days so if you are a regular visitor, please look forward to new content in an easier to find and navigate form soon. If you […]
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Mass Release of Synthetically Engineered Plant Seeds via Kickstarter Campaign Draws Protest
An Israeli company seeks to use a loophole in US regulations on genetically engineered plants to conduct a mass release of a genetically modified organism (a glow in the dark Arabidopsis plant) with no regulatory review. Current US regulations, which would apply if the plant were modified using non-synthetic techniques, don’t cover the new gene […]