Synthetic biology and morality : artificial life and the bounds of nature /

Synthetic biology is a hot field due to the potential to create novel organisms for a variety of industries. In fact, at the undergraduate level, programs such as BioBuilder and iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) competitions are in place to allow students to create organisms "from scratch." At what cost? Have scientists crossed the ethics line by "playing God" since they are building organisms de novo? Synthetic Biology and Morality is a collection of essays, edited by Kaebnick and Murray (both, Hastings Center), that address this question. The book is divided into three sections: "The Human Relationship to Nature," "The Value of Synthetic Organisms," and "Values and Public Policy." With contributors from several fields including philosophy, medical ethics, sociology, and physics, in addition to systems and synthetic biology, this book should surely stimulate discussions around these three areas, including whether synthetic life-forms have the same intrinsic value as natural organisms, whether an intrinsic objection to synthetic biology is a good basis for legislating policy, and whether scientists should try to accommodate those who reasonably reject the technology. Valuable for genetics, genomics, or bioethics classes. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, professional, and general readers. M. C. Pavao Worcester State College