Institut für Chemie: Publikationen 2016

Inhalt des Dokuments

Publikationen

Diverse Layers of Live
Zitatschlüssel	146.2016.Boelker
Autor	Boelker, M., and Engelhard, M., and Budisa, N.
Seiten	27-50
Jahr	2016
ISBN	978-3-319-25143-1
DOI	10.1007/978-3-319-25145-5_2
Journal	Synthetic Biology Analyzed
Jahrgang	44
Herausgeber	Margret Engelhard
Verlag	Springer International Publishing
Serie	Ethics of Science and Technology Assessment
Zusammenfassung	Prerequisite for any evaluation of synthetic biology is the precise description of its scientific rationale and its biological objects. Here, we develop a layer model that helps to categorize subfields of synthetic biology along their operative procedures and based on the biological status of the organisms generated by synthetic biology. The layer model classifies synthetic and semisynthetic organisms and cells according to their genetic connectivity and to their potential interaction with natural organisms derived by evolution. We use the model to characterize three distinct approaches within synthetic biology: engineering biology, xenobiology and protocell research. While the latter approach generates organisms that hardly could be termed living, xenobiology aims at orthogonal living systems that are disconnected from nature. Synthetic engineering biology could be considered as extreme form of gene technology since all resulting organisms share the universal genetic code with the natural living beings and are based on the same molecular and biochemical principles. Such biological description can be used to determine both the degree of familiarity and the level of uncertainty associated with synthetic organisms and may thus facilitate to judge potential risks of synthetic biology.