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Synthetic Biology Is the Bundestag.De/En/Research/U9800 FOCUS: HOPE, HYPE AND FEAR TECHNOLOGIES SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY: FINAL TECHNOLOGISATION OF LIFE – OR NO NEWS AT ALL? Synthetic biology currently represents a prime example of a »hope, hype and fear > Construction of chemical systems technology«. On the one hand, it has a close methodological connection with (new biomolecules) corresponding genetic engineering while, on the other hand, being close to nanotechnology to biological models such that these and converging technologies in discursive terms. Even though there is as yet no systems manifest certain properties consensus about the essence and prospects of synthetic biology, it is regarded of living organisms by many as the key direction in which developments are heading in biosciences > Reduction of organisms to rudi- – with the latter being seen in turn as the defining science of the 21st century, mentary system components by following in the footsteps of physics in the 19th century and chemistry in installing standardised modular the 20th. This paper will show that a certain discrepancy can be identified biological parts (›BioBricks‹) for between the extent of the expectations, hopes and fears under discussion the purpose of creating biological TAB-BRIEF NR. 39 / SPECIAL EDITION and the available fund of knowledge or of specifically foreseeable potential circuits that respond to external applications. stimuli« This description deliberately avoids an One characteristic feature of hope, The understanding which forms the advance positioning on the news value hype and fear technologies, without basis for the current TAB project on of synthetic biology and serves as a doubt, is that every debate about synthetic biology has been defined starting point so that, as a result of it is preceded by a discussion of as follows (http://www.tab-beim- the systematic capture of application its definition or whether there is a bundestag.de/en/research/u9800. potentials and risks, it is even possible common understanding of what it html): »Synthetic biology is the to discuss whether the term and means. Although this seems absolutely designation for a field at the interface content are really forward-looking and inevitable with a new technology or a of biology, chemistry, biotechnology, relevant, i.e. whether there is even a new branch of science, the question engineering science, and information cause for hope and fear. about definitions and understanding technology. It is based on findings has a different meaning in the three and methods from molecular and The antipole to such a position which examples of nanotechnology (central systems biology, in particular the is initially about searching is formed theme of paper by C. Revermann), decoding of entire genomes and by those who understand or postulate converging technologies (TAB 2008) the technological advances in the the creation of »artificial life« as the and synthetic biology: that is because synthesis and analysis of nucleic acids. core goal of synthetic biology and the question is whether the current The idea underlying synthetic biology place it at the centre of the debate. status of knowledge, data and is the creation of new biological This almost inevitably gives rise to technology allows a new, discrete field systems that do not occur as such in the question of the legitimacy of to be assumed – or whether this is just nature and the design of individual »playing God« as a metaphor for a relabelling of incremental progress molecules, cells and organisms that the philosophical and theological or a new name for something long exhibit new properties with the aid discussion of necessary and desirable familiar. of procedures from molecular biology limits on human action when and standardised principles and interacting with nature. »Synthetic methods from engineering science. biology shifts human interaction IN SEARCH OF A COMMON In doing this, different strategies are with nature from the paradigm of UNDERSTANDING being followed: manipulation to that of creation,« write, for example, Boldt et al. Almost every paper which addresses > Mechanical, synthetic production (2009, p. 80); »Vom Veränderer zum the prospects, opportunities and and sequencing of DNA Schöpfer« (From modifier to creator) risks of synthetic biology reflects and > Synthesis of protocells with the is the title of a paper by the Director comments on what differentiates it properties of living cells with the of the TAB (Grunwald 2010a). Similar from a mere further development of aid of biochemical substances formulations have been used since the genetic engineering – which for its part lacking a concrete biological model emergence of genetic engineering in can be very well demarcated because > Construction of minimal cells with the 1970s for almost every important the targeted modification of naturally synthetically produced genomes biomedical development (prenatal and occurring DNA can be defined as the > Integration of artificial biochemical pre-implantation diagnosis, cloning, intersection of all genetic engineering systems in living organisms to stem cell use), and they reliably applications. achieve new properties generated public attention, though 18 SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY this is mainly characterised by fear HOPE: IMPROVED MICROBES of new technical options without any and less by hope (see below). AND DIVERSE ACQUISITION OF fundamental strategic importance – KNOWLEDGE along the lines of the International And how could hype arise? Where Genetically Engineered Machine can these exaggerated hopes come competition, iGEM (http://ung. from? The easiest way to explain The same applications for synthetic igem.org), set up by Massachusetts these is to select a third perspective biology are repeatedly cited as the future Institute of Technology (MIT) and on the issue of synthetic biology, i.e. prospect (e.g. in the overview studies run annually since 2003 in which the assumption of the systematic and on the potentials of synthetic biology groups of students vie for the most synergistic merging of biomedical in box 2): bioenergy and raw materials original and forward-looking and engineering developments production with optimised or »newly projects using BioBricks. Perhaps the TAB-BRIEF NR. 39 / SPECIAL EDITION in what are termed converging designed« microorganisms, biosensors greatest consensus among scientists technologies (Coenen et al. 2009; for environmental monitoring and working in this field could be that TAB 2008). »Biology is becoming medical diagnostics and various the methods brought together under technology« and »Technology is strategies for the manufacture of the synthetic biology label constitute becoming biology« – according to pharmaceuticals and new therapy and a gain in knowledge in basic research, the »Making Perfect Life« project of vaccine variants. particularly with reference to the the European Technology Assessment functioning of genes and genomes Group these are two megatrends However, a precise analysis of the but also of other molecules and which will shape our technical and applications concretely pursued and cell components without direct economic future (ETAG 2010). Based developed a little further to date, applications having necessarily to on this assessment there is a clear such as took place at a workshop of result from them. assumption that synthetic biology is the Engineering Life project (www. positively predestined to be the key engineeringlife.de) (König et al. 2011) technology for resolving mankind’s which is sponsored by the BMBF HYPE: »LEBEN 3.0« AND – YET future problems because it unites all (Germany’s Federal Ministry of AGAIN – SAVING THE WORLD the major technologies. Education and Research) reveals that practically no or scarcely any Hype – i.e. an exaggerated Overall it may be assumed, both in example can be identified which expectation of the future potential the case of synthetic biology and also cannot be regarded as a mere further – can only accompany spectacular for other technological developments, development of molecular biological scientific successes which are easily that the extent of hope, hype and and genetic engineering methods which communicable to the wider community fear is greatly influenced by the have been in use for some time – or in the case of synthetic biology chosen perspective and the resulting vice versa that qualitatively delimitable to a limited extent. The primary preoccupation with the potentials. approaches, such as the comprehensive opportunity for dramatisation is the The considerations outlined below »construction« and »implementation« image of the artificial production of are intended to substantiate three of new metabolic pathways in bacteria life in the laboratory – which, even assumptions relating to synthetic or yeasts or even the complete de novo though it can hardly withstand serious biology: design of microorganisms, currently scrutiny, has a centuries-old tradition still constitute basic research without to call on. It is no surprise on the one > To date there have been – sur- any certainty of technical feasibility hand, therefore, that a clear interest prisingly – few hopes in the sense and utility. has developed in the humanities and of target applications, or they have arts for an interdisciplinary debate on been far from specific. With reference to synthetic biology, the potential significance of synthetic > Exaggerations mainly accompany therefore, it is particularly relevant biology (e.g. the proceedings of the the topos of the creation of artificial to ask whether the current status
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