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Scoping the Literature for Synthetic Biology's Envisioned Products University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies Legacy Theses 2012 Scoping the Literature for Synthetic Biology‘s Envisioned Products: Identifying Potential Impacts on the Lives of Albertans Johnston, Amy Johnston, A. (2012). Scoping the Literature for Synthetic Biology‘s Envisioned Products: Identifying Potential Impacts on the Lives of Albertans (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/19450 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/48897 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Scoping the Literature for Synthetic Biology‘s Envisioned Products: Identifying Potential Impacts on the Lives of Albertans by Amy Johnston A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES CALGARY, ALBERTA January, 2012 © Amy Johnston 2012 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES The undersigned certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis entitled “Scoping the Literature for Synthetic Biology’s Envisioned Products: Identifying Potential Impacts on the Lives of Albertans” submitted by Amy Johnston in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. ________________________________________________ Supervisor, Dr. Gregor Wolbring, Department of Community Health Sciences ________________________________________________ Co-Supervisor, Dr. Richard Scott, Department of Community Health Sciences ________________________________________________ Dr. Ann Casebeer, Department of Community Health Sciences ________________________________________________ Dr. Wendy Hutchins, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases ________________________________________________ Dr. Richard Hawkins, Department of Communication and Culture ______________________ Date ABSTRACT Synthetic biology (SB) is an emerging field of biological research focused on the (re)design and construction of genetic devices and living systems for useful purposes. While the United States and Europe remain world leaders in SB, Alberta has also shown interest in the field. Through Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Ingenuity), the province has provided financial support for numerous Alberta-based undergraduates participating in the international competition in SB (iGEM) since 2006. Proponents assert SB could facilitate the creation of numerous biological products across a variety of sectors, such as medicine and the environment. If successful, they could provide enormous benefit for society. As with any powerful new technology, however, they also pose societal risks. Previous studies have focused on identifying the bio-safety, security, and regulatory impacts of SB as a whole. None, however, have attempted to systematically catalogue what products have been envisioned since the field’s emergence. Further, no previous studies have assessed the potential implications that an envisioned SB product might someday have on the social well-being of a population outside the developing world. This study addressed these knowledge gaps by a) scoping SB discourse for the field’s envisioned products, and b) developing and implementing an upstream product assessment framework to identify the potential implications that an ‘exemplar’ product of relevance to Alberta (re-designed microbes that produce bio-butanol transportation fuel) might have on the social well-being of its citizens. ii ABSTRACT Synthetic biology (SB) is an emerging field of biological research focused on the (re)design and construction of genetic devices and living systems for useful purposes. While the United States and Europe remain world leaders in SB, Alberta has also shown interest in the field. Through Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Ingenuity), the province has provided financial support for numerous Alberta-based undergraduates participating in the international competition in SB (iGEM) since 2006. Proponents assert SB could facilitate the creation of numerous biological products across a variety of sectors, such as medicine and the environment. If successful, they could provide enormous benefit for society. As with any powerful new technology, however, they also pose societal risks. Previous studies have focused on identifying the bio-safety, security, and regulatory impacts of SB as a whole. None, however, have attempted to systematically catalogue what products have been envisioned since the field‘s emergence. Further, no previous studies have assessed the potential implications that an envisioned SB product might someday have on the social well-being of a population outside the developing world. This study addressed these knowledge gaps by a) scoping SB discourse for the field‘s envisioned products, and b) developing and implementing an upstream product assessment framework to identify the potential implications that an ‗exemplar‘ product of relevance to Alberta (re-designed microbes that produce bio-butanol transportation fuel) might have on the social well-being of its citizens. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other” - Walter Elliot I offer sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Gregor Wolbring, who has supported and guided me throughout the completion of this thesis with patience and knowledge. I also offer special gratitude to my co-supervisor, Dr. Richard Scott, for his knowledge, advice, and kind encouragement when I needed it most. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to my committee members, Dr. Ann Casebeer and Dr. Wendy Hutchins. Thank you for your suggestions and encouragement during the thesis-writing process. I am especially grateful to my parents for their love and moral support over these past few years. Mum and Dad- you have helped me more than you know. Thank you for the numerous phone chats, lectures, and jokes (Dad) and for trying to ensure that I kept this work in perspective. I love you both very much and I couldn‘t have done this without you. My deepest gratitude goes to Louis, my husband and best friend, for his continued support, understanding, and support throughout the years. In the end, it was he who made the completion of this thesis possible. Je t‘aime infiniment, mon beau. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................. iv List of Tables.........................................................................................................................................................vii List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................................ ix Definition of Key Terms ..................................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1: THESIS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Problem Statement ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Questions ...................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Definition of Terms ...................................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Scope and Delimitations .............................................................................................................. 3 1.6 Thesis Structure ............................................................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION TO SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY..................................................... 5 2.1. Synthetic Biology‘s Historical Roots ......................................................................................... 5 2.2 Defining Synthetic Biology .......................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Synthetic Biology‘s ‗Practical‘ Influences .................................................................................. 8 2.3.1 Molecular biology .................................................................................................................. 8 2.3.2 Engineering‘s underlying principles .................................................................................... 9 2.3.3 Information
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