german research 3 /2009 In this issue Commentary Jörg Hinrich Hacker With a High Potential It´s Never Too Early To Ask Questions ............. p. 2 research Initiating a public debate on challenges associated with synthetic biology Magazine of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for Development Using nature as role model and Engineering Sciences a source of inspiration: Engi- B. Weigand, S. O. Neumann, H. Steinbrück and S. Zehner neers use the ice formation method to optimise circulated Inspired by Nature .............................p. 4 bodies, allowing machine parts Portrait with novel and functional con- tours to be developed. Page 4 Hanno Schiffer Invisible Companions ...........................p. 9 How Our Language Torsten Granzow, a solid-state physicist, creates hightech ceramics Drifted Apart Humanities and Social Sciences Florentine Fritzen german The Iron Curtain didn’t only divide the political map of Changing the World with Müsli .................p. 11 Germany. Studies conducted The Lebensreform movement and its impact on health awareness in the area near the border between Thuringia and Ba- Rüdiger Harnisch varia after 1989 have shown Crossing the Language Barrier ..................p. 15 that the dialects spoken had changed and that regional lin- Life Sciences guistic boundaries had shifted Martin Pfeiffer in a remarkable way. Page 15 In the Virtual Realm of the Myrmecologists ....... p. 18 How the internet portal ANeT showcases the diversity of ants Cooperating in the Patients’ Interest Natural Sciences Peter Deuflhard Oral and maxillofacial sur- geons try to help people by Going Under the Knife with Mathematics . p. 24 performing operations. When Martin Wegener and Stefan Linden preparing these operations, Optics Starts Walking on Two Legs .............. p. 27 they are increasingly cooperat- ing with mathematicians, who DFG inside devise highly complex differ- ential equations and three-di- DFG Science TV mensional visualisations to as- “Directing Attention to the Essentials“ ........... p. 30 sist them in their work. Page 24 Rembert Unterstell interviews behavioural biologist Bernhard Fink Science and Management A Revolution on a “Research Needs Managerial Assistance“ ......... p. 31 Nanoscopic Scale Dorothee Dzwonnek discusses her views with Marco Finetti Novel metamaterials are in- spiring physicists’ imagina- tions and the use of “photonic Fascinating Species Diversity 3 /2009 . In the Virtual Realm of the Myrmecologists atoms” is leading to novel The nocturnal giant forest ant Camponotus gigas can . optical applications, opening grow to be as long as three centimetres in length. It lives It´s Never Too Early To Ask Questions Changing the up a path to previously un- in amongst fallen leaves on the forest floor of the South- World with Müsli . Inspired by Nature dreamt-of innovations. Page 27 east Asian rainforest – a habitat for hundreds of species . Going Under the Knife with Mathematics Cover: Martin Pfeiffer of ants, many of them previously unknown. Page 18 german research 3 / 2009 Commentary oes life begin in the test tube? the capabilities on which synthetic new properties, known as “proto- weapons. A central database could Can organisms be created biology is based is that of synthe- cells”, and allows the construction of be created to do this. Otherwise, the D in retorts? Could scientists sising larger DNA fragments with regulatory circuits using natural ge- products created through synthetic be playing God? These and other several thousand components un- netic ranges or the addition of “or- biology are, of course, subject to the questions are often raised when- der lab conditions. These fragments thogonal systems”, which represent legal requirements which currently ever the new research field of syn- can then be introduced into micro- modified molecular machines. Syn- regulate the production and prolifer- thetic biology is mentioned. We are organisms in order to give them thetic biology is therefore, opening ation of toxins and pathogens. In any also hearing reports that it is now new properties or characteristics, up a whole range of new avenues – case, performing ongoing security impossible to imagine biomedical enabling them, for example, to gain and others will soon follow. research in accordance with the pre- basic research without synthetic cautionary principle is both sensible biology and that it will liberate and appropriate. tremendous economic forces. Very different perspectives, therefore, ast but not least, there are the on a new discipline which is caus- Jörg Hinrich Hacker ethical implications. Are bound- ing a commotion, both at home and L aries being breached? Are sci- in the international arena. entists really playing God? These What is synthetic biology, and questions are legitimate and it is im- what are its aims? First and fore- portant to keep them in focus. most, synthetic biology is a truly Synthetic biology has, however, interdisciplinary branch of re- It’s Never Too by no means yet reached the stage search based on the principles of at which organic life could be creat- engineering and molecular biology ed under lab conditions. The charac- and incorporating topics and meth- teristics of organic life – independent ods from medicine, chemistry, bio- reproduction, autonomous metabo- technology and IT. It enables, for Early To Ask lism, evolution capabilities – have example, biological components, not yet been achieved; and they may such as larger gene regions, to be never be. And yet, the potential risks specifically created in order to form must be weighed up and ethical is- cells with new properties. This al- sues must be raised – and this must lows the generation of completely be done in public. In this respect, a new structures not found in natu- Questions wide-ranging discussion of the op- rally occurring organisms. Perhaps portunities offered and risks posed it does, after all, smack just a little by synthetic biology is to be wel- of Frankenstein. Synthetic biology is a new field, but the opportunities comed. And it would be good for sci- In any case, it is clear that a new ence if, to paraphrase Brecht’s Gali- scientific discipline like synthetic leo Galilei, synthetic biology were to biology raises questions concern- and risks need to enter public debate now “emerge into the market place”. If ing the boundaries of science, its Illustration: Himsel the statement prepared by the DFG, underlying ethical issues and the acatech and Leopoldina were to suc- safety issues involved. Not only is ceed in bringing this about, much this discussion both legitimate and energy through new processes or to What effects do these new methods lar biological basic research will soon synthesis of new materials, will also will have been achieved. predictable, it is also extremely eliminate toxic substances. Organ- have? On the one hand, they enable be unable to progress without the benefit from this new field. useful and necessary. isms with new properties are, there- important questions in basic research wide range of methods introduced Naturally, the numerous oppor- fore, already being created – if not to be addressed – some of which it by synthetic biology. And all this ul- tunities offered by this new technol- gainst this backdrop, the in retorts, then in the lab. has not, until now, been possible to timately takes place in the lab, i.e. in ogy also pose questions about the DFG has, together with the On the other hand, the genomes tackle, or only incompletely. It is now a test tube. risks involved. Are there specific A German Academy of Sci- of microbes can be reduced so far possible to ask how many and which problems relating to biosafety and ence and Engineering (acatech) and that a “minimal genome” can be genes an organism needs to survive urthermore, it is already pos- biosecurity? the German Academy of Sciences defined. This “minimal genome” – the question “How many genes are sible to say that synthetic biol- It is, first and foremost, important Leopoldina, recently issued a joint serves as a “chassis” onto which required to sustain life?” has sudden- F ogy is both economically rel- to bear in mind that many synthetic statement discussing the principles, new gene fragments can be mount- ly become current. It allows scientists evant and will, in future, increase biology projects are based on the Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Jörg Hinrich Hacker opportunities and risks of synthetic ed. Furthermore, the methods of to test their hypotheses on modifying tremendously in economic signifi- further development of genetic en- served as Vice President of the DFG until July biology. This document is well- synthetic biology are used to com- the universal genetic code – is it, in cance. Working groups develop- gineering processes and as such, are 2009. As such, the microbiologist from the Uni- timed. Even though synthetic biolo- bine metabolic pathways in new fact, possible to modify the building ing new medications, vaccines or covered by the Gesetz zur Regelung versity of Würzburg was significantly involved in gy is still a new field, it can never be ways, enabling new biomolecules to blocks of life? Genetic circuits can be gene therapy procedures are no der Gentechnik [the German Genetic the preparation of the “Stellungnahme zur Syn- too early to discuss the risks it poses be produced – such as, for example, used to study the control systems for longer able to proceed without the Engineering Act]. No particular risks thetischen Biologie” (“Statement on Synthetic and the opportunities it offers. the preliminary stage of a malaria life processes. These can, for exam- new methods. In addition, many have yet been identified in this area. Biology”), which was prepared by a joint work- Firstly, the statement tackles the drug – which can then be processed ple, be used to determine cell growth forward-looking processes, includ- It would, however, appear sensible to ing group comprising members of the DFG, acatech and Leopoldina under the direction research fields involved in synthet- further. Synthetic biology also fa- dependencies or to study differentia- ing, for example, the production of verify the sequences of larger DNA of Dr.