Synthetic Biology: Science, Business, and Policy
"Synthetic biology is a branch of recombinant biology wherein the piece of DNA that is inserted into a cell is not derived from another organism but planned by computer and synthesized from off-the-shelf substances or chemicals, thus creating life by design. In this book, Solomon (George Washington Univ.), a law professor and rabbi and interfaith minister, writes as someone who is in awe of what a scientist with an entrepreneurial spirit can accomplish. After a brief explanation of the central dogma of life science in layperson's terms, Solomon spends over half of the book recounting the career steps of Craig Venter, who made a splash in 2000 as the leader of a group that sequenced the human genome. Since that time, Venter has achieved many scientific accomplishments, including the first synthetic cell, and has started several biotechnology companies. The brief final chapter deals with policy and safety issues. The author supports scientific progress, and suggests that the regulation that is already in place for recombinant DNA is sufficient to regulate synthetic biology as well. Solomon concludes that synthetic biology should not be overly regulated if it is to reach its societal potential… Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers."—K. A. Newman,CHOICE“Synthetic Biology: Science, Business, and Policytells how scientists have long been limited in their abilities to develop genetic tools by the need for natural genes to transfer from one organism to another – and makes a case for the uses of synthetic genes, instead. Synthetic biology permits more sophisticated biotechnological research, and actually rewrites genetic code. Its limitations are less and its potentials are as yet unrealized: this book recommends a policy based on self-regulation by scientific and business communities in the process of synthetic biological research, and is a powerful pick for any college-level biology or business collection.”—The Midwest Book Review“Solomon (law, George Washington U. Law School) presents a policy framework for self-regulation of the promising new field of synthetic biology, arguing against government regulation. The book focuses on the work of National Medal of Science award winner J. Craig Venter. The volume begins with background chapters on scientific explanations of the origins of life, the chemical basis for life as revealed by molecular biology, and recent research on reading the genetic code and sequencing the human genome. The core of the book offers chapters on Venter’s organizational structure and the funding of his nonprofit entities; the research progress in synthetic biology made by Venter’s nonprofit team, Synthetic Genomics, Inc., especially in the biofuels area. A conclusion examines policy implications related to the safety of experiments, the risks of terrorism, and unfair monopolies.”—Book News Inc.