National Academies Press: OpenBook

Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology (2018)

Chapter: Front Matter

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
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BIODEFENSE
IN THE AGE OF

Synthetic
Biology

Committee on Strategies for Identifying and Addressing Potential Biodefense Vulnerabilities Posed by Synthetic Biology

Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology

Board on Life Sciences

Division on Earth and Life Studies

images

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This project was supported by Contract No. HQ0034-16-C-0062 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of Defense. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the view of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-46518-2
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-46518-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018911261
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/24890

Copyright 2018 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/24890.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
×

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The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

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Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
×

Image

Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.

For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
×

COMMITTEE ON STRATEGIES FOR IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING POTENTIAL BIODEFENSE VULNERABILITIES POSED BY SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY

Members

MICHAEL IMPERIALE (Chair), University of Michigan Medical School

PATRICK BOYLE,1 Ginkgo Bioworks

PETER A. CARR, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory

DOUGLAS DENSMORE, Boston University

DIANE DIEULIIS, National Defense University

ANDREW ELLINGTON, University of Texas at Austin

GIGI KWIK GRONVALL, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

CHARLES HAAS, Drexel University

JOSEPH KANABROCKI, University of Chicago

KARA MORGAN, Quant Policy Strategies, LLC

KRISTALA JONES PRATHER, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

THOMAS SLEZAK, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

JILL TAYLOR, New York State Department of Health

Staff

MARILEE SHELTON-DAVENPORT, Study Director

KATHERINE BOWMAN, Senior Program Officer

JENNA OGILVIE, Research Associate

JARRETT NGUYEN, Senior Program Assistant

___________________

1 See Appendix E, Disclosure of Conflict of Interest.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
×

BOARD ON CHEMICAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

Co-Chairs

DAVID BEM, PPG Industries

JOAN BRENNECKE, NAE, University of Texas, Austin

Members

GERARD BAILLELY, Procter and Gamble

MARK A. BARTEAU, NAE, Texas A&M

MICHELLE V. BUCHANAN, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

JENNIFER SINCLAIR CURTIS, University of California, Davis

RICHARD EISENBERG, NAS, University of Rochester

SAMUEL H. GELLMAN, NAS, University of Wisconsin–Madison

SHARON C. GLOTZER, NAS, University of Michigan

MIRIAM E. JOHN, Sandia National Laboratories (retired)

ALAN D. PALKOWITZ, Eli Lilly and Company (retired)

JOSEPH B. POWELL, Shell

PETER J. ROSSKY, NAS, Rice University

RICHMOND SARPONG, University of California, Berkeley

TIMOTHY SWAGER, NAS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Staff

TERESA FRYBERGER, Board Director

MARILEE SHELTON-DAVENPORT, Senior Program Officer

CAMLY TRAN, Senior Program Officer

ANNA SBEREGAEVA, Associate Program Officer

JARRETT I. NGUYEN, Senior Program Assistant

JESSICA WOLFMAN, Senior Program Assistant

SHUBHA BANSKOTA, Financial Associate

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
×

BOARD ON LIFE SCIENCES

Chair

JAMES P. COLLINS, Arizona State University

Members

ALONSO AGUIRRE, George Mason University

ENRIQUETA C. BOND, Burroughs Wellcome Fund

DOMINIQUE BROSSARD, University of Wisconsin-Madison

ROGER D. CONE, University of Michigan

NANCY D. CONNELL, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

SEAN M. DECATUR, Kenyon College

JOSEPH R. ECKER, Salk Institute for Biological Studies

SCOTT V. EDWARDS, Harvard University

GERALD L. EPSTEIN, National Defense University

ROBERT J. FULL, University of California, Berkeley

ELIZABETH HEITMAN, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

JUDITH KIMBLE, University of Wisconsin–Madison

MARY E. MAXON, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

ROBERT NEWMAN, Independent Consultant

STEPHEN J. O’BRIEN, Nova Southeastern University

CLAIRE POMEROY, Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation

MARY E. POWER, University of California, Berkeley

SUSAN RUNDELL SINGER, University of California, Berkeley

LANA SKIRBOLL, Sanofi

DAVID R. WALT, Harvard Medical School

Staff

FRANCES SHARPLES, Director

KATHERINE BOWMAN, Senior Program Officer

ANDREA HODGSON, Program Officer

JO HUSBANDS, Senior Scholar

KEEGAN SAWYER, Senior Program Officer

AUDREY THEVENON, Program Officer

JESSICA DE MOUY, Senior Program Assistant

KOSSANA YOUNG, Senior Program Assistant

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
×

Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

JAMES BURNS, Casebia Therapeutics

MICHAEL DIAMOND, Washington University School of Medicine

JAMES DIGGANS, Twist Bioscience

DREW ENDY, Stanford University

CAROLINE GENCO, Tufts University School of Medicine

JACQUELINE GIBSON, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

KAREN E. JENNI, U.S. Geological Survey

MICHAEL JEWETT, Northwestern University

GREGORY KAEBNICK, The Hastings Center

MARGARET E. KOSAL, Georgia Institute of Technology

KAREN E. NELSON, J. Craig Venter Institute

MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, University of Minnesota

TARA O’TOOLE, In-Q-Tel

PAMELA A. SILVER, Harvard Medical School

DAVID WALT, Harvard Medical School and Harvard University

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by MICHAEL LADISCH, Purdue University, and RANDALL MURCH, Virginia Polytechnic and State University. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
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Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24890.
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Scientific advances over the past several decades have accelerated the ability to engineer existing organisms and to potentially create novel ones not found in nature. Synthetic biology, which collectively refers to concepts, approaches, and tools that enable the modification or creation of biological organisms, is being pursued overwhelmingly for beneficial purposes ranging from reducing the burden of disease to improving agricultural yields to remediating pollution. Although the contributions synthetic biology can make in these and other areas hold great promise, it is also possible to imagine malicious uses that could threaten U.S. citizens and military personnel. Making informed decisions about how to address such concerns requires a realistic assessment of the capabilities that could be misused.

Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology explores and envisions potential misuses of synthetic biology. This report develops a framework to guide an assessment of the security concerns related to advances in synthetic biology, assesses the levels of concern warranted for such advances, and identifies options that could help mitigate those concerns.

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