Most people don’t think much about biotechnology, mainly because they don’t see its connection to their daily lives. Biotechnology is becoming an increasingly important part of our lives, sometimes in surprising ways.
While we may not be surprised at obvious uses of biotechnology – in drug development, reproductive technologies and medical diagnostics – people are less aware of its uses in manufacturing and in the development of things like household products.
Cell-based biotechnologies, such as stem-cell research and synthetic biology, may unlock the secrets of cell development, perhaps allowing us to repair organs and regrow missing limbs, or to control and eventually cure diseases like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and cancer.
Other genetic technologies are being used to create new kinds of hybrid animals and plants, move genes between species, design animals with new kinds of traits, and engineer bacteria for medical and industrial uses.
Stem-cell research, synthetic biology and other cellular genetic manipulations are fraught with ethical and moral dilemmas. If not carefully controlled, altered organisms could adversely effect the environment, develop into pathogens and toxins or be used as biological weapons.
Some worry about the extent to which it is wise to manipulate the basic building blocks of life before we fully understand the implications. Advances in biotechnology are expensive. Questions arise how to distribute them justly and fairly.
The current regulatory environment for cellular biotech is confused how to address these ethical challenges. Laws differ from state to state and nation to nation. The confusion is bad for business, academic research and the public. A scientist doing cellular research in California might not be legally able to do that same research in Georgia.
Given the potential of such research, businesses and academics need a more stable, consistent environment to pursue research and development.
Questions about manipulation of the human genome — once relegated to college philosophy courses — now need input from leaders in business, science, religion and government. The biotech field needs to develop a consensus of its aspirational goals to contribute to human flourishing, and on reasonable ethical and policy guidelines.
With these challenges in mind, the Emory University Center for Ethics, with 14 Georgia-based academic partners, has organized a global summit to discuss these topics and arrive at an international consensus on human cellular biotechnology.
Next Monday through Wednesday, Atlanta will host Biotechnology and the Ethical Imagination: A Global Summit (BEINGS). This international gathering of world leaders on highly debated issues of stem-cell research, synthetic biology and other human cellular biotechnologies will work to establish a vision and consensus on ethical guidelines and policy standards for modern cellular biotechnologies. Hometown partners like Coca-Cola and the Marcus Foundation have stepped up to fund this inaugural event.
Our hope is BEINGS 2015 will be a milestone in reaching consensus on international goals and guidelines in biotechnology. If successful, we will have new standards that can help shape global biotechnological advancement for years.
Paul Root Wolpe is executive director of Emory University’s Center for Ethics.
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