Remarks by Eric Hoffman

Remarks by Eric Hoffman

DIY-Bio: The Normalization of Genetic Engineering

The presentation discussed the growing "Do-it-Yourself Biology" movement and why the progressive community should be cautious. DIY-Bio and the iGEM competition (the International Genetically Engineered Machines Competition) are successful and intentional attempts to create a new generation of genetic engineers, training people to build brand new organisms, increasingly with the tools of synthetic biology, in their basements. Not only is there the physical threat of harm to the environment and public health, such programs have also begun to normalize the act of genetic engineering, bringing further acceptance for genetically engineered organisms and even the genetic engineering of humans. This critique will highlight the need for an effort from progressive organizations to collectively challenge potentially dangerous emerging technologies at all levels down to the grassroots of DIYBio.

Introduction

DIY-Bio

- A growing community "dedicated to making biology an accessible pursuit for citizen scientists, amateur biologists, and DIY biological engineers," – often referred to as "biohackers."

- Through open access and information sharing, bioengineering and other processes are being exposed to brand new people who are often working in their garages or basement.

- DIY-Bio is not only involved in synthetic biology but synbio is definitely one major tool being used by the community.

- Risks with amateurs creating synthetic or genetically engineered organisms to the environment, public health, biosecurity, and biosafety. Polio virus and 1918 Spanish influenza were already created with mail-ordered synthetic DNA (in labs).

- "Democratization" of science…but what are we democratizing?

iGEM

- The International Genetically Engineered Machines Competition (iGEM) was created by Drew Endy (previously at MIT, not at Stanford) in 2003, an undergraduate competition where students create genetically engineered organisms. The first project was to create cells that "blink"

- What started with 5 teams in 2004 has grown to 180 teams with 1800 participants.

- Students use and create "biobricks" – standard interchangeable biological parts like lego bricks. A biobrick can be created that causes E. coli to smell like mint or make cells glow, etc and are then stored in the open-access BioBrick Foundation for other students to use.

- These are very intentional efforts to build the next-generation of genetic engineers, synthetic biologists

- While the discussion focuses on these two projects, they are just meant to highlight how these technologies are being portrayed as safe, fun, easy, and repercussion-free.

Self-Enhancement

- It comes as no surprise that genetic engineering and synthetic biology tools are being embraced by the trans-humanist and H+ crowds

- This "democratization" of biotechnology has permeated into not just the trans-humanist movement but is also opening up the idea of human enhancement to students and the general public.

- iGEM

o In 2009, a team from Warsaw created E. coli that could be used for human gene therapy treatments to fight cancer.

o A team from Brown University used synthetic biology to engineer Staphylococcus that would produce recombinant histamine-binding protein in response to elevated histamine concentrations of an allergic response. The engineered microbe that is usually found in humans' noses will function as a "self-regulating drug factory in the nose." Not human GE but is using the idea of filling our bodies with synthetic organisms to make our bodies "better".

o Team Heidelberg created a "starter kit for synthetic biology in mammalian cells" that they hope will be used in future gene transfer procedures. They were the first runners up in the competition

o In 2008, the UC San Francisco team attempted to use synbio to create "permanent epigenetic changes in gene expression" and can silence specific locations of a given genome.

- iGEM's goals include the systematic engineering of biology…promoting openness and transparent development of tools for engineering biology, and most importantly helping to "construct a society that can productively apply biological technology."

- Related example: Drew Endy published an actual comic book targeted towards kids and students on synthetic biology which shows a young boy's adventures in creating a synthetic organism. Interestingly, the organism floats off into the open air at the end of the story.

- DIY-Bio

o Subsection of the DIY-Bio movement is DIYH+ (H+ being the friendly-sounding name to the transhumanist movement)

o They attempt "to collect projects that allow willing individuals to experiment with practical enhancement in the transhumanist spirit. Example projects include…harvesting your own stem cells" and also include research into uploading your brain to a computer, DIY-DNA synthesis, longevity projects, and cognitive improvement.

o Talk of DIY-GEM competition for those not in a university

Incrementalism

- Where B isn't much different than A, and C isn't' much of a big chance from B, and D is pretty similar to C – But D is a big change from A.

- This is happening with biotechnology and we are beginning to see this in human biotechnologies with DIY-Bio and iGEM as examples.

- This is why it is important to pay attention to these shifts in cultural awareness, acceptance & come up with a progressive response and framework to challenge these efforts.

- These two examples also must be viewed in the larger societal and political structures. The technologies exist and should be challenged at all levels.

- What is new is that concern cannot just lie in the professional lab…we must also be aware of what's going on in the garage and the college science classroom.

Regulations

- There are currently no regulations or oversight of this work.

- Drew Endy said that for iGEM, teams fill out questionnaires asking if their school has a biosafety review board, if they have biosafety protocols, etc. but if they answer no to these questions they can still participate

- How do we target the things we are concerned about while letting the safe work progress?

- Recommendations

o Require licensing – if a tattoo artist or beautician must go through basic levels of training and certification it is far from unreasonable to require people genetically engineering microbes and humans to go through basic training and certification

o Strengthen screening of synthetic DNA orders – right now there are only voluntary procedures to flag potentially dangerous strands

o Work with communities to establish guidelines – no human GE

- The progressive movement must be aware and actively challenge the development of technologies that threaten human health, the environment, and social justice at all levels.

- The new challenge is coming up with a framework to confront the intentional efforts to normalize genetic engineering and synthetic biology as it becomes dispersed through society.

- While the "democratization" of science is not necessarily a bad thing and could bring many benefits we have to ask "what are we democratizing?" If it is genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and human enhancement it may not be the path society should take.

In closing, a quote from Freeman Dyson that highlights the challenge we in the progressive community face:

"For biotechnology to become domesticated, the next step is to become user-friendly… There will be do-it-yourself kits for gardeners who will use genetic engineering to breed new varieties of roses and orchids. Also kits for lovers of pigeons and parrots and lizards and snakes, to breed new varieties of pets.…Genetic engineering, once it gets into the hands of housewives and children, will give us an explosion of diversity of new living creatures…The final step in the domestication of biotechnology will be biotech games, designed like computer games for children down to kindergarten age, but played with real eggs and seeds rather than with images on a screen…These games will be messy and possibly dangerous. Rules and regulations will be needed to make sure that our kids do not endanger themselves and others." – Freeman Dyson, 2005

iGEM and DIY-Bio are the first steps of this "domestification" of biotechnology. The challenge is to figure out a way to push back on the technologies that concern us all here and fight for a truly democratic and responsible system of science and technology.