Improving biosecurity in the age of advanced DNA synthesis

Repurposed from the original post on Twist’s blog.

This is a preview of the full post, located on Twist’s blog.

Synthetic biology is the practice of redesigning natural biological systems for useful purposes. Through synthetic biology, researchers can engineer microorganisms to consume environmental pollutants or aid in the manufacturing of sustainable fuels. The potential benefits of synthetic biology are many and profound, but in the wrong hands, while very rare, the tools of synthetic biology could be used to cause harm. As such, the scientific community must take special care to develop safeguards that prevent the misuse of these tools without suppressing growth and innovation in this dynamic field.

At the core of synthetic biology is synthetic DNA, a tool scientists use for applications ranging from therapeutic development to data storage. Importantly, synthetic DNA is becoming ever more accessible, and as a result, synthetic biology is rapidly growing in terms of capabilities and outputs.

As synthetic biology continues to evolve, so too must the biosecurity safeguards we put in place. Here we shine a light on key biosecurity challenges in the synthetic biology landscape today, and their potential solutions.

Read the full post on Twist’s blog.