Responsible innovation in synthetic biology in response to COVID-19: the role of data positionality.

Ethics Inf Technol

Philosophy Department, Technology Policy & Management, T.U. Delft, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, The Netherlands.

Published: October 2020

Synthetic biology, as an engineering approach to biological systems, has the potential to disruptively innovate the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. Data accessibility and differences in data-usage capabilities are important factors in shaping this innovation landscape. In this paper, the data that underpin synthetic biology responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are analyzed as positional information goods-goods whose value depends on exclusivity. The positionality of biological data impacts the ability to guide innovations toward societally preferred goals. From both an ethical and economic point of view, positionality can lead to suboptimal as well as beneficial situations. When aiming for responsible innovation (i.e. embedding societal deliberation in the innovation process), it is important to consider hurdles and facilitators in data access and use. Central governance and knowledge commons provide routes to mitigate the negative effects of data positionality.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7585993PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10676-020-09565-9DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

synthetic biology
12
responsible innovation
8
data positionality
8
data
6
innovation synthetic
4
biology response
4
response covid-19
4
covid-19 role
4
role data
4
positionality
4

Similar Publications

Sulforaphane (SF) is a sulfur (S)-containing isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables and is known for its potent anticancer properties. Broccoli sprouts, in particular, are considered safe and healthy dietary choices due to their high SF content and other beneficial biological activities, such as enhanced metabolite ingestion. The application of selenium (Se) is an excellent approach to enhance the abundance of SF.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Protein immobilization technology is important in medical and industrial applications. We previously reported all-in-one in vitro selection, wherein a collagen-binding vascular endothelial growth factor (CB-VEGF) was identified from a fusion library of random and VEGF sequences. However, its interaction chemistry is mainly limited to the interaction established by the 20 canonical amino acids.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Antifreeze Protein-Inspired Zwitterionic Graphene Oxide Nanosheets for a Photothermal Anti-icing Coating.

Nano Lett

January 2025

Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China.

Organisms that survive at freezing temperatures produce antifreeze proteins (AFPs) to manage ice nucleation and growth. Inspired by AFPs, a series of synthetic materials have been developed to mimic these proteins in order to avoid the limitations of natural AFPs. Despite their great importance in various antifreeze applications, the relationship between structure and performance of AFP mimics remains unclear, especially whether their molecular charge-specific effects on ice inhibition exist.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Abaloparatide (ABL) is a synthetic parathyroid hormone-related protein analog developed as an anabolic drug to treat osteoporosis. ABL increases bone mineral density (BMD) of the long bones and spine; however, the influence of ABL on alveolar bone regeneration remains unknown. This study assessed the effects of systemic ABL administration on tooth extraction socket healing and dental implant osseointegration in a preclinical rodent model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for medical applications.

Microb Cell Fact

January 2025

Chair of Biochemistry of Microorganisms, Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Bayreuth, 95326, Kulmbach, Germany.

Background: During the last decades, the advancements in synthetic biology opened the doors for a profusion of cost-effective, fast, and ecologically friendly medical applications priorly unimaginable. Following the trend, the genetic engineering of the baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, propelled its status from an instrumental ally in the food industry to a therapy and prophylaxis aid.

Main Text: In this review, we scrutinize the main applications of engineered S.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!