Beyond the Organism versus Machine Dichotomy: A Review of Ethical Concerns in Synthetic Biology

Abstract

Synthetic Biology (SynBio) is a technology that brings new possibilities and benefits, as well as new ethical concerns. We have performed a systematic review and thematic analysis of papers that deal with the possible ethical and social issues surrounding SynBio. We found that articles mention deontological concerns related to tinkering with life and more consequentialist matters related to biosafety and biosecurity. At the same time, justice aspects, such as socioeconomic and environmental impacts, are far less mentioned. Moreover, there is a lack of systematic study of the ethical issues that SynBio researchers in the lab encounter on a day-to-day basis.