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Revision as of 21:51, 27 October 2010
Staphiscope
Abstract
Superbugs, or antibiotic resistant microorganisms, are microbes that have become resistant to traditional treatments. These types of infections are difficult to diagnose, treat, and eradicate, making the healing process time consuming and resource intensive. The native quorum-sensing unit from S.aureus (the Agr system), will be introduced into a non-pathogenic strain of E.coli. The E.coli will then effectively have the ability to eavesdrop on the activity of the pathogenic organism and emit an indication of the magnitude of the infection in the form of RFP. Using sensitivity tuners the system can be designed such that the response will occur at an exact level, when the size of the population poses a threat to the host. Upon a positive result from a diagnosis, further tests could be done to specify whether MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus) or MSSA (Methicillin-sensitive S. aureus) are present.
Modelling
Since the project aims to detect S. aureus at low concentrations, the modelling aims to determine how sensitive the system will be so that it can be adjusted to detect S. aureus at clinically-relevant concentrations. To that end, models for the sensitivity tuners from the 2009 Cambridge team needed to be built that can be combined with models for the AIP detection system. Most importantly, the noisiness of the system needs to be determined to know if false positives will be generated.
1.1 Outreach and Synthetic Biology
The newness of synthetic biology means that much of the population is not even aware that it exists (see Awareness & Attitudes Study see link at the bottom of this section). Therefore, an important aspect of our outreach efforts is to introduce the topic of synthetic biology and show its potential. We also hope to give people the foundational information that they need in order to understand future scientific developments. This form of outreach will help to improve the scientific literacy of the general population.
Another emerging issue is misconceptions held by the general public. In the development of synthetic biology, as with many new technologies, there is still much to learn and discover. As a result, the information made available to the public is often not a comprehensive, accurate picture of synthetic biology.
The following are the goals that we hope to achieve through educational outreach:
- Inform the public about synthetic biology
- Promote an education in science
- Showcase opportunities in the field of science
- Create an enriched science experience for students
- Broaden the influence of iGEM
For more information about outreach and synthetic biology see:
by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Inc. on awareness and attitudes of the public about synthetic biology found that 9 of 10 individuals think the public should know more about developing technologies aims to provide a complete picture on the development of new sciences examines the development of synthetic biology1.2 The Events
The method that we have chosen to achieve our goals is science education. This is the avenue most accessible and familiar to us as science students. By participating in events in our community we are able to influence multiple audiences by different means. Our outreach efforts are primarily focused at young students still deciding whether to continue in the field of science, students pursing science education, and the general public. Some of the events facilitated delivering the information on a small scale (in depth discussions with one or two students) while other events necessitated speaking more generally to larger groups. The events fostered synthetic biology awareness and were great learning experiences for our team.
ESQ Partnership
ESQ ( Engineering Science Quest ) is a day camp hosted at the University of Waterloo that brings hundreds of curious young minds to Waterloo each year to learn more about science and engineering. We held two different weekly activities for campers of ages 8-9 and 12-14.
The activity for children of 8 to 9 years of age involved extracting their own DNA from their cheek cells. It was approximately an hour and a half in length, and involved not only following the outlined procedure, but also, a discussion of synthetic biology, DNA, proteins, enzymes and more. At the end of each activity, the children were allowed to keep a sealed cryovial with their extracted DNA.
The protocol for the activity, as well as the PowerPoint presentation and script associated with it, are available here.
The second activity, which involved children 12 to 14 years of age was named “Do We Really Need to Wash Our Hands.” In this activity, the children were asked to swab their own hands (using a sterilized cotton swab) and plate the resulting swab on solid media. They would then wash their hands/use hand sanitizer and swab and plate again. The plates would be left to incubate at 37°C overnight, and the next day, the resulting growth would be presented to the children. As well, they were allowed to swab two other area of their choice, as to see how “dirty” these are. Most chose their own hair, backpack or shoe.
Prior to each activity, a PowerPoint presentation discussion bacteria, pathogenicity, hand-washing, DNA and synthetic biology was given to the students. As well, they were provided with a hand-out to aid them in their understanding of the activity. The handout contained step-by-step activity protocol, as well as spaces for hypothesizing and discussion. The PowerPoint presentation, protocol, script, and handout are available here.
We hope that these initiatives will help engage students outside of the classroom and get them excited about science.
iGEM Ontario (OGEM) Meeting, June 15 2010 at McMaster University
The second annual OGEM Meeting was held at McMaster University in Hamilton on June 15th, 2010. Members of iGEM teams from University of Waterloo, University of Western Ontario and University of Toronto gathered to discuss the future of a regional synthetic biology community, as well as a regional conference. The day turned over to discussions which centered around creating more communication and support between teams. In addition, the gathering was also an opportunity for teams to get to know one another before heading down to MIT. The meeting was a great success and the second of more regional gatherings to come.
As the meeting was held during the annual CSM (Canadian Society for Microbiologists) conference, members were able to attend a series of lectures given by valuable members of the field. As well, iGEM Ontario members were given the opportunity to speak about their projects and promote the idea of iGEM during a poster presentation held along with researchers in the field of microbiology.
In the future we hope to see this organization (independent of an individual iGEM team) become an important resource to Ontario iGEM teams and for educating the general public about synthetic biology. We are currently working on an iGEM Ontario website.
Building Life: The Science of Synthetic Biology
On June 23, Waterloo iGEM adviser, Dr. Trevor Charles, held an open public lecture aiming at discussing synthetic biology, its means and aims. During the lecture, the purpose of synthetic biology, its ethical and safety implications well as many other current topics were discussed. At the end, a facilitated panel discussion featuring Andre Masella (Waterloo iGEM team), Dr. Kathryn Plaisance (bio-ethicist), as well as Dr. Maria Trainer (Council of Canadian Academics) answered some of the public’s pending questions regarding synthetic biology. The lecture was a great success, with a large number of attendees of various scientific background. It was part of a series of lectures organized by the University of Waterloo’s Department of Biology, in attempt to increase public awareness of current scientific issues.
What We Accomplished
Upon reflection we feel that we have achieved the following goals through our outreach efforts:
- Introduced synthetic biology to individuals who knew nothing about it
- Educated multiple audiences on the fundamentals of science such that they will be able to better understand future scientific information and developments
- Excited young minds about science
- Strengthened our regional synthetic biology community
- Communicated the work of other iGEM teams and the benefit and goals of the iGEM competition
- Increased communication between local synthetic biologists
- Gained insight and experience into what the public believes about modern science
- Developed activities and displays to be used and improved upon in the future
Future Plans
We plan to continue our outreach efforts in the future. We plan to expand our efforts and continue to educate the public about synthetic biology and share our love of science. In the future our efforts will continue to center around science education. Our profile in our community is increasing as iGEM becomes a familiar group and synthetic biology ceases to sound frightening and gains familiarity. We hope that the Ontario community of iGEM teams will continue to grow and include teams from all across Canada, helping to strengthen the synthetic biology community across the country. As members of the Waterloo iGEM team we are proud to educate multiple audiences and to share our knowledge and passion with the world.
SAFETY:
Our project is not expected to raise any safety issues in terms of researcher, public or environmental safety. The health risks associated with the organisms used and the work completed could be classified as very low to moderate. None of the biobricks we submitted raise any safety concerns. In terms of biosafety rules to be followed, we would consider Biosafety Level 2 to be a sufficient indicator of safety requirements. This stems from the fact that the organisms involved are Escherichia coli and Staphilococcus aureus. However, in practical use (e.g., hospital setting), level 3 facilities would be required. This is to account for several factors, including the increased potential for highly pathogenic strains in the vicinity, as well as the very unlikely possibility of a pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli obtaining the AIP sensing characteristics of our StaphiScope model. In terms of biosafety issues which could be useful for future iGEM competitions, the appearance of a desired biobrick into a pathogenic strain of bacteria would be the biggest concern. The potential for such an occurrence would be limited by Biosafety Level 2 rules, as described below.
Facilities, equipment, and procedures which are required to contain risk group 2 organisms at Level 2 have been met:
- Laboratory separated from other activities
- Biohazard sign
- Room surfaces impervious and readily cleanable.
- Equipment includes an autoclave
- There is personal protective equipment which includes laboratory coats and gloves worn only in the laboratory.
All precautions with respect to recombinant DNA were observed:
- All waste was autoclaved before being thrown away.
- Researchers practiced aseptic technique, and frequent hand washing.
- Bench surfaces were disinfected with ethanol.
INTRODUCTION
As synthetic biology expands, as pressing world problems emerge and grow, the potential impact of synthetic biology becomes more evident. Although a primary goal of developers of synthetic biology should be to consider the ethical, societal, safety, environmental, and political impact of the science, we believe that interest should also be paid unto the impact that synthetic biology will have in the business world.
As a group we are most interested in the course of development of synthetic biology in industry; the goal of our project is to try and decipher the path that synthetic biology will forge as it expands in the business world. Our attempt to answer this question has begun with a comprehensive inquiry into important factors affecting the diffusion of synthetic biology. It is our opinion that before we attempt to make any conclusive statements about the future direction of synthetic biology or the economy as a whole we must have a complete picture of the current landscape of synthetic biology and the markets it could potentially impact.
This inquiry is intended for use by multiple audiences; particularly scientists and members of business in relevant industries. As scientists it is important to understand the context in which discoveries are made, understanding where world needs lie and how discoveries will impact the world makes for better-informed scientists. Members of the business world should also strive to have an understanding of where the need and rationale for discoveries come from. Although profit is the ultimate endgame a well-informed approach helps to prevent ethical pitfalls and often greater success.
This analysis looks at both extrinsic and intrinsic factors relating to the development of synthetic biology as a whole. In particular intrinsic factors such as the development of synthetic biology in specific industries (biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and bioremediation) is examined in depth. Important extrinsic factors such as the impact of patenting and open source are also analyzed. With this information we feel we have laid the foundations for a comprehensive inquiry that will allow us to better understand what the expansion of synthetic biology in the business world will resemble.
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
Before we attempt to understand the impact of synthetic biology on the business world as a whole, we must first understand what kind of an impact it will have on specific sectors. The goal of the industry analysis was to pick specific industries that we felt would be heavily impacted by the emergence of synthetic biology and attempted to understand their current situation as well as opportunities and threats facing each industry.
The project wiki contains a condensed overview of the industry analyses, if you are interested in learning more be sure to check out the complete industry analysis.
Biofuel Industry
The oil industry has become an integral part of the society we live in for, transportation, food, healthcare, and communication. However, there is a dire need for alternative sources of energy and the world is beginning to turn towards biofuels for support in this area. Although there is immense promise in this area there is also many challenges to overcome such as reliance on environmental factors and adequate feedstocks. Although emergence of biofuels created through synthetic biology does not have the market potential to shift the whole method of biofuel production, politicians are optimistic that it has the potential to make an impact and have therefore taken measures to support the infrastructure of its’ development. The emergence of a viable synthetic biology biofuel would serve to excel the development of synthetic biology, particularly on the business stage.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Our knowledge of diseases and treatments has advanced to an exciting point as has society’s perception of health problems and issues. However, as fast as our knowledge advances, diseases like H1N1 and HIV provide a pressure for the pharmaceutical industry to advance further and faster. In addition, aging populations and growing urban centres poise pharmaceutical companies for significant and meaningful innovation over the coming decades. The pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow to an $800 billion industry by 2011, expanding as a global force. Thus, synthetic biology, although faced with challenges in terms of legal and social concerns, is poised to have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry. Not only is there promise for curative treatments that would change how we view illnesses like HIV, there promises to be significant implications in the social, technological, and political realms. Unanswered questions about the handling of intellectual property issues will challenge the development of synthetic biology in the pharmaceutical industry as will ethical, safety, and political issues.
Bio-remediation Industry
Unlike other industries, bio-remediation is an industry that has incorporated the use of genetic engineering and synthetic biology since the 1970’s. Based on the research conducted, there is a definitive understanding that this field poses an optimistic approach in achieving results that are environmentally friendly and cost-effective. The major setback with the field of bio-remediation is the intricacy of the techniques that are involved. Aside from the general publics qualms about bio-remediation procedures, even the scientific community does not have a holistic understanding of how the processes within bio-remediation work, or how to optimize a microbe’s “oil-eating” activity based on its metabolic characteristics. Most say that bio-remediation is a cost effective technique in treating vast oil spills, but it seems that investors and economists have not incorporated the cost of time and labour required in mastering the techniques involved. Once these techniques have established, there is a definite opportunity for this field to overpower the current invasive chemical processes that are being used as a last desperate resort in treating these environmental disasters.
OPEN SOURCING and Synthetic Biology
What is Open Sourcing?
What differentiates synthetic biology from biotechnology is that it offers the creation of systems or pathways that would not be found naturally in an organism. Synthetic biologists believe in a standardized system of parts similar to that of electrical engineers having standard circuits and components1. This is also similar to how LINUX modules have been combined to create different software. This contrasts the closed-parts strategy where developers use such methods as patent protection and secrecy to gain a competitive advantage over others2. That is why the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has created the initiative for what is known as the “Registry of Standard Biological Parts” where it indexes biological parts that are currently being built. A standard array of modular gene switches or parts that can be found from a common library and can be mixed and matched in various combinations, which is the goal that synthetic biology targets. This is a similar path as what happened twenty years ago when software became standardized and allowed Microsoft to become a monopoly. The issue in the air currently is if this could happen with the synthetic biology industry3.
Advantages
Open-sourcing has been an idea that has been the basic foundation of synthetic biology throughout the years. Supporters strongly believe in a world where companies and academia will be able to develop and share parts freely for the advancement of the whole field, not just a singular firm or university4.
A term that is used commonly in this industry is called network effects. This means that the more a product is used, the more attractive it becomes. Over time as each part is used repeatedly on a specific metabolic pathway, especially when in successive experiments, its cost goes down. With the limited data that is available, it is predicted that total project costs could be cut down by 25% after its first successive use. It is also likely that these costs would be cut down several more times until it flattens as with each subsequent experiment more knowledge on that part is gained and intuitively, less errors are made.
One such example is with Amyris’ artemisinin project that spanned over the length of five years, costing $20 million. It was reported that 95% of the time spent was on finding and fixing unintended interactions between parts.
Due to the fact that one part must be used in conjunction with other sets of parts gives incentive to companies to create whole libraries. This is very similar to how software companies develop several programs that are able to cover multiple applications. Not only that, but there is opportunity for these companies to make profit by patenting some of these parts and making others openly available due to the strong modularity of the open-parts approach.
It is expected that companies will have their own individual parts needs. This means that other companies cannot just sit around and wait for another to develop a part. This also gives a type of competitive advantage as companies that share parts will not be losing their, ‘technological edge’ to other competitors. Since different companies have idiosyncratic needs and hence expertise, it proposes that community-based libraries will outperform individual companies. The industry will probably have a large number of small, distinctive customers, meaning that patent licensing will be less attractive and the open-parts initiative more so5.
Normally, the value of a patent depends on the inventor’s initial R&D investment, but with synthetic biology parts it would depend on that as well as how many researchers have subsequently used that part. According to the law, this allows patent owners to capture both sources of value, which can be unfair to society as they must deal with high prices without getting anything more in return. The open-parts initiative sets the price of parts equal to zero, so it is naturally able to solve that problem. There are two incentives that will draw companies to an open-parts initiative. The first would be the opportunity to share R&D investments among multiple firms and secondly the opportunity to produce parts faster due to shared insights6.
Barriers and Disadvantages
About twenty years ago when software became standardized, it opened the path for Microsoft to come in, take over the industry and monopolize it. Can something similar potentially happen in the synthetic biology industry? At the moment, synthetic biology is what is called a ‘tipping market’. It is unstable and prone to monopoly. Building on this, the tipping dynamic is indifferent to whether or not the dominant parts constellation is open or closed. If for instance a mature industry is able to grab a hold of these shared parts, it can work towards this open-parts initiative. Though on the other hand, companies, out of necessity will also pay for closed parts, both solutions are equally viable.
Some other issues include an agreement on standard nomenclature for the parts, therefore when actually designing a database, controversies might come up. As well when collaboration occurs there must be adequate legal infrastructure. This must include a license specifying the rights and duties of members. One of the main legal problems is that gene data is unlike software, it cannot be copyrighted.
Many pessimists towards the idea say that it is now too late for synthetic biology to use an open-parts collaboration. Now with Amyris’ advancement in the field it seems that this industry might monopolize and follow the path that Microsoft had. The fact that commercial synthetic biology receives so much government support shows a bit of laissez faire attitude. In America’s Department of Energy $350 million biofuel initiative there was no open-parts requirement at all. It is said that at least when Bill Gates cornered the software market he did it with private money7.
1http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/tlr85&div=50&id=&page 2,3,4,6,7http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2726678/ 5http://www.nature.com/msb/journal/v3/n1/full/msb4100161.html
PATENTS and Synthetic Biology
The ideological reasoning behind applying for a patent lies in the fundamental incentive that it would bring forth financial rewards and a sense of monopolistic supremacy in an advancing market. The imposition of patenting technology has been deemed useful in many industries, most notably in electronics. However, it has also brought forth a considerable level of controversial dialogue in determining how historical protocols can be implemented within new technological streams that sometimes question the concept of man-made invention. For example, Craig Venter’s desire in protecting his synthetic cell research methodology gives him a deserving ownership, but his broad patent places a downgrading threat towards the field of synthetic biology. Ironically speaking, patenting is a legal practice that promotes innovation, but imposes a sense of apprehension for those who wish to adapt towards a more open-sourced strategy. This analysis focuses on the implications of introducing patent law to the field of synthetic biology as well as the practicality of gaining rights to a product not developed entirely by man, but with elements arising from nature.
Monopolizing Synthetic Biology
The accrued financial and proprietary benefit of monopolizing an idea within a competitive market is indeed an accelerated advantage when a patent is granted. However, many have the misconception that monopolistic proprietorship has a standardized value to any industry it is applied to. For years, Professor John Sulston from the University of Manchester, a believer in promoting an open-source environment in the field of synthetic biology has proposed the implications that would arise should Venter receive approval upon his protocol in developing synthetic organisms. Sulston states,
"I hope very much these patents won't be accepted because they would bring genetic engineering under the control of the J Craig Venter Institute (JCVI). They would have a monopoly on a whole range of techniques (BBC UK, 2010)."
The irony in this matter is that the technological industry used the concept of monopolistic competition to drive both innovation and the development of products that would eventually overpower the market leaders. The reason that this concept cannot presently be applied is that synthetic biology is strongly reliant on collaborative construction. Patenting biological parts or processes will not motivate a group of scientists to pursue their research, but cause them to weigh the opportunity costs between their groundbreaking research and the hefty payments they would make to patent holders.
In the case of Venter’s claim, organizations such as the ETC group believe that Venter’s group is eyeing on a profit making opportunity. Hope Shands of the ETC group states, “The fledgling synthetic biology industry keeps talking about how they’re going to fix climate change – but these sweeping patent claims reveal that the companies are much more focused on securing profits than on human needs” (ETC Group, 2007). The multi-purpose use of a biological methodology would not only give Venter ownership to a scientific methodology, but to a range of applications that could be possible in the chemical, medicinal or environmental industries. Venter reported to Business Week, “If we made an organism that produced fuel that could be the first billion- or trillion-dollar organism. We would definitely patent that whole process” (ETC Group,2007). Many would dispute that this financial and market acquisition would only de-motivate other synthetic biology scientists and facilities to halt their research. But from looking at it from Venter’s perspective, wouldn’t anyone want to reap the rewards on a project that took 15 years and 40 million dollars to reach its success?
Patenting Artificial Life: Is synthetic biology a man-made industry?
As previously noted, synthetic biology encapsulates the field of biotechnology, software and computing. The current patent laws that have been put in place have generally been applicable to all industries individually. However, the field of synthetic biology is an amalgamation of two fields that have faced years of controversial debate in terms of granting or approving patents. The concern lied in the fact that patents related to inventions in biotechnology or software could be broad or narrow, but extensive enough to “hold-up” the concept of innovation and invention (Rai and Boyle, 2007 ).
Synthetic biology is being renowned as a stream towards the development of artificial life, which for some raises social, ethical and legal concerns. Patent Act 101 states that any subject matter that is found in nature is not deemed as patentable. However, if the product found in nature is modified or transformed to something that is novel and non-obvious, it holds credibility in attaining a patent. Looking at the synthetic cell created by Venter’s team, it is difficult to denote the “man-made” material in his composition. His cell includes a computer generated “minimal genome sequence” that is encapsulated within a bacterial cell (found in nature) and still hosts cellular machinery required to allow the cell to adapt and function within its environment. The modification is within the genome, but even that raises some debate on whether it can be patentable.
The software industry has always tackled with patenting mathematical and computational algorithms, particularly in concern was their level of broadness. In perspective to the field of synthetic biology, an algorithm is analogous to the creation of novel and modified genetic sequences, which give rise to new metabolic pathways and cellular functionalities. Yet again, the derivation of their new genetic sequence comes from the naturally degenerate genetic code, bringing up the question of whether this is entirely man-made. What is seen here is a disconnect, in that it would be difficult to set fundamental patenting protocols for the field of synthetic biology, given the legal complications faced in both the field of biology and computing. This is where many may agree that an open-source strategy such as the MIT Registry of Standard Biological Parts would bring forth more progression, versus the time and effort it would take to validate the patentability of a biological part or process.
SWOT Analysis
Below are other indicators to help define the relative benefit of introducing patent law, as well as the long-term threats that may hinder the advancement of research in the field of synthetic biology.
Strengths
•Patenting assists in stimulating investment, and secured investments bring forth progression in research. Given that research projects can cost up to hundreds of millions of dollars, patenting synthetic biology technologies would provide a more steady approach in financing the development of an invention.
•Developers are motivated by reward, which is provided by the successful implementation of patent law Weaknesses
•The field of synthetic biology is different in the sense that innovation is not promoted through attaining proprietary rights to an entire process or genome, but through the collaborative use of fine, functional and specific biological parts
•Synthetic biology is multidisciplinary as it incorporates the field of biotechnology and computing, each has their own sets of legal rights, restrictions, and pitfalls
•In addition, lawyers would require a more extensive level of knowledge and proficiency in both fields
•Sometimes, hundreds of parts are necessary for the composition of one biological machine, and attaining rights to each part would create what is called to be a "patent thicket" (Rutz, 2009). Attaining rights to so many parts does not only hinder innovation, but is time-consuming and costly
Opportunities
• Patents add value, reputation and credibility to an invention. Although this legal concept is frowned upon in the R&D field, it brings a source of financial opportunity that would bring forth strategic partnerships and lump some funding to further progress research. At an economic perspective, patenting would be useful in advancing one's research.
•Patenting requires thorough documentation and characterization of each aspect of the part, streamlined patenting protocols could add standardization to the part development process Threats
•European patent law states that "iventions of commercial exploitation to morality are omitted from patentable rights" (Rutz, 2009). The general public fears that if rights to a biological process or part are give they may be abused. Examples are biological warfare or the unintentional release of pathogenic organisms.
•"Patent sharks and trolls" (Rutz , 2009) may find it simple to file lawsuits against such patents. •On the other side of the coin, some have claimed that finding a patent application for a biological part is similar to finding a needle in a haystack. Moreover, it is not the job of a scientist to be rummaging around in identifying his legal rights to using a biological part, nor should his time be consumed by understanding the patenting process relevant to his field.
Conclusion
The concept of patenting makes scientists cringe at the thought that their research and advancements would be diminished by the monopolistic power held by the broad patent holders within synthetic biology. There is currently no established set of specific protocols for patenting products in synthetic biology. Moreover, the attempt to blend the patent laws applicable to a range of disciplines to one as intricate as synthetic biology is difficult. Additionally, companies who wish to have a formalized process in examining and submitting processes would have to understand that a large number of additional resources would be needed to accommodate for the labour intensive, time consuming and costly process of patenting such biological parts. So the underlying question is that what is of greater value in today’s market, leading innovation through open-source strategies or banking on profit-making opportunities by securing an idea with a patent?
Conclusions and Outlook
After conducting this research into the current and future position of synthetic biology particularly in the context of the business world, we are optimistic about the course that it will take. There are significant hurdles to overcome but overall there is a sense that synthetic biology will impart a positive impact not only in terms of specific products but also in terms of micro and macroeconomic impact.
In this inquiry we have attempted to understand some of the important issues facing synthetic biology from a business perspective. In the future we hope to take our work a step further; we hope to take our knowledge, thoughts, and questions into the business world. Through interaction with business owners, scientists, legal specialists, and other stakeholders we hope to disseminate our findings and build on them. In the future we will continue to focus on our goal of deciphering the path that synthetic biology will take as it emerges in the business world.
References
1) Rai A, Boyle J (2007) Synthetic Biology: Caught between Property Rights, the Public Domain, and the Commons. PLoS Biol 5(3): e58. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0050058
2) Barrett, Margaret. Intellectual Property. 2nd ed. New York: Aspen Online, 2008. 33-34
3) Dickinson, Boonsri. "Will Patents Give Craig Venter a Monopoly over Synthetic Life? - SmartPlanet." SmartPlanet - We Make You Smarter - People, Business & Technology. 28 May 2010. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.
4) "Artificial Life: Patent Pending | The Economist." The Economist - World News, Politics, Economics, Business & Finance. 14 June 2007. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.
5) "Postnote: Synthetic Biology." Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, Jan. 2008. Web.
7) Joachim, Henkel, and Maurer Stephen. "The Economics of Synthetic Biology." Molecular Systems Biology. Nature Publishing Group, 5 June 2007. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.
8) Ghosh, Pallab. "BBC News - Synthetic Life Patents 'damaging'" BBC - Homepage. 24 May 2010. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.
9) Ball, Philip. "Biology News: The Patent Threat to Designer Biology." BioEd Online. 22 June 2007. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.
10) ETC Group. "Extreme Monopoly: Venter's Team Makes Vast Patent Grab on Synthetic Genomes | ETC Group." 8 Dec. 2007. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.
11) Hammond, John, and Robert Gunderman. "The Limited Monopoly- Patent Law 101: What Is Patentable?" The Rochester Journal, June-July 2007. Web. 25 Oct. 2010.
Our Undergraduates!
Anum-ta Arif
Dan Barlow
Ekta Bibra
Arpita Desai
Jon Eubank
Our Graduates!
UW's parts for 2010.
BBa_K359002 - Signalling - Agr quorum sensing sensor/generator, FepA pore, with P2 + reporter
BBa_K359003 - Reporter - Agr P2 with RFP
BBa_K359006 - Intermediate - AIP sensor and generator
BBa_K359007 - Intermediate - AIP sensor with FepA pore
BBa_K359008 - Intermediate - AIP generator and sensor, with an added RFP reporter
BBa_K359009 - Intermediate - AIP sensor and consequent RFP reporter; contains FepA permeability pore
BBa_K359201 - Plasmid Backbone - pSB3K3-S-rbsRFP-P
Safety:
The health risks associated with the organisms used and the work completed could be classified as very low to moderate. Biosafety level 2 would be sufficient, as the organisms involved are Escherichia coli and Staphilococcus aureus. However, in practical use (e.g., hospital setting), level 3 facilities would be required. This is to account for several factors, including the increased potential for highly pathogenic strains in the vicinity, as well as the very unlikely possibility of a pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli obtaining the AIP sensing characteristics of our StaphiScope model.
Facilities, equipment, and procedures which are required to contain risk group 2 organisms at Level 2 have been met:
1.Laboratory separated from other activities.
2.Biohazard sign.
3.Room surfaces impervious and readily cleanable.
4.Equipment includes an autoclave.
5.There is personal protective equipment which includes laboratory coats worn only in the laboratory, gloves worn when handling infected animals.
All precautions with respect to recombinant DNA are observed:
All waste is autoclaved before being thrown away.
Researchers practice aseptic technique, and frequent hand washing.
Bench surfaces are disinfected with ethanol.