On Friday, May 24, 2019 at 5:45:00 PM UTC-7, Matt Endrizzi wrote:
-- My post is focused on unknown consequences. Sequences that nature would not create hold the potential for novel functions far more detrimental than a human pathogen.
I think you hugely underestimate the dangers that Nature throws at us, in comparison to what humans are able to engineer.
There are an estimated 10^31 phages and viruses on earth - all of which are constantly reshuffling and mutating existing genes or even creating new genes from scratch. We may never be able to sequence all genes on earth, because the rate at which new genes are generated by phages dwarfs the speed at which we can find and sequence them. In comparison to that torrent of trial-and-error, the little amount of tinkering humanity has managed to do so far is rather puny.
That is not to argue that we don't need bioethics and biosafety - in fact, I have seen far *more* discussion of those issues within the DIYbio community than I've seen in any academic or commercial biotech setting.
But yeah, I think you are seriously underestimating Nature...
-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups DIYbio group. To post to this group, send email to diybio@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to diybio+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/diybio?hl=en
Learn more at www.diybio.org
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DIYbio" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to diybio+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to diybio@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/diybio.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/diybio/d2612aa4-a195-43f6-bcfa-2a00f0f32416%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
0 comments:
Post a Comment