Re: [DIYbio] Biosecurity

I recognize there is a great deal of friction fighting against DNA. We also know some sequences have become very successful. Oligos and PCR are not on my radar. Processes that make novel sequences greater than 200 bp are.

While many probably think I'm overzealous in my dire predictions, I here you. I perhaps just don't have the same confidence as others seem to have in claiming to understand evolutionary processes. I think our understanding about evolution is still quite nascent. Assuming human-derived sequences hold no potential danger greater than what nature poses is a major problem, in my view. We are bypassing natural barriers that would likely prevent certain sequences from ever existing. With the advent of recombinant DNA technology, we have entered a whole new biohazard realm.

While this is an old letter from Ted Kennedy, it summarizes the agreement made by the scientific community to promise the public to contain recombinant DNA and not let it out into the environment.

https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/FFBBHV.pdf

While dialogue around risk has subsided from public awareness since the publishing of the NIH Guidelines, I am not aware that this containment promise has been withdrawn.

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