Team:SJTU-Software/Safety
Safety concern:
People in China started to realize the importance of the safety of bioengineering and synthetic biology these years. In January 2010, the Institute of Botany in Chinese Academy of Sciences held the first seminar on synthetic biology and biosafety between China and Austria. The conference aimed to explore new need in biosafety management of synthetic biology. The second expert seminar was held in Shanghai in October 2011. In June 2010, an academic meeting held by the Association for science and technology of China in Suzhou, which aimed to discuss the biological safety and ethical issues in synthetic biology.
We found some websites about biosafety of synthetic like the Austria-China joint-project on biosafety of synthetic biology (http://www.synbiosafety.org/index.html)
Moreover, people mostly concern that synthetic biology could create artifical life which will break down moral principles and ethics.The terrorists could use scientific researching results to develop biology weapons or destory the environment. In a interview, the Professor Pei gave his answer to it, he says,Because the current research is in the early stages of development, scientists didn't have a lot of freedom to follow their ideas to manipulate the genome. Though small, potential biological safety problems cannot be ruled out.
I think the management of synthetic biology should keep a constant update. What’s more, the supervisory authority shall regulate their management and monitoring standards timely according to the technical development in this field. We need to absorb the lessons of GM research, timely communicate with the public so that they can better understand the techniques used in this research.
That is why in the United States and Europe, the discuss about Biosafety of synthetic biology and the impact it has on ethical, regulatory, and social happened as early as the early stages of this technology been launched. China also has some discussion, but it did not attract the public's attention--this is a problem remained to be solved. The public, and even some researchers are unfamiliar with the term of biosafety, biosecurity as well as ELSI (ethical, legal and social implication), This may need to be spread in undergraduate education.’ [1]
Policy about synthetic biology:
In order to promote GMO technology research, ensure the human health and safety of animals, plants and micro-organisms, protect the environment, and promote scientific and technological innovation, China's government developed and enacted the relevant laws and regulations since 1993.In December 1993, the former State Science and Technology Commission released the genetic engineering safety regulations. On this basis, in July 1996, the Ministry of agriculture released the implementation measures for the administration of agricultural biological gene engineering safety. In order to further strengthen and standardize management, in May 2001, the State Council promulgated the regulations on administration of agricultural genetically modified organism safety. At present, the Environmental Protection Department is actively promoting the construction of GMO safety regulation system.
In addition, before the guidelines, rules and regulation for synthetic biology established, it is recommended to reference to international rules and guidelines. [2]
In the Government work report, Premier Li stressed ‘using innovation to support and lead the optimization and upgrade of economic structure’ when deploying work in 2014 and noted that "innovation is the driving force of economic structure adjustment and optimization". The government aimed to continuously increase investment in basic research, optimize arrangement to strengthen support for interdisciplinary, deeply carry out Brain Science, synthesis biology, deep ocean science research…’ [3]
In recent years, the safety related problems about GM provoked heated debate. The public lacked basic knowledge about biology as well as GM. Furthermore, some organization and individuals deliberately defamed GM technology. All these cause a big group of people stand against GM, claiming GM will create monsters and eating GM food cause infertility. Others, who support GM fight against those rumors and encourage people to accept GM. The government, has recently started to take part in this debate and tried to lead the public into the right attitude towards GM. To answer the question of the biosaftey management situation about GM, the Ministry of agriculture said so, 'Strengthening the administration of agricultural GMO safety is the important guarantee for advancing the research and application of transgenetic technology.
Chinese government has strong concern about the safety management of agricultural GMO. They insist on adhering to legislation, law, law enforcement protection, and has formed a set of laws regulations, the technical regulations and management systems which are suitable for China and links up with the international practice of laws regulations ,establish sound laws and regulations.
Second is to strengthen the construction of technical systems. Third, scientific and standardized security evaluation. Four is to strengthen the administrative supervision and management.’ [4]
Reference:
[1] http://www.ebiotrade.com/newsf/2011-7/2011725110139432.htm
[2] 关正君,裴蕾(2012) 合成生物学生物安全风险评价与管理, 20 (2): 138–150
[3]http://www.gov.cn/zhuanti/2014-03/20/content_2642475.htm
[4] http://www.gov.cn/gzdt/2010-03/15/content_1555803.htm
