Synthetic biology and biosecurity

Synthetic biology has become one of the most dynamic research fields in the life sciences. In reality, though, the term is used to cover a host of different approaches rather than a single defined discipline; these range from the large-scale assembly of DNA segments to the development of new tools and technology platforms, and to the search for the minimal cell and the origins of life. The evolution of the field has also been accompanied by the recognition that the concomitant shift in biology from a descriptive to a predictive science, and the technologies that will ensue, bring with them a range of potential societal implications and dangers.