Key Cutting‐Edge Biotechnologies Today

Chapter 7 Key Cutting-Edge Biotechnologies Today Xinyu Song, Xinyu Song Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorWeiwen Zhang, Weiwen Zhang Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, ChinaSearch for more papers by this author Xinyu Song, Xinyu Song Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorWeiwen Zhang, Weiwen Zhang Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, ChinaSearch for more papers by this author Book Editor(s):Lijun Shang, Lijun Shang Biological Security Research Centre, School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London, UKSearch for more papers by this authorWeiwen Zhang, Weiwen Zhang Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorMalcolm Dando, Malcolm Dando School of Social Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 March 2024 https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394189045.ch7 AboutPDFPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShareShare a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Summary This chapter provides an overview of the advancement of synthetic biology and genome editing, as well as the detailed explanation of the dual-use concerns raised by these technologies. Genome editing, also known as gene editing, is a group of technologies used to engineer specific modification(s) within target genes and has proceeded through three generations of development. Although cutting-edge biotechnologies, such as synthetic biology and genome editing, have the potential to bring significant benefits to human health and agriculture, among other areas, there are also potential risks and ethical concerns that need to be addressed carefully. There are also biosecurity concerns about the deliberate misuse of cutting-edge biotechnologies, such as the creation of bioweapons or the enhancement of human traits, which could have significant ethical and social implications. References Wintle , B. C. et al ( 2017 ) A transatlantic perspective on 20 emerging issues in biological engineering . eLife , 6 , e30247 . 10.7554/eLife.30247 PubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar Sargent , D. et al ( 2022 ) Synthetic biology and opportunities within agricultural crops . Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment , 1 ( 2 ), 89 – 107 . 10.1002/sae2.12014 Google Scholar Lv , X. et al ( 2021 ) Synthetic biology for future food: research progress and future directions . Future Foods , 3 , 100025 . 10.1016/j.fufo.2021.100025 CASGoogle Scholar Moriarty , P. et al ( 2012 ) What is the global potential for renewable energy? Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews , 16 ( 1 ), 244 – 252 . 10.1016/j.rser.2011.07.151 Web of Science®Google Scholar Furtado , A. et al ( 2014 ) Modifying plants for biofuel and biomaterial production . Plant Biotechnology Journal , 12 ( 9 ), 1246 – 1258 . 10.1111/pbi.12300 CASPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar Poddar , H. et al ( 2020 ) Towards engineering and production of artificial spider silk using tools of synthetic biology . Engineering Biology , 4 ( 1 ), 1 – 6 . 10.1049/enb.2019.0017 PubMedGoogle Scholar Gaj , T. et al ( 2016 ) Genome-editing technologies: principles and applications . Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology , 8 , 12 . 10.1101/cshperspect.a023754 Web of Science®Google Scholar Sturme , M. H. J. et al ( 2022 ) Occurrence and nature of off-target modifications by crispr-cas genome editing in plants . ACS Agricultural Science & Technology , 2 ( 2 ), 192 – 201 . 10.1021/acsagscitech.1c00270 CASPubMedGoogle Scholar Wetterstrand , K.A. ( 2014 ). DNA Sequencing Costs: Data from the NHGRI genome sequencing program (GSP) http://www.genome.gov/sequencingcostsdata . Google Scholar National Academies of Sciences . ( 2017 ) Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Pandemic Influenza, and Antimicrobial Resistance: Global Health Security Is National Security . in Global Health and the Future Role of the United States , National Academies Press (US) . Google Scholar Essentials of Biological Security: A Global Perspective ReferencesRelatedInformation