Synthetic biology: The next biotech revolution is brewing

Synthetic biology promises significant advances in areas such as biofuels, specialty chemicals, and agriculture and drug products.

In New Life, Old Bottles: Regulating First-Generation Products of Synthetic Biology, Rodemeyer examines the benefits and drawbacks of using the existing U.S. regulatory framework for biotechnology to cover the new products and processes enabled by synthetic biology. He finds that the similarities between biotechnology and synthetic biology are abundant enough for the current biotech oversight system to provide a good starting point, but it is not a perfect match.

According to Rodemeyer initial synthetic biology products will be relatively simple modifications on existing technology, but as the technology develops, regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration will face challenges in assessing potential risks and controls. Laws like the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act simply were not designed to handle 21st century advances.

You must register to attend. RSVP to: nano@wilsoncenter.org. No RSVP is required to view the Webcast.

Webcast LIVE.

What: Synthetic Biology: The Next Biotech Revolution Is Brewing

When: Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 12:30 – 1:30 PM (Light lunch available at 12 noon.)

Who: Michael Rodemeyer, adjunct instructor, University of Virginia David Rejeski, Director, Foresight & Governance Project, Moderator

Where: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 5th Floor Conference Room in the Ronald Reagan Building at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. For directions see here.

Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies