ETC Group
News Release
20 May 2010
www.etcgroup.org
As Craig Venter announces lab-made life, ETC Group calls for Global
Moratorium on Synthetic Biology.
In a paper published today in the journal Science, the J. Craig Venter
Institute and Synthetic Genomics Inc announced the laboratory creation of
the world’s first self-reproducing organism whose entire genome was built
from scratch by a machine.(1) The construction of this synthetic organism,
anticipated and dubbed “Synthia” by the ETC Group three years ago, will
stir a firestorm of controversy over the ethics of building artificial life
and the implications of the largely unknown field of synthetic biology.
Panacea, or…? According to today?s publication, “Synthia” could be a boon
to second-generation agrofuels making it ? theoretically ? possible to feed
people and cars simultaneously. The article further suggests that Synthia,
or synthetic biology, could help clean up the environment, save us from
climate change, and address the food crisis. “Synthia is not a
one-stop-shop for all our societal woes,” disputes Pat Mooney, Executive
Director of ETC Group, an international technology watchdog based in
Canada. ?It is much more likely to cause a whole new set of problems
governments and society are ill-prepared to address.”
Pandora’s Box? “This is the quintessential Pandora?s box moment – like the
splitting of the atom or the cloning of Dolly the sheep. We will all have
to deal with the fall-out from this alarming experiment,” comments Jim
Thomas of the ETC Group. “Synthetic biology is a high-risk profit-driven
field, building organisms out of parts that are still poorly understood.(2)
We know that lab-created life-forms can escape, become biological weapons,
and that their use threatens existing natural biodiversity. Most worrying
of all, Craig Venter is handing this powerful technology to the world?s
most irresponsible and environmentally damaging industry by partnering with
the likes of BP and Exxon to hasten the commercialization of synthetic
life-forms.”(3)
Synthetic biology refers to the construction of novel life-forms using
synthetic DNA made from off-the-shelf chemicals – a form of “extreme
genetic engineering”. The team behind today?s announcement, led by
controversial scientist and entrepreneur Craig Venter, is associated with a
private company, Synthetic Genomics Inc, bankrolled by the US government
and energy behemoths BP and Exxon. Synthetic Genomics recently announced a
$600 million research and investment deal with Exxon Mobil in addition to a
2007 investment from BP for an undisclosed amount. Venter, who led the
private sector part of the human genome project ten years ago, has already
applied for patents related to Synthia’s technology.(4)
Although high-profile backers of synthetic biology now occupy key positions
in the US Obama administration(5) there still remains no proper national or
international oversight of new high-risk, technologies that carry vast
implications for humanity and the natural world. In 2006, ETC Group joined
with other organizations to demand the formal, open and inclusive oversight
of synthetic biology(6) and have since called for a global halt on research
pending the development of global regulations. ETC Group has reiterated
that call at a scientific meeting of the United Nations Convention on
Biological Diversity in Nairobi attended by more than 100 governments.(7)
Pandemonium? The lack of global rules governing the field also concerns
many governments, illustrated by the biodiversity talks in Nairobi.
Mundita Lim of the Philippines delegation to the CBD expressed her
country?s concerns “about the serious potential impacts of synthetic
biology on biodiversity… we believe that there should be no field release
of synthetic life, cell or genome into the environment until thorough
scientific assessments have been conducted in a transparent, open and
participatory process involving all Parties, indigenous and local
communities that will all be potentially affected by these synthetic life
forms with unknown consequences on biodiversity, the environment and
livelihoods.” Today?s announcement will give new urgency to the debate on
synthetic biology and provide a dramatic example of the need for rigorous
oversight over new technologies before their environmental or commercial
release is permitted.
-30-
—
1) Science, 20 May 2010, “Creation of a Bacterial Cell Controlled by a
Chemically Synthesized Genome,” by D. Gibson; J.I. Glass; C. Lartigue; V.N.
Noskov; R.-Y. Chuang; M.A. Algire; M.G. Montague; L. Ma; M.M. Moodie; C.
Merryman; S. Vashee; R. Krishnakumar; N. Assad-Garcia; C.
Andrews-Pfannkoch; E.A. Denisova; L. Young; Z.-Q. Qi; T.H. Segall-Shapiro;
C.H. Calvey; P.P. Parmar; J.C. Venter at J. Craig Venter Institute in
Rockville, MD; G.A. Benders; C.A. Hutchinson III; H.O. Smith; J.C. Venter
at J. Craig Venter Institute in San Diego, CA. The paper acknowledges
‘generous funding’ from Synthetic Genomics Inc for this work, that three of
the leaders of the scientific team hold executive positions at Synthetic
Genomics Inc and that the J Craig Venter Institute itself holds stock in
Synthetic Genomics Inc.
2) For a graphic overview of the investors behind Synthetic Genomics, Inc,
see ETC Group’s 2007 Poster “The Men & Money Behind Synthia.” available
here: http://www.etcgroup.org/en/node/4797
3) Some details of Synthetic Genomics deal with BP are available at
http://www.syntheticgenomics.com/media/bpfaq.html and reporting of their
deal with Exxon Mobil is available at http://nyti.ms/sf5A6
4) ETC Group News Release, 7 June 2007, “Patenting Pandora?s Bug, Goodbye,
Dolly…Hello, Synthia! J. Craig Venter Institute Seeks Monopoly Patents on
the World’s First-Ever Human-Made Life Form” online at
http://www.etcgroup.org/en/node/631
5) US Energy secretary Steven Chu was feted by press as “The Secretary of
Synthetic Biology” when he was named to office last year (see
http://bit.ly/9pMDp8), reflecting his previous role as head of Lawrence
Berkeley National Lab where he oversaw a $600 million dollar investment by
BP in the university?s synthetic biology labs. On the other side of that
deal was BP chief scientist Steve Koonin, now Undersecretary for Science in
the DOE. Koonin reportedly spearheaded BP’s investment in Synthetic
Genomics Inc.
6) Open Letter on Synthetic Biology from Civil Society, May 2006:
http://www.etcgroup.org/en/materials/publications.html?pub_id=11
7) ETC Group currently has three staff members in Nairobi at the meeting of
the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to
the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (SBSTTA 14). The topic of
synthetic biology is under discussion at SBSTTA 14 under an item concerning
the biodiversity risks of next generation biofuels.
Notes to Editors:
ETC Group is an international civil society organization based in Ottawa,
Canada. We conduct research, education and advocacy on issues related to
the social and economic impacts of new technologies on marginalized peoples
? especially in the global South. We look at issues from a human rights
perspective but also address global governance and corporate concentration.
All ETC Group publications are available free of charge on our website:
www.etcgroup.org
ETC Group has been monitoring developments in synthetic biology for the
past five years and has pioneered civil society activism around the field.
In 2006 we joined dozens of other civil society organisations to protest
plans for voluntary governance of synthetic biology. In 2007 we released
“Extreme Genetic Engineering” the first ever critical introduction to the
field (available at http://www.etcgroup.org/en/node/602). We also exposed
plans by J. Craig Venter and his colleagues to patent their planned
synthetic organism, which we dubbed ‘Synthia’. A full archive of ETC
Group’s writings, comments and press releases on the topic of Synthetic
Biology is available at http://www.etcgroup.org/en/issues/synthetic_biology
and video, audio and graphic resources on the topic are available at
http://www.etcgroup.org/en/materials/video_audio_library
ETC Group has three staff members in Nairobi at the meeting of the
Scientific Body to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (SBSTTA 14).
The topics currently under discussion at SBSTTA include the biodiversity
risks of next generation biofuels and new and emerging threats to
biodiversity.
For more information and background:
To arrange interviews with Pat Mooney or Jim Thomas, please contact Diana
Bronson.
Diana Bronson – diana@etcgroup.org; phone +1 514 273 6661 cell: 514 629
9236
Pat Mooney – etc@etcgroup.org phone +1 613 241 2267 extension 23
Jim Thomas – jim@etcgroup.org phone +1 514 273 9994 cell: 514 516 5759
In Nairobi, Kenya:
English interviews:
Neth Dano, neth@etcgroup.org cell & SMS + 63 917 532 9369; Nairobi: +254
712 605 622
Spanish interviews:
Silvia Ribeiro, silvia@etcgroup.org cell & SMS +52 1 55 2653 3330; Nairobi
cell: +254 712 601 660
French interviews:
Molly Kane, molly@etcgroup.org cell & SMS: + 1-613-797 6421; Nairobi: + 254
712 600 644
Twitter – ETC Group will be putting out occasional updates on this news
story on Twitter using the hashtag #SYNTHIA -we encourage other to use the
same tag.
Join us on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Synthetic-Life/122842021072292
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