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DNA synthesis and biological security

Nature Biotechnology volume 25, pages 627–629 (2007)Cite this article

A group of academics, industry executives and security experts propose an oversight framework to address concerns over the security of research involving commercial DNA synthesis.

DNA synthesis allows the direct construction of genetic material starting from information and raw chemicals1. Improvements in synthesis technology are accelerating innovation across many areas of research, from the development of renewable energy to the production of fine chemicals, from information processing to environmental monitoring, and from agricultural productivity to breakthroughs in human health and medicine. Like any powerful technology, DNA synthesis has the potential to be purposefully misapplied. Misuse of DNA-synthesis technology could give rise to both known and unforeseeable threats to our biological safety and security. Current government oversight of the DNA-synthesis industry falls short of addressing this unfortunate reality.

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Figure 1: Our framework calls for the immediate and systematic implementation of a tiered DNA synthesis order screening process.

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Acknowledgements

The article expresses the opinions of the individual authors and does not necessarily reflect US government policy. We thank colleagues serving on the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, other government agencies and the organizers and participants in a project supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for sharing information and perspectives that directly inform our Commentary.

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Author notes

  1. Hans Bügl, John P. Danner, Robert J. Molinari, John T. Mulligan, David A. Roth & Ralf Wagner are members of the International Consortium for Polynucleotide Synthesis; Hans Bügl and Ralf Wagner are at GENEART; John P. Danner, George Church & Drew Endy are at Codon Devices; Robert J. Molinari & David A. Roth are at CODA Genomics; John T. Mulligan is at Blue Heron Biotechnology; Han-Oh Park is at Bioneer; Bas Reichert is at BaseClear B.V.; Ralf Wagner is at the University of Regensburg Molecular Virology & Gene Therapy Unit, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene; Bruce Budowle, Robert M. Scripp, Jenifer A. L.Smith & Scott J. Steele are at the US FBI; George Church is in the Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Drew Endy is in the Department of Biological Engineering, MIT; George Church & Drew Endy are at the multi-institution US National Science Foundation Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center. endy@mit.edu

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  1. Hans Bügl
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  2. John P Danner
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  3. Robert J Molinari
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  6. Bas Reichert
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  7. David A Roth
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  8. Ralf Wagner
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  13. George Church
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  14. Drew Endy
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Competing interests

H.B., R.W., GENEART; J.P.D., G.C., D.E., Codon Devices; J.M., Blue Heron Biotechnologies; R.M., D.R., CODA Genomics; H.-O. P., Bioneer; B.R., BaseClear.

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Bügl, H., Danner, J., Molinari, R. et al. DNA synthesis and biological security. Nat Biotechnol 25, 627–629 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0607-627

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