Synthetic Biology and Morality: Artificial Life and the Bounds of Nature [Book Review]

The book is a collection of nine essays that are grouped categorically into three sections: ???The Human Relationship to Nature,??? ???The Value of Synthetic Organisms,??? and ???Values and Public Policy.??? The editors have both worked as investigators on research projects focused on synthetic biology. They have included an introduction on the topic of synthetic biology and therein provided an overview of the included essays. The rapid advancement of gene sequencing and synthesis technology has fostered the development of a new field of inquiry called synthetic biology. The field aims to build or create new living organisms either from raw materials or from materials borrowed from other organisms. Although arguably only a short step away from the techniques already practiced in molecular biology, there is something about synthetic biology that strikes a cord of concern in most individuals.