Biology Without Borders: Need for Collective Governance?

Abstract

“College students try to hack a gene – and set a science fair abuzz” (Swetlitz 2016); “Amateurs Are New Fear in Creating Mutant Virus”(Zimmer 2015); “DIY Gene Editing: Someone Is Going to Get Hurt” (Baumgaertner 2018); and “In Attics and Closets, Biohackers Discover Their Inner Frankenstein (Whalen 2009)”—these are the headlines the public reads in major publications like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and others about the increasing accessibility to biotechnologies. Read aloud; they sound like the opening trailers for horror movies. Have there been missteps? Stunts? Individuals that spark controversy? Of course. But pandemics? Environmental disasters? Of course not. What has occurred though, and the story that is rarely told, are the tens of thousands of students and everyday citizens that have been introduced to biology, biotechnology, and science more broadly, who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to explore it. As with any broad reaching loosely affiliated community, there will always be those pushing the boundaries and trying to steal the spotlight with hyperbole and stunts. And with the help of some in the press, have misbranded and misrepresented the entire community of citizens interested in biology. Unfortunately these stories overshadow the educational opportunities this community provides and dismisses the safety, security, ethical, and responsible innovation practices and programs they have established.