FYI, the US presidential bioethics commission just released its report
on synthetic biology:
http://bioethics.gov/documents/synthetic-biology/PCSBI-Synthetic-Biology-Report-12-16-10.pdf
http://bioethics.gov/documents/synthetic-biology/PCSBI-Synthetic-Biology-Report-Press-Release-12.16.10.pdf
http://bioethics.gov/documents/synthetic-biology/PCSBI-Synthetic-Biology-FAQ.pdf
A few quotes from the press release:
"While the ‘Do-It-Yourself’ community has an important role to play in
advancing synthetic biology, we recognize that technical challenges
and costs are too high right now for a completely novel organism to be
developed in a non-institutional setting,” said Dr. James W. Wagner,
Commission Vice Chair and President of Emory University. “We strongly
support an open dialogue between DIY groups and the government as we
go forward so that scientists and government can discuss the research
constraints necessary to protect public safety as the field continues
to evolve.”
The Commission recommended the following steps in order to minimize
risks and to foster innovation:
[...]
• The Executive Office of the President should remain actively
engaged with “do it yourself” groups to communicate and discuss
applicable safety and security issues.
[...]
• Educational classes on the ethical dilemmas raised by synthetic
biology should be a mandatory part of training for young researchers,
engineers, and others who work in this emerging field.
• Forums should be established to improve the general public’s
understanding of this field, including the creation of a biology
equivalent to FactCheck.org, in which a private group would track
statements about the science and offer an independent view of the
truth of such claims.