Summary of Synthetic Biology

The chapters attached talk about the dilemma of synthetic biology. Many people believe
that the ability to manipulate life only exists through imagination; however, this is becoming a
reality thanks to synthetic biology. It is alleged that the researchers will soon be able to program
the cells to produce biofuel or to detect the presence of toxins in a given environment. The
chapter talks about the five hard truths of synthetic biology. Synthetic Biology refers to a
growing an innovative field that combines biology and engineering. The primary goal of
synthetic biologists is to build a biological system from the ground. It is an interdisciplinary
enterprise of biologists with different specialties namely computer scientists, physicists, and
engineers. It explores how living things exist and examines their capacity to reproduce for the
environment, public health, and medicine. The synthetic biological systems that are built by the
scientists help them in gaining the right knowledge on how the different physiological systems
operate in isolation.
There has been a massive breakthrough in genetics which has presented the world with
different solutions and problems. The other chapter on the case of perfections highlights some of
breakthrough and problems that biotechnology has presented to the world. The great promise
that genetics provides is that humans will be able to manage and find the right cure of the
diseases that man has been battling with since time immemorial. However, some of the
challenges that are being presented by genetics are that the new found technology may well be
the Waterloo of man as it may lead to various manipulations that may not be desirable. Human
beings over a long period have aligned themselves to different political and religious affiliations
which involves their thoughts and understanding. There is thus the moral issue with the use and
practice of genetics especially from the individuals who associate with religion.

SUMMARY OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 3
The author talks about the articulation of the uneasiness that emanates from
bioengineering. He points out to the case of the cloned sheep in 1997 that attracted a global
criticism and praise on the significant scientific breakthrough. Even in the scientific field, some
scientists believe that the cloning of human beings will lead to offspring that have severe
congenital disabilities and abnormalities. The cloning of human beings versus the natural
pregnancy has been discussed on this write-up. One of the reasons that are being given by those
who are against cloning is that it denies the child the right to autonomy. It is said that by opting
for clowning, whereby the parents select the genetic makeup of the child that they prefer, the
parent designates their child to a particular individual who had existed before. The children that
are obtained from this method are said not to be completely free as the favorable enhancement
may be against their rights to select and decide what they want to do with their lives.
It talks about genetic engineering which is typically referred to as genetic manipulation or
modification that relates to the act of manipulating the genes of an organism by using
biotechnology. The ideal examples of bioengineering that are already in use namely the sex
selection, height enhancement, memory enhancement, and muscle enhancement have been
discussed in this excerpt. It explains how bioengineering is being applied in the four example
highlighted above. For sex selection, for example, parents have been struggling to get children of
a particular gender for years. This is however not the case of late thanks to bioengineering as
various methods have been fronted to make the individuals make the desired gender of children
that they wish to have.