The expanding possibilities of synthetic biology have made headlines in recent weeks \u2014 including reports that researchers at Stanford University have used artificial intelligence to design new kinds of viruses.<\/p>\n
GSEJ Director Professor Joy Y. Zhang joined BBC Radio 4\u2019s Inside Science<\/em>,<\/a> alongside microbiologist Dr Simon Clarke of the University of Reading and presenter Roland Pease, to discuss whether we should be concerned about AI-designed viruses and how society should respond as AI changes the speed and scope of biological research.<\/p>\n The questions raised in that conversation have since been echoed in a wider examination of synthetic biology published in The Lancet<\/em><\/strong>. From constructing increasingly life-like synthetic cells to efforts to synthesise human genomes, the piece asks what rapidly expanding capabilities in synthetic biology could mean for health \u2014 and for society.<\/p>\n Professor Zhang, who was interviewed for the Lancet<\/em> piece<\/a>, argued that while these areas of research are scientifically distinct, they raise overlapping questions about how emerging technologies should be governed. Different countries have different priorities and governing capacities, making the speed and scope of research important considerations in assessing what is safe and acceptable.<\/p>\n Crucially, this means looking beyond biosecurity alone. Governance should not simply restrict potentially harmful conduct; it can also help steer scientific enquiry towards societal benefit. That requires asking not only what could go wrong, but what emerging technologies should be used for, whose priorities they serve, and what questions people want research to ask.<\/p>\n Listen to Professor Joy Zhang on BBC Radio 4\u2019s <\/strong>Inside Science <\/strong><\/em>here<\/strong><\/a>, and read <\/strong>The Lancet<\/strong><\/em>\u2019s \u2018Creating the building blocks of life\u2019 here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"