The Joint Genome Institute's Synthetic Biology Internal Review Process

Serious concerns have been raised over the possible intentional use of synthetic biology approaches to engineer pathogenic organisms as well as the possible accidental environmental release of genetically engineered organisms. Scientists pursuing synthetic biology research must diligently consider issues such as these. As such, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) has developed a Synthetic Biology Internal Review process to assess, beyond technical and scientific merit, certain broader aspects (e.g. environmental, biocontainment, biosafety, or biosecurity) of the research proposals associated with the JGI’s DNA synthesis program.