Responsible Innovation for Synthetic Biology

Gregory Watson

Abstract

This review examines responsible innovation for synthetic biology. The organizing question is how scientific opportunity, biosafety, biosecurity, public values, and distributional questions can be governed together. Ten related scholarly sources are synthesized through a decision-centered framework spanning problem definition, mechanism, measurement, evaluation, implementation, and governance. The review does not invent experiments, pooled estimates, or unreported quantitative results. It instead evaluates the strength and transferability of the available evidence, with particular attention to treating compliance checklists as substitutes for anticipatory and participatory governance. The resulting framework links technical or empirical performance to explicit use conditions and identifies tests that should precede wider adoption in research and translation in synthetic biology.

Keywords

synthetic biologyresponsible innovationgovernanceethicsbiosecurity

References

Li, J., Zhao, H., Zheng, L., & An, W. (2021). Advances in Synthetic Biology and Biosafety Governance. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9, 598087. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2021.598087 DOI
Macnaghten, P., Owen, R., & Jackson, R. (2016). Synthetic biology and the prospects for responsible innovation. Essays in Biochemistry, 60(4), 347-355. https://doi.org/10.1042/ebc20160048 DOI
Ribeiro, B., & Shapira, P. (2018). Anticipating governance challenges in synthetic biology: Insights from biosynthetic menthol. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 139, 311-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.11.020 DOI
Stemerding, D., Betten, W., Rerimassie, V., Robaey, Z., & Kupper, F. (2018). Future making and responsible governance of innovation in synthetic biology. Futures, 109, 213-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2018.11.005 DOI
Stirling, A., Hayes, K. R., & Delborne, J. (2018). Towards inclusive social appraisal: risk, participation and democracy in governance of synthetic biology. BMC Proceedings, 12(S8), 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-018-0111-3 DOI
Sun, T., Song, J., Wang, M., Zhao, C., & Zhang, W. (2022). Challenges and recent progress in the governance of biosecurity risks in the era of synthetic biology. Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity, 4(1), 59-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2022.02.002 DOI
Taylor, K., & Woods, S. (2020). Reflections on the practice of Responsible (Research and) Innovation in synthetic biology. New Genetics and Society, 39(2), 127-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/14636778.2019.1709431 DOI
Trump, B. D. (2017). Synthetic biology regulation and governance: Lessons from TAPIC for the United States, European Union, and Singapore. Health Policy, 121(11), 1139-1146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2017.07.010 DOI
Wallach, W., Saner, M., & Marchant, G. (2018). Beyond Cost‐Benefit Analysis in the Governance of Synthetic Biology. The Hastings Center Report, 48(S1), S70-S77. https://doi.org/10.1002/hast.822 DOI
Wang, F., & Zhang, W. (2019). Synthetic biology: Recent progress, biosafety and biosecurity concerns, and possible solutions. Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity, 1(1), 22-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2018.12.003 DOI

Publication details

Journal: Convergence in Science and Society
Volume: 1 (2026)
Article number: css20260005
License: CC BY 4.0

[1] Li, J., Zhao, H., Zheng, L., & An, W. (2021). Advances in Synthetic Biology and Biosafety Governance. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9, 598087. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2021.598087 DOI

[2] Macnaghten, P., Owen, R., & Jackson, R. (2016). Synthetic biology and the prospects for responsible innovation. Essays in Biochemistry, 60(4), 347-355. https://doi.org/10.1042/ebc20160048 DOI

[3] Ribeiro, B., & Shapira, P. (2018). Anticipating governance challenges in synthetic biology: Insights from biosynthetic menthol. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 139, 311-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.11.020 DOI

[4] Stemerding, D., Betten, W., Rerimassie, V., Robaey, Z., & Kupper, F. (2018). Future making and responsible governance of innovation in synthetic biology. Futures, 109, 213-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2018.11.005 DOI

[5] Stirling, A., Hayes, K. R., & Delborne, J. (2018). Towards inclusive social appraisal: risk, participation and democracy in governance of synthetic biology. BMC Proceedings, 12(S8), 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-018-0111-3 DOI

[6] Sun, T., Song, J., Wang, M., Zhao, C., & Zhang, W. (2022). Challenges and recent progress in the governance of biosecurity risks in the era of synthetic biology. Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity, 4(1), 59-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2022.02.002 DOI

[7] Taylor, K., & Woods, S. (2020). Reflections on the practice of Responsible (Research and) Innovation in synthetic biology. New Genetics and Society, 39(2), 127-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/14636778.2019.1709431 DOI

[8] Trump, B. D. (2017). Synthetic biology regulation and governance: Lessons from TAPIC for the United States, European Union, and Singapore. Health Policy, 121(11), 1139-1146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2017.07.010 DOI

[9] Wallach, W., Saner, M., & Marchant, G. (2018). Beyond Cost‐Benefit Analysis in the Governance of Synthetic Biology. The Hastings Center Report, 48(S1), S70-S77. https://doi.org/10.1002/hast.822 DOI

[10] Wang, F., & Zhang, W. (2019). Synthetic biology: Recent progress, biosafety and biosecurity concerns, and possible solutions. Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity, 1(1), 22-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2018.12.003 DOI