Bioethics

Human beings have as their main tool in the evolution the need to understand the world through science. However, our behavior suggests that we are always dealing with the rising of new myths and points of view, often opposing to the new, particularly around innovative technologies. Thus, the highlighting on synthetic biology is present this simple and efficient alternative to the problems of society, raising questions and doubts about the safety of this technique.

One of the problems that synthetic biology has been trying to solve is the use of Mercury. The risks of mercury and high toxicity, both to the environment and to humans, are well known in society. We use many products that have this element as an essential component, so its containment into the environment is a challenge for humanity. Our project aims to minimize the effects of this metal in the ecosystem. However, new questions arise, such as: Which bacteria will be used? How the genes used would impact the environment? How to handle mercury in laboratory guaranteeing no health risk to the academic community and the society surrrounding us?

With all these variables in mind, we began to study possible bacteria to be manipulated. Escherichia coli was chosen for being a bacterium widely studied and described in the literature and also provide minimum health human risk, since they are not pathogenic. The regulated promoter mercury is the primary dispersion control genes comprising the Mer operon, since the bacteria have high chances of losing the plasmid when its mercury-free medium and antibiotics, this demands for maintaining plasmids excessive expenditure of energy, which there is no advantage to the cell that is in a medium without the odds quoted.

Our constructions were made aiming at the good functioning of the biosystem, the integrity of the environment and the safety of all directly or indirectly connected with the project. A laboratory for the safe handling of mercury was mounted, and a whole study on how to dispose of it safely was developed and implemented (Safety).

There will always be doubts about the safety of any new technology, and genetic engineering and biotechnology are certainly no exception. One reason for this concern is the fact that it is virtually impossible to prove that something is entirely secure about every condition imaginable. In instance, the importance of these discussions is immeasurable both to guide these new techniques as limiting them in order to protect the ecosystem. It was and still is a concern of UFAM_Brazil 2014 to ensure that the environment and all beings inserted do not suffer adverse consequences from the techniques used in this experiment.