About the Panel

On September 24th, the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team at UVA hosted its first Synthetic Biology Night at OpenGrounds. The event opened with a discussion of the ethical issues related to synthetic biology by three field experts. Dr. Kozminski, a molecular biologist, provided scientific background on the field of synthetic biology and brought the scientist’s perspective to the discussion. Dr. Arras, a professor in the bioethics department and member of President Obama’s committee on bioethical issues, provided insight on ethical and religious groups’ perceptions of synthetic biology. Professor Bagley, of the UVA Law School, shed some light on the legal side of synthetic biology research, especially issues concerning the patenting of genes modified or created using synthetic biology methods. The panel was moderated by Cara Broshkevitch, a second year biomedical engineering student and member of the 2014 iGEM team at UVA. Panelists discussed a range of ethical topics from the environmental release of bacteria to the proper regulation of synthetic biology research. After the panel discussion, attendees had a chance to chat with the panelists one on one, and view posters submitted by local high schoolers for a competition entitled What Can Synthetic Biology Do for You?