Statement from J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., on the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues Report, 'New Directions: The Ethics of Synthetic Biology and Emerging Technologies'
"I and my team at the JCVI have been, since our earliest synthetic genomics experiments, focused on and concerned with the applications and advances in this research in tandem with the ethical and societal implications of our work. We have engaged in a dialogue since 1995 with a variety of public audiences including legislators, bioethicists, non-governmental groups, and the general public. We believe that the new report from the Commission is very positive for this field and we look forward to continuing to work with the Commission and all those engaged in the work of reviewing and assessing this field. The JCVI is committed to advancing this field for the benefit of society."
For more information and background information on the synthetic genomics policy and scientific research at JCVI please go to:
http://www.jcvi.org/cms/research/projects/first-self-replicating-synthetic-bacterial-cell/overview/
SOURCE J. Craig Venter Institute