Biosafety and biosecurity: treading China's synbio tightrope

Yi Lou; Xianming Tang; Lijuan Liao; Zixin Deng; Jiangtao Gao

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.10.014

Biosafety and biosecurity: treading China's synbio tightrope

Trends Biotechnol. 2024 Apr;42(4):389-392. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.10.014. Epub 2023 Nov 11.

Authors

Yi Lou¹, Xianming Tang¹, Lijuan Liao¹, Zixin Deng², Jiangtao Gao³

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Laboratory on Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China. Electronic address: jgaotao@gmail.com.

PMID: 37957090
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.10.014

Abstract

Our second piece dissects China's intricate balancing act in synthetic biology (synbio), analyzing its adept maneuvering between fostering innovation and imposing strict regulations. The priority is enhancing biosecurity, biosafety, and public trust, crucial for sustainable gene editing advancements and preventing potential misuse of synthetic viruses.

Keywords: balance; biosafety; biosecurity; gene editing; regulatory; viruses misuse.

MeSH terms

Biosecurity*
China
Containment of Biohazards*
Gene Editing
Synthetic Biology