The ethics of synthetic DNA
(2024) In Journal of Medical Ethics- Abstract
- In this paper, we discuss the ethical concerns that may arise from the synthesis of human DNA. To date, only small stretches of DNA have been constructed, but the prospect of generating human genomes is becoming feasible. At the same time, the significance of genes for identity, health and reproduction is coming under increased scrutiny. We examine the implications of DNA synthesis and its impact on debates over the relationship with our DNA and the ownership of our genes, its potential to disrupt common understandings of reproduction and privacy, and the way in which synthetic DNA challenges traditional associations between genes and identity. We explore the degree to which synthetic DNA may further undermine overgeneticised accounts of... (More)
- In this paper, we discuss the ethical concerns that may arise from the synthesis of human DNA. To date, only small stretches of DNA have been constructed, but the prospect of generating human genomes is becoming feasible. At the same time, the significance of genes for identity, health and reproduction is coming under increased scrutiny. We examine the implications of DNA synthesis and its impact on debates over the relationship with our DNA and the ownership of our genes, its potential to disrupt common understandings of reproduction and privacy, and the way in which synthetic DNA challenges traditional associations between genes and identity. We explore the degree to which synthetic DNA may further undermine overgeneticised accounts of identity, health, reproduction, parenthood and privacy that are prevalent in the public domain and in some areas of policy-making. While avoiding making normative claims of our own, we conclude that there is a need for reflection on the ethical implications of these developing technologies before they are on us. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/8e801006-a697-4c01-966b-4c751d1f99e0
- author
- Villalba, Adrian ; Smajdor, Anna ; Brassington, Iain and Cutas, Daniela LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-11-20
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- keywords
- synthetic DNA, identity, privacy, reproduction, reproductive ethics
- in
- Journal of Medical Ethics
- publisher
- BMJ Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:39567177
- scopus:85214653120
- ISSN
- 1473-4257
- DOI
- 10.1136/jme-2024-110124
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8e801006-a697-4c01-966b-4c751d1f99e0
- date added to LUP
- 2024-11-21 10:19:06
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 14:51:28
@article{8e801006-a697-4c01-966b-4c751d1f99e0,
abstract = {{In this paper, we discuss the ethical concerns that may arise from the synthesis of human DNA. To date, only small stretches of DNA have been constructed, but the prospect of generating human genomes is becoming feasible. At the same time, the significance of genes for identity, health and reproduction is coming under increased scrutiny. We examine the implications of DNA synthesis and its impact on debates over the relationship with our DNA and the ownership of our genes, its potential to disrupt common understandings of reproduction and privacy, and the way in which synthetic DNA challenges traditional associations between genes and identity. We explore the degree to which synthetic DNA may further undermine overgeneticised accounts of identity, health, reproduction, parenthood and privacy that are prevalent in the public domain and in some areas of policy-making. While avoiding making normative claims of our own, we conclude that there is a need for reflection on the ethical implications of these developing technologies before they are on us.}},
author = {{Villalba, Adrian and Smajdor, Anna and Brassington, Iain and Cutas, Daniela}},
issn = {{1473-4257}},
keywords = {{synthetic DNA; identity; privacy; reproduction; reproductive ethics}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{11}},
publisher = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
series = {{Journal of Medical Ethics}},
title = {{The ethics of synthetic DNA}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jme-2024-110124}},
doi = {{10.1136/jme-2024-110124}},
year = {{2024}},
}