Science & Tech Spotlight: Synthetic Biology
Synthetic biology can change the genetic material in viruses, bacteria, yeasts, plants, or animals to give them useful new characteristics. For example, integrating spider DNA makes a silkworm produce super strong, ultra-lightweight silk. The technology could help address challenges in areas such as medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, and the environment. This Science & Tech Spotlight describes some of the benefits of synthetic biology and the challenges ahead. For example, while it could be used to engineer living cells that treat disease from within the body, it could also be used to make bioweapons.
Short title:
Science & Tech Spotlight: Synthetic Biology
Start date:
2023-04
End date:
2023-04
Homepage:
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106648
Project leader:
Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics team of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) (STAA)
Country:
United States of America
Publications:

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