Within the burgeoning field of synthetic biology, teams of biologists
and engineers are making great strides in understanding the cell and
its functioning. . . . However, there is more that should be discussed
than the triumphs. There are also the dark purposes to which science
(and synthetic biology in particular) can be put. Worries range from the
development of pathogenic bioweapons to the potential contamination
of native gene pools in our environment. The question is, are scientists
responsible for the potentially negative impacts of their wor