The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues today came under fire for not being sufficiently wary of synthetic biology. In a report present to President Obama this week, the Commission says that no new federal regulations are needed but that the government should exercise “prudent vigilance”.

This optimism is deeply flawed, responded 58 environmental, public interest, and religious NGOs.  They called for strong federal oversight. In particular, the groups critiqued the recommendations for ignoring the precautionary principle, lacking adequate review of environmental risks, placing unwarranted faith in “suicide genes” and other technologies that provide no guarantee against the escape of synthetic organisms into the environment, and relying on industry “self regulation,” which is the equivalent of no independent oversight.

“We are disappointed that ‘business as usual’ has won out over precaution in the commission’s report,” said Eric Hoffman, biotechnology policy campaigner for Friends of the Earth. “Self-regulation equates to no regulation. These recommendations give industry a free pass, while failing to ensure that the environment and public health are protected. We need stronger, more transparent regulation for synthetic biology, not less.”

The Commission says that very few people lodged ethical objections to synthetic biology. “Current objections to synthetic biology on moral grounds are often based upon concerns regarding activities that the field is currently incapable of carrying out,” it declared. ~ Science Insider, Dec 16