Synthetic biology’s multiple dimensions of benefits and risks: implications for governance and policies

Synthetic biology (SB) does not constitute a strictly defined field, but may be best described as an engineering approach aimed at redesigning or newly constructing biology-derived parts, systems, and entire organisms. This approach can integrate different disciplines (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics) and ‘converging technologies’ (biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology); and knowledge derived from systems biology, whole-genome engineering, pathway engineering, mathematical modeling and computer-aided design, as well as the notion of interchangeable ‘biological parts’, are often seen as hallmarks of the SB idea (Lorenzo and Danchin 2008; NBT 2009; Way et al. 2014).