Editorial: A call for ethical regulation of Genetically Created Organisms (GCOs) beyond GMOs

摘要

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and living modified organisms (LMOs) have been and still are at the heart of public discussion about safety versus benefits. With rapid advances in the field of synthetic biology this discussion is becoming even hotter. Craig Venter and colleagues reported the 'synthesis' of an artificial genome-transplanted bacterium [1]. Even though this 'creation' is just a copy of naturally existing sequences, this biological breakthrough triggers discussions on ethics and safety of synthetic organisms.