FRAGMENT: The report of the construction of an infectious horsepox virus from synthesized DNA by Noyce, Lederman, and Evans [1] raised considerable concerns about whether this study will facilitate the construction of smallpox virus (variola) using synthetic biology [2–5]. This is a valid concern, but for a number of reasons—as explained below—no major change concerning the likelihood of a “resurrection” of smallpox emerges from this publication. Having said this, it is also evident that the scientific community, politicians, decision makers, and the lay public have to continue, and probably intensify, a discussion on benefits and risks of synthetic biology in a broader sense.
REFERENCE:
Thiel V. Synthetic viruses-Anything new? PLoS Pathog. 2018 Oct4;
14(10):e1007019. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007019. eCollection 2018 Oct.
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