Synthetic biology and biodiversity. Future Brief 15

Synthetic biology is an emerging field and industry, with a growing number of applications in the pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural and energy sectors. It may propose solutions to some of the greatest environmental challenges, such as climate change and scarcity of clean water, but the introduction of novel, synthetic organisms may also pose a high risk for natural ecosystems. This Future Brief outlines the benefits, risks and techniques of these new technologies, and examines some of the ethical and safety issues.