Jane Metcalfe, cofounder of NEO.LIFE, hosts the panel of Antonio Regalado, Josiah Zayner, and George Church at the Hello Tomorrow Summit in Paris, France in March of 2019. Read about the people behind The Human Game.
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Experts wrestle with today’s tough biotechnology questions at third Arizona Biosecurity Workshop
Dianne Price
Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University
December 20, 2018
Given the enormous attention recently trained on a Chinese scientist who performed a gene-editing experiment on human twins, interest in scientific protocol, responsibility and biosecurity is at an all-time high. Attendance at the third annual Arizona Biosecurity Workshop, held at Arizona State University on Dec. 13 and 14, was certainly evidence of the fierce current debate.
At the event, the biggest questions revolved around the threats, opportunities and responsibilities tied to emerging technologies that have the potential to change human life and the environment dramatically. The conference engaged more than 200 representatives from academia, government, law enforcement, emergency response, industry and the interested public.
How do we predict and prepare for a future of rogue biological technology?
When do we contain knowledge? When do we share?
Who gets to decide what’s right and what’s wrong?
Fundamentally, the most important question among the biosecurity professionals at the conference was how to keep people safe.