"[Solomon] presents a policy framework for self-regulation of the promising new field of synthetic biology . . . The volume begins with background chapters on scientific explanations of the origins of life, the chemical basis for life as revealed by molecular biology, and recent research on reading the genetic code and sequencing the human genome."
—Book News Inc.
Synthetic biology, the modification of artificial genetic code, is the future of medicine. Creating organs in the lab, developing disease-fighting proteins, and creating life-changing pharmaceutical applications are all examples of this new technology. Arguing for self-regulation by the scientific and business communities, Lewis D. Solomon recommends a policy framework that would guard against governmental overregulation, which could create a barrier to innovation. Although synthetic biotechnology holds considerable social and economic potential, absent a nurturing regulatory climate, it may prove difficult to translate research discoveries into commercially viable applications.
