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Domínguez M, Peretó J, Porcar M. The rose and the name: the unresolved debate on biotechnological terms. Microb Biotechnol 2019; 13:305-310. [PMID: 31872971 PMCID: PMC7017807 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The largest survey on the perception of synthetic biology‐related disciplines (Porcar et al., 2019,EMBO Rep 20) recently revealed that the Spanish society does not have a very positive perception of the term synthetic biology. On the other hand, the terms biotechnology and even genetic engineering received relatively higher scores. The issue of nomenclature and perception is a classical one in science perception studies. Synthetic biologists have been debating their neologism (Synthetic Biology, from now on SB) for years. Even in a 2006 blog, Rob Carlson discussed the various labels for the new field, such as intentional biology, constructive biology, natural engineering, synthetic genomics and biological engineering. This diversity of names, along with the above mentioned negative public perception of the term synthetic biology, raises the question on whether the term itself is suitable or whether it could, in an extreme scenario, be replaced by another combining scientific consensus with public acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martí Domínguez
- Language Theory and Communication Sciences Department, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juli Peretó
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology I2SysBio (University of Valencia - CSIC), Paterna, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain.,Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence SL, Paterna, Spain
| | - Manuel Porcar
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology I2SysBio (University of Valencia - CSIC), Paterna, Spain.,Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence SL, Paterna, Spain
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Mariscal C, Barahona A, Aubert-Kato N, Aydinoglu AU, Bartlett S, Cárdenas ML, Chandru K, Cleland C, Cocanougher BT, Comfort N, Cornish-Bowden A, Deacon T, Froese T, Giovannelli D, Hernlund J, Hut P, Kimura J, Maurel MC, Merino N, Moreno A, Nakagawa M, Peretó J, Virgo N, Witkowski O, James Cleaves H. Hidden Concepts in the History and Philosophy of Origins-of-Life Studies: a Workshop Report. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2019; 49:111-145. [PMID: 31399826 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-019-09580-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we describe some of the central philosophical issues facing origins-of-life research and provide a targeted history of the developments that have led to the multidisciplinary field of origins-of-life studies. We outline these issues and developments to guide researchers and students from all fields. With respect to philosophy, we provide brief summaries of debates with respect to (1) definitions (or theories) of life, what life is and how research should be conducted in the absence of an accepted theory of life, (2) the distinctions between synthetic, historical, and universal projects in origins-of-life studies, issues with strategies for inferring the origins of life, such as (3) the nature of the first living entities (the "bottom up" approach) and (4) how to infer the nature of the last universal common ancestor (the "top down" approach), and (5) the status of origins of life as a science. Each of these debates influences the others. Although there are clusters of researchers that agree on some answers to these issues, each of these debates is still open. With respect to history, we outline several independent paths that have led to some of the approaches now prevalent in origins-of-life studies. These include one path from early views of life through the scientific revolutions brought about by Linnaeus (von Linn.), Wöhler, Miller, and others. In this approach, new theories, tools, and evidence guide new thoughts about the nature of life and its origin. We also describe another family of paths motivated by a" circularity" approach to life, which is guided by such thinkers as Maturana & Varela, Gánti, Rosen, and others. These views echo ideas developed by Kant and Aristotle, though they do so using modern science in ways that produce exciting avenues of investigation. By exploring the history of these ideas, we can see how many of the issues that currently interest us have been guided by the contexts in which the ideas were developed. The disciplinary backgrounds of each of these scholars has influenced the questions they sought to answer, the experiments they envisioned, and the kinds of data they collected. We conclude by encouraging scientists and scholars in the humanities and social sciences to explore ways in which they can interact to provide a deeper understanding of the conceptual assumptions, structure, and history of origins-of-life research. This may be useful to help frame future research agendas and bring awareness to the multifaceted issues facing this challenging scientific question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Mariscal
- Department of Philosophy, Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology (EECB) Program, and Integrative Neuroscience Program, University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Ana Barahona
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, School of Sciences, UNAM, 04510, CDMX, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Nathanael Aubert-Kato
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Department of Information Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Bunkyoku, Otsuka, 2-1-1, Tokyo, 112-0012, Japan
| | - Arsev Umur Aydinoglu
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Washington, DC, 20011, USA
- Science and Technology Policies Department, Middle East Technical University (METU), 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Stuart Bartlett
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | | | - Kuhan Chandru
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Space Science Centre (ANGKASA), Institute of Climate Change, Level 3, Research Complex, National University of Malaysia, 43600, UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technicka 5, 16628, Prague, 6, Dejvice, Czech Republic
| | - Carol Cleland
- Department of Philosophy, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Benjamin T Cocanougher
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Nathaniel Comfort
- Department of the History of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Terrence Deacon
- Department of Anthropology & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Tom Froese
- Institute for Applied Mathematics and Systems Research (IIMAS), National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
- Centre for the Sciences of Complexity (C3), National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA
- Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Rd, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- YHouse, Inc., NY, 10159, New York, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Cinthia, 80156, Naples, Italy
| | - John Hernlund
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
| | - Piet Hut
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA
| | - Jun Kimura
- Department of Earth and Space Science, Osaka University, Machikaneyama-Chou 1-1, Toyonaka City, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | | | - Nancy Merino
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, California, Los Angeles, 90089, USA
| | - Alvaro Moreno
- Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind and Society, University of the Basque Country, Avenida de Tolosa 70, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Mayuko Nakagawa
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
| | - Juli Peretó
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valéncia and Institute for Integrative Systems Biology I2SysBio (University of Valéncia-CSIC), València, Spain
| | - Nathaniel Virgo
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- European Centre for Living Technology, Venice, Italy
| | - Olaf Witkowski
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA
| | - H James Cleaves
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan.
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Washington, DC, 20011, USA.
- Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA.
- European Centre for Living Technology, Venice, Italy.
- Center for Chemical Evolution, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
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Porcar M, Peretó J. Creating life and the media: translations and echoes. LIFE SCIENCES, SOCIETY AND POLICY 2018; 14:19. [PMID: 30123943 PMCID: PMC6098992 DOI: 10.1186/s40504-018-0087-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology is the engineering view on biotechnology that ultimately aims at fulfilling the quest of building an artificial cell. From the very first attempts of synthesizing life, this subject has made an impact on the media through, very often, misleading headlines and news. We review here the historical journalistic approach on synthetic biology and related disciplines, from the early twentieth century to the lastest achievements on designing protocells or genome reduction. However, it would be very naive to consider the research community and the media to be unidirectionally linked, with the latter being mere displayers (and disrupters) of the research "reality". On the contrary, the research community has also received a strong influence from the media, as evidenced by statements from researchers, common metaphors and, even, a trend to unconsciously develop shared techno-social paradigms. We conclude that, beyond overstatements from researchers and journalists' misunderstandings, both communities provide strong feedback to each other and, together, contribute to define the dream that synthetic biologists are aiming for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Porcar
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology I2SysBio (UV-CSIC), Parc Científic de la Universitat de València, C. Catedràtic José Beltrán 2, 46980, Paterna, Spain.
- Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence SL, Paterna, Spain.
| | - Juli Peretó
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology I2SysBio (UV-CSIC), Parc Científic de la Universitat de València, C. Catedràtic José Beltrán 2, 46980, Paterna, Spain.
- Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence SL, Paterna, Spain.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.
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