Biotech advancements are saving lives and changing the world. From COVID-19 to CAR treatments for cancerous cells. These technologies are behind the plant-based burgers that “bleed” biological enzymes in detergents that remove the stains, and then direct consumers to the genetic testing ancestry service.
As the pace of biotechnology advances accelerates, the need to establish and implement governance norms is essential. The new regulations should not be either too restricting (i.e. excluding useful techniques) nor overly broad (i.e. prohibiting activities that involve viruses, even if the goal is to prevent the development of terrorist threats).
Biotechnology advancements in agriculture can dramatically increase the quantity and quality of food by introducing genetically engineered crops that are able to resist diseases as well as insects and adapt to environmental stresses. However, negative environmental effects are likely to arise as well.
Biotechnology has also opened up new opportunities for criminals as well as hostile countries to create pathogens which could be used to intentionally infect people, or adversely impact the supply chain for agricultural products. There are numerous precedents that have been established across the the original source globe, including lab accidents, the deliberate release living organisms and biological weapons.
While significant research and regulatory efforts are in the works however there is much to be done. These include establishing an international, scientifically-based organization to research and assess these risks, as well as developing more robust risk assessment tools to assess the risks associated with these new technologies. This includes incorporating the most recent advances in artificial intelligence which is making progress in a number of sectors and helping to streamline processes such as drug discovery.