Statement from J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., on the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues Report, "New Directions: The Ethics of Synthetic Biology and Emerging Technologies"

"The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) commends the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues (Commission) for their extensive work that resulted in their report on the ethical and societal issues raised by synthetic biology and genomics. We believe that the Commission's report is comprehensive and that their recommendations are wise, warranted and restrained which will help to ensure that this young field of research will flourish in a positive manner.

I and my team at the JCVI have been, since our earliest synthetic genomics experiments, focused on and concerned with the applications and advances in this research in tandem with the ethical and societal implications of our work. We have engaged in a dialogue since 1995 with a variety of public audiences including legislators, bioethicists, non-governmental groups, and the general public. We believe that the new report from the Commission is very positive for this field and we look forward to continuing to work with the Commission and all those engaged in the work of reviewing and assessing this field. The JCVI is committed to advancing this field for the benefit of society."

For more information and background information on the synthetic genomics policy and scientific research at JCVI please go to:

http://www.weizhongli-lab.org/cms/research/projects/first-self-replicating-synthetic-bacterial-cell/overview/