Synthetic Biology & Global Health: How to move beyond the promises/perils framing?

Claire Marris, King’s College London

A seminar co-organised by Centre for Bionetworking, STEPS Centre and Centre for Global Health Policy

In a speech announcing the UK’s “eight great technologies” in 2012, Chancellor George Osborne stated that “synthetic biology will heal us, heat [us] and feed us”. Against this articulation of synthetic biology’s promise, concerns are routinely raised around narrowly defined “potential risks” and “ethical issues”, but the main concern amongst institutions promoting synthetic biology seems to be that its grand destiny is in danger of being subverted by irrational public perceptions and fears.

In this seminar Claire Marris will discuss her efforts to try to shift discussions away from this ‘promises versus perils’ framing.

Dr Claire Marris is Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Social Science, Health and Medicine at King’s College London. She is deputy leader of SSHM’s Research Group Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals and Public Policy and leads SSHM’s research on the social dimensions of synbio.

For inquiries about this event email Dr Adrian Ely: [email protected]