Editing Biosafety (section)

==In synthetic biology==
A complete understanding of experimental risks associated with synthetic biology is helping to enforce the knowledge and effectiveness of biosafety.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Serrano|first=Luis|title=Molecular Systems Biology|url=http://www.nature.com/msb/journal/v3/n1/full/msb4100202.html|journal=Nature|access-date=2013-12-03|archive-date=2013-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513074756/http://www.nature.com/msb/journal/v3/n1/full/msb4100202.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
With the potential future creation of man-made unicellular organisms, some are beginning to consider the effect that these organisms will have on biomass already present. Scientists estimate that within the next few decades, organism design will be sophisticated enough to accomplish tasks such as creating biofuels and lowering the levels of harmful substances in the atmosphere.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Collins|first=James|title=Synthetic Biology: Bits and pieces come to life|journal=Nature|volume=483|issue=7387|pages=S8–S10|doi=10.1038/483S8a|pmid=22378128|year=2012|bibcode=2012Natur.483S...8C|s2cid=5072168|doi-access=free}}</ref> Scientist that favor the development of synthetic biology claim that the use of biosafety mechanisms such as [[suicide gene]]s and nutrient dependencies will ensure the organisms cannot survive outside of the lab setting in which they were originally created.<ref>{{cite web|title=First Self-Replicating Synthetic Bacterial Cell|url=http://www.jcvi.org/cms/research/projects/first-self-replicating-synthetic-bacterial-cell/faq/#q8|publisher=J. Craig Venter Institute|access-date=12 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531182030/http://www.jcvi.org/cms/research/projects/first-self-replicating-synthetic-bacterial-cell/faq#q8|archive-date=2012-05-31|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Organizations like the [[ETC Group (AGETC)|ETC Group]] argue that regulations should control the creation of organisms that could potentially harm existing life. They also argue that the development of these organisms will simply shift the consumption of petroleum to the utilization of biomass in order to create energy.<ref>{{cite news|last=Silvia Ribeiro|first=Ribeiro|title=News Release: Biofuels, Bioenergy and Biochar: False Solutions Lead to Land-Grabbing|url=http://www.etcgroup.org/en/node/5243|access-date=12 April 2012|date=December 3, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501211305/http://www.etcgroup.org/en/node/5243|archive-date=1 May 2012}}</ref> These organisms can harm existing life by affecting the prey/predator food chain, reproduction between species, as well as competition against other species (species at risk, or act as an invasive species).
[[Synthetic vaccine]]s are now being produced in the lab. These have caused a lot of excitement in the [[pharmaceutical industry]] as they will be cheaper to produce, allow quicker production, as well as enhance the knowledge of [[virology]] and [[immunology]].