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Published Aug 29, 2019

244: Rob Reid | Synthetic Biology for Medicine and Murder

Tech entrepreneur Rob Reid delves into the transformative world of synthetic biology, covering its revolutionary applications in medicine and environmental sustainability, while also highlighting the ethical and security challenges it presents. He underscores the dual-edged nature of genome editing and pathogen detection technologies, which can both protect and endanger humanity.
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  • Detection Potential

    The potential for advanced pathogen detection systems is immense. envisions a future where our phones could alert us to nearby pathogens, allowing us to take preventive measures instantly 1. This technology could revolutionize public health by crowd-sourcing data, similar to how weather apps like Dark Sky operate 2.

    If we make a priority of it as a society and we start devoting, you know, a certain percentage of the National Institute of Health R&D budget to pathogen detection, this is very, very important.

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    Such advancements could help us stay ahead of potential biological threats, making pathogen detection as ubiquitous as smoke detectors.

       

    Detection Network

    A network of pathogen detectors could serve as an early warning system against biological threats. suggests that these detectors could be as common as smoke alarms, constantly monitoring the air for dangerous pathogens 3. This would involve sequencing DNA and RNA fragments in real-time to identify potential threats.

    We could get to very, very sensitive, very smart, pathogen detectors that would probably be as ubiquitous as smoke detectors within a decade.

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    Such a network could significantly mitigate the risks posed by synthetic biology, providing a crucial layer of defense.

       

    Future Threats

    Technological advancements also bring new threats. highlights how future technologies could enable individuals to access lethal weapons far more easily than today 4. He draws parallels to past incidents involving planes and guns, emphasizing the potential for even more devastating tools in the future 5.

    What lethal weapons are average people going to be able to access 15, 20, 30 years from today that they can’t access right now?

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    This underscores the need for proactive measures to address these emerging threats before they become unmanageable.

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