Last year, President Barack Obama established a new bioethics commission to replace the one President George W. Bush created in 2001. Obama designed the commission with the mission of understanding the implications of the ever-growing field of synthetic biology. To meet this goal, he filled the commission with leaders of academic institutions and other advocates of medical research. He asked that they consult with experts in fields ranging from the scientific and medical to the faith-based and business-related before coming to any conclusions.
Although Bush’s commission was likewise filled with academic leaders, it was often criticized for taking a philosophical focus and failing to consider the analysis of facts before entering into discussions. And Bush’s commission was not unique in the way of bioethics commissions. In existence since 1974, these commissions have tended to employ a team of biologists and ethicists in order to develop the official philosophy of the Presidential administration at the time. They discussed the ethics of cloning or conducting research on humans.
But Obama’s commission seems to be a different sub-species of the same animal. At the first meeting last week, the group heard from experts in biotechnology about scientists’ recent success in creating a cell with synthetic genetics. After the facts were introduced, the commission raised various questions. Such as, what are the possible negative effects?
When public opinion on the issue was questioned, the discussion remained intellectual and analytical, never deteriorating into political arguments. The direction of the discussion last week indicates that this commission will maintain an objective focus, ultimately giving the commission the potential to truly benefit medicine without being hindered by ulterior motives.
