Taking risk seriously: a comprehensive approach to ethical risk analysis in synthetic biology

Abstract

Identifying the potential risks and benefits of new and emerging technologies requires a comprehensive approach. However, conventional risk assessment approaches often overlook the social, ethical, and political implications of new scientific research and technology. To address the shortcomings of these approaches to risk we offer a framework—the supplemented ethical risk analysis (eRA-S)—that enables a values-pluralistic, inclusive, and iterative approach to risk assessment. To demonstrate the utility of the eRA-S, we apply it to a hypothetical case study of synthetic biology research aimed at remediating an environmental pollutant. This application reveals the merit of the eRA-S as a productive tool for holistically identifying risks by considering a wide range of interests and values.