An interesting article on the impact of the field of Synthetic Biology on open access to research. The opportunities for commercial exploitation of living systems that are made possible by Synthetic Biology have lead to concerns about whether research results generated in the field will be available to the scientific community at large or to the general public. There are also concerns about possible negative uses of such research.

Definition of Synthetic Biology

‘Synthetic biology is the engineering of biology: the synthesis of complex, biologically based (or inspired) systems, which display functions that do not exist in nature. This engineering perspective may be applied at all levels of the hierarchy of biological structures—from individual molecules to whole cells, tissues and organisms. In essence, synthetic biology will enable the design of ‘biological systems' in a rational and systematic way'