Humans have been modifying the characteristics of plants and animals for thousands of years by breeding species together to promote certain traits and reduce others. The discovery of the DNA structure in 1953, followed by the invention of DNA recombinant technology two decades later, paved the way for the powerful potential to manipulate genes directly – in such a way that the “nature” of an organism can be precisely altered in a single generation.
In the last several decades, researchers have been able to work directly with DNA to genetically engineer changes in cells, leading to advances such as the ability to mass-produce safe and affordable insulin for diabetics. These advances in our understanding of the basic building blocks of life, combined with a concurrent explosion in enabling technologies, have allowed researchers to come tantalizingly close to being able to “design” new organisms and, in effect, create life.
The IOM’s Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop March 14 and 15, 2011, to explore the scientific and policy dimensions of recent developments in synthetic and systems biology. The workshop explored how these tools and approaches can be applied to new infectious disease diagnostic platforms, new drug discovery, and targeted vaccine therapies.
Participants discussed how these advanced technologies have the potential to improve understanding of infectious microbes and the mechanisms by which they cause disease; the applications of these tools and approaches for disease detection and diagnostic platforms; and the development of new therapeutics, vaccines, and other infectious disease intervention technologies.
Released: November 23, 2011. Authors:Eileen R. Choffnes, David A. Relman, and Leslie Pray, Rapporteurs; Forum on Microbial Threats; Institute of Medicine Type: Workshop Summary.Topics:Diseases, Global Health, Public Health. Activity: Forum on Microbial Threats. Board: Board on Global Health
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