The Synthetic Approach in Biology: Epistemic Notes for Synthetic Biology

Abstract

This chapter is an attempt to provide a framework of epistemology to the growing field of synthetic biology (SB). It is preliminarily argued that there are two kinds of SB, one (bioengineering SB) clearly and purposely directed towards one goal set from the start and the other kind being more concerned with basic science and responding to the basic question, “why this and not that?” They need to be considered separately from the point of view of epistemology.

Some basic notions are necessary for this enterprise. One is the clarification between teleology and teleonomy in the synthetic enterprises of nature and mankind; another one is the clarification of the apparent dichotomy between reductionism and emergentism. Preliminarily, one needs an operational definition of life, and the vision given here, based on system biology and autopoiesis in particular, is one in which life is seen as a dynamic integration of parts, which have all to interact with each other in order to give rise to an emergent whole – which is life. Within this framework, SB appears at first sight as reductionism, as most of its operations are based on assembly of bio-bricks, and “cut and paste” of genomic parts, seen often like the components of an electronic circuit. However, the necessary condition to arrive at a novel form of life (the goal of SB) is the integration of parts in the complete unity, which corresponds to life as an emergent property. Emergentism is then the real basis of SB, although the researchers in the field are not always conscious of that. It is also argued that emergence is somewhat linked to bioethical problems, as novel, unexpected and in principle harmful properties may arise from the genetic manipulations. This point is discussed, emphasizing that in general epistemic considerations should be brought more and more to the attention of students as integrant part of their understanding of life sciences.