1) ON SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY:
"Extreme Genetic Engineering – An Introduction to Synthetic Biology", (2007), ETC Group.ETC Group Information Posters on Synthetic Biology
- The Story of Synthia - Craig Venter's Plan to Build a Synthetic Organism
- The Men & Money Behind Synthia
- Syndustry - A Snapshot of the Emerging Synthetic Biology Industry
all available from http://www.etcgroup.org
"Constructing Life - Early Social Reflections on the Emerging Field of Synthetic Biology," (2007) Huib De Vriend, The Hague : Rathenau Institute.
"Synthetic Genomics - Options for Governance" (2007), The J. Craig Venter Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology & Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"Post Note 298 on Synthetic Biology" (2008) UK Parliamentary Office on Science and Technology (POST).
"Genome Synthesis and Design Futures: Implications for the U.S. Economy" . (2007) Bio- Era report commissioned by US Department of Energy,
Note: Free pdf available if you register.
VIDEOS
Jim Thomas (ETC Group) debates Drew Endy (MIT) on Synthetic Biology at Rathenau Institute, Netherlands.
http://www.rathenau.nl/showpage.asp?steID=1&item=2492Interviews on social concerns about synthetic Biology by the EU's Synbiosafe project - click on different 'experts' on the right hand side.
http://www.synbiosafe.eu/index.php?page=expert-interviewsEdge interview with Professor Drew Endy.
http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/endy08/endy08_index.html
AUDIO
Futures in Biotech Interview with Drew Endy on Synthetic Biology.
http://twit.tv/fib8Talk by Dr Craig Venter - Joining 3.5 billion years of Microbial Invention.
2) ON "SECOND GENERATION" AGROFUELS:
"The Last Straw - A new generation of biofuels turns out to be another environmental disaster" George Monbiot, The Guardian (UK) 12th February 2008.
"Peak Soil: Why Cellulosic ethanol and other Biofuels are Not Sustainable and are a Threat to America 's National Security" Alice Friedemann (April 2007)
The Real Cost of Agrofuels - Food, forest and the climate - Report by Global Forest Coalition. See page 61 on Synthetic Biology.
"Agrofuels - Towards a reality check in nine key areas" - Report by alliance of 11 civil society groups. See Chapter 3 on Synthetic Biology.
ETC Group, "Peak Soil + Peak Oil = Peak Spoils," November/December 2007 -- gives examples of corporate alliances for 1st and 2nd+ generation agrofuels and a little intro to one possible route for producing synbio hydrocarbon fuel.
3) ON THE BIO-ECONOMY:
"Laying the foundations for a bio-economy" - Rob Carlson, Systems and Synthetic Biology Journal (feb 2008).
http://www.bio-economy.net/
A website run by the Biotechnology Industries Organisation (BIO)
4) CONTACT DETAILS FOR JIM THOMAS AND DARRIN QUALMAN
Jim Thomas
Programme Manager
ETC Group (Montreal).
5961 Rue Jeanne Mance,
Montreal, Quebec.
Canada H2V 4K9.Phone +1 514 6674932
email: jim@etcgroup.org
web: http://www.etcgroup.org
blog: http://www.etcblog.org
Darrin Qualman
Director of Research
National Farmers Union of Canada.
2717 Wentz Avenue,
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Canada, S7K 4B6.Phone: +1 306 6529465
email: qualman@nfu.ca
web: http://www.nfu.ca/
