A Systematic Review of the Criminogenic Potential of Synthetic Biology and Routes to Future Crime Prevention.

ABSTRACT: Synthetic biology has the potential to positively transform society in many application areas, including medicine. In common with all revolutionary new technologies, synthetic biology can also enable crime. Like cybercrime, that emerged following the advent of the internet, biocrime can have a significant effect on society, but may also impact on peoples' health. For example, the scale of harm caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic illustrates the potential impact of future biocrime and highlights the need for prevention strategies. Systematic evidence quantifying the crime opportunities posed by synthetic biology has to date been very limited. Here, we systematically reviewed forms of crime that could be facilitated by synthetic biology with a view to informing their prevention. A total of 794

SUBMITTER: Elgabry M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7573185 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature