Catchy title, eh? It sort of sounds like an off-broadway play, one across the street from Urinetown. But it is an actual science, something that I am interested in for a variety of reasons. First, I should probably explain what it is, since I think most of us non-scientist types aren't experts in such things. Synthetic biology (synbio) takes existing biological matter (say a cell) and modifies its DNA so that it produces something other than what it naturally produces or it performs a new function. For example, one scientist modified the bacteria E. Coli so that it produces a malaria medication. Obviously synbio can be used then to produce things that benefit humankind, with some proponents looking at creating new sources of energy and cancer cures. But other scientists (notably Freeman Dyson), especially those who trust human thinking, see synbio as enabling us to genetically create our children, or to create new plants as an artistic act and even to clone animals (ala Jurassic Park). Obviously, there are a many fun issues to think about with synbio.
One is the idea of "playing God." This critique is quite common in many Christian circles, and suggests that humans shouldn't modify any biological organism as either creation is as God intended it (and to modify it is then to go against God's intentions) or human suffering is deserved because of sin. I find both ideas problematic. The first denies any element of human freedom and creativity. If our reality is fixed, then nothing we do could alter or change God's divine plan for creation. Our use of human capacities (i.e. to think, to love, to imagine, to create) would already be predetermined, and we would have no part in shaping creation's future for good or ill (which we have, per scientific consensus, through the production of greenhouse gases). I don't believe God would have created us with such gifts (all of which relate to the image of God) if we would have no role in shaping our future. Plus, we create from created material; we aren't God, a being who created something from nothing. We create from creation using the creative gifts God gave us, to at least partially shape our future within the frame that God gave us through the pattern of creation itself.
The second ignores the very reason for God's redemptive act in Christ. God's promise to creation is revealed in Christ, making God interested and concerned with human suffering. So using our God given gifts allows us to be part of God's act of redemption for creation in Christ.
The question then, at least as I frame it, is how we rightly see and use our gifts, including synbio. On the first part, of seeing, though we can create, our creations are always limited, especially in terms of what they can do. Only God can truly end human suffering and redeem creation, so to expect to end suffering or cure disease is a misguided, idealistic desire. It is to see human capacity as too free and too powerful. Plus, part of human suffering is a spiritual suffering, not just a physical suffering. Yes, there is a relationship between body and spirit, but true peace is rest, as Augustine pointed out, and rest is not possible when life is constant change and movement. Only when one is at rest, does the end of suffering occur.
So then to rightly use synbio is to see it as an aspect of human creativity, but a limited one. We can use it to better the physical world, to strive to end disease and create alternative food and energy sources. These are noble goals, elements of loving and serving the neighbor. But to see synbio as the solution to our problems (of dis-ease, of want and need, of earthly imperfection), is to deny being finite, changing, a human. Like most technological advances, say nuclear technology, there are positive (reliable energy) and negative elements (terrific destructive power), and synbio is no different. Further, to use synbio to play (i.e. make a world full of dinosaurs) or focus on profit, wealth or honor is also to misuse such human creativity. Our world is messy enough, full of hardships and misery. Using synbio for entertainment is to avoid our obligation to use our gifts for the greater good. I mean, don't we have enough entertainment options already? They are even remaking Superman for the nth time!
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