Geoethics for Cryonic Revival Nanotech & BioNano Sleeves Martine Rothblatt 4th Workshop on...

Geoethics for Cryonic Revival Nanotech & BioNano Sleeves

Martine Rothblatt

4th Workshop on Geoethical Nanotechnology (GN4)

2008-July-20 martine4@gmail.com 2

Definition of Key Terms

Geoethics = Rules for managing the global risks of technology

Cryonic Revival Nanotech = Sub-cellular machines used to return a vitrified body to health

BioNano Sleeves = Bodies made of DNA-based and nanotech-based substrates

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Self-Replicating Nanotech Is Most Useful to Extended Life

Human

Body

Creates

50x106

Cells

Per

Second

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Very Similar Situation with Recombinant Biotechnology

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Huge Increase in Practicality By Permitting Self-Replication

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Apply Geoethical Rules of Recombinant DNA to Nano?

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The Asilomar Guidelines

• containment essential & must match the risk

• use of biological barriers to limit the spread e.g. host-specific & nonsurvivable

• physical containment, • good microbiological

practices & training• no cloning of

recombinant DNAs derived from highly pathogenic organisms, containing toxin genes, or making biohazards that could not be contained

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Matching the Risk

• Minimal and low risk– minimal if biohazards could be accurately assessed and were expected to be minimal.

– Low risk if novel biotypes but not• change ecological behavior of the recipient species,

• increase significantly its pathogenicity or

• prevent treatments of any resulting infections.

rDNA HGH

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Minimal Risk Containment

• Prokaryotes, bacteriophages and other plasmids, experiments could be performed in minimal risk containment facilities when the construction of recombinant DNA molecules and their propagation involved prokaryotic agents that were known to exchange genetic information naturally

• Additionally, purified DNA from any source that performed known functions and was judged to be non-toxic could be cloned with available vectors in low risk containment facilities

Bacteriophage T4 infecting an e. coli host

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Moderate and High Risk

– The moderate risk level of containment if significant potential for pathogenicity or ecological disruption.

– High-risk containment if a serious biohazard to laboratory personnel or to the public.

– DNAs of species that result in new metabolic pathways in species, use moderate or high-risk containment

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Asilomar Guidance Relevant to Cryo-Bio Nano

Unless the organism made a dangerous product, recombinant DNAs from cold-blooded vertebrates and all other lower eukaryotes could be constructed and propagated with the safest vector-host system available in low risk containment facilities.

Nano-neuron

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Cryo & Bio Self-Replicating Nanotech Are Like Asilomar Low-Risk Examples

• A mech analog of a rDNA• Not banned if not toxic,

which is illogical for cryo-bio• “Low-Risk” because novel

biotype but doesn’t change ecology or pathogenicity

• Not “Minimum Risk” because unnatural replication method

• Not “Moderate” or “High” Risk since not high potential for pathogenicity, ecological harm or biohazard

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So, What Geoethics Is Needed for Low Risk Self-Replicating Cryo-Bio Nanobot?

• Global Agreement That Risk Is Low– Scientific Meetings

• Global Sharing in Benefits– Commercial Endeavors

• 3rd Party Audit of Containment & Niche-Limitation Protocols– Same Facility

Certification as for rDNA

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Going Forward

• Cryonic Revival & Sleeve-Based Bio-Nanotech Falls Under rDNA Regime– Same Issues, – New Substrate

• Green Light to Go On with Experiments– Just Follow Asilomar

• We Can Geoethically Remake Ourselves!

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Just Make Sure Our Cryo-Bio Nanobots Don’t Fly!