Journal of Biological Engineering

unofficial impact factor 2.66

Open Access Letters to the Editor

Four suggestions for addressing public concern regarding synthetic biology

Alex D Hatch

Author Affiliations

Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, 4105 Old Main Hill, Engr. Bldg. Rm. 402 Logan, UT 84322-4105, USA

Journal of Biological Engineering 2010, 4:7 doi:10.1186/1754-1611-4-7

Published: 9 June 2010

Abstract

The following essay was written by Mr. Alex Hatch, a junior undergraduate student majoring in Biological Engineering at Utah State University. Mr. Hatch submitted a 1000-1200 word essay to the 5th Annual Bioethics Contest sponsored by the Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE). A group of professionals in Biological Engineering assessed and ranked the essays in a blinded process. Five semi-finalists were invited to present their essays at a session at the annual meeting of IBE in Cambridge, MA on March 6, 2010. Five judges scored all the presentations and selected Mr. Hatch's contribution as the overall winner (first place).