Apparently, making and re-engineering DNA in the privacy of your very own lab, which may well be in your garage at home, is becoming a thing, according to a recent New York Times piece. The implications of such unmonitored tinkering are potentially huge. The story includes mention of a recent journal article describing the recreation of an extinct relative of smallpox, “without a glance from law enforcement officials.” The Times article points out that federally funded projects undergo strict scrutiny (hello, IRB and other review boards!), but “more than half of the nation’s scientific research and development is funded by nongovernmental sources,” which may not be subject to the same level of oversight. Also, technological capabilities evolve much faster than regulations do, so regulators have to try to make new projects fit into outdated regulatory frameworks, the article notes.
Please click on the above links to be awed, and maybe a little horrified, at some of the things people dream up.