Descrizione del progetto
Quando diritto e governance incontrano la biologia
La biologia sintetica non è più fantascienza: questo nuovo settore interdisciplinare, infatti, compie rapidi progressi e i regolamenti correlati non tengono il passo. Il progetto SynBioGov, finanziato dall’UE, svilupperà un nuovo quadro di governance nell’ambito della biologia sintetica con l’obiettivo di garantire che l’innovazione equa e responsabile risponda a sfide globali quali l’agricoltura sostenibile e la tutela dell’ambiente. Il quadro si baserà su una valutazione dello stato attuale del diritto e della governance internazionali e sfrutterà anche un esame dei quadri teorici esistenti tanto sulla gestione del rischio quanto sulla ricerca e l’innovazione responsabili, includendo approcci di genere. Inoltre, il progetto istituirà una tipologia di attori coinvolti concentrandosi sul modo in cui prevedono la normativa, in particolare in ambito agricolo.
Obiettivo
Synthetic biology aims to exercise control in the design, characterization and construction of living organisms and biological parts. No longer the domain of science fiction literature, it has progressed by leaps and bounds in recent years, accompanied by great promises and grave risks. Law and governance lag behind. Lab experimentation and field trials take place in a legal vacuum. On top of companies and research institutes, a vibrant do-it-yourself community is engaged in research, claiming to democratize innovation. Global deliberations on the environmental and socio-economic impacts have only recently begun under the auspices of UN multilateral environmental agreements, and policy-relevant academic analysis is urgently needed. Based on my academic record in international environmental law and governance of novel technologies and my empirical knowledge of intergovernmental negotiations, complemented by training in socio-legal methodologies during the fellowship, I will develop a new integrative framework for the governance of synthetic biology. It will be built upon: a) an assessment of the current state of international law and governance, including an analysis of regulatory gaps and novel normative challenges; b) an examination of existing theoretical frameworks on risk management and responsible research and innovation, including gendered approaches to risk that have been understudied to date; and c) a typology of actors involved in synthetic biology research, including an analysis of who does what, why, and how they envisage regulation, with a particular focus on gene editing in agriculture. Aiming at improving accountability and enhancing legitimacy, both of law and governance and of the innovation process, this framework will not only bridge gaps in scholarly efforts but will also facilitate decision making, ensuring that synthetic biology applications promote the global objectives of food security, sustainable agriculture and environmental protection.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinatore
38122 Trento
Italia