• Will the microbe perform precisely as intended ?
• Will it remain stable generation after generation ?
• Will it mutate once in the wild ?
Studies confirm that synthetic microbes often undergo mutations , including large-scale DNA deletions and gene loss leading to loss of function ( Sleight , 2010 ; Hosseini , 2018 ). But that is just the beginning of the list of critical unknowns .
Microorganisms travel . The world did not need a pandemic to understand how microbes and viruses can cross borders and rapidly encircle the globe . How will synthetic organisms impact the enormous variety of natural microbes they encounter ? A recent study estimates that there are one trillion microbial species on the planet ( Locey , 2016 ). Despite their small size , their role is far from trivial . Microbes such as bacteria , viruses , fungi , and algae ,
... the process of genetic engineering can cause massive collateral damage throughout the genome .
together make up the all-important microbiome , inspiring awe in this generation of scientists .
The foundational role of the microbiome on the health of ecosystems and humans cannot be overstated . More than 50,000 studies in the past five years , for example , demonstrate that the diversity and composition of organisms that live inside the human body dictate its state of health or disease . Slight changes can alter lives for better or worse ( Stein , 2012 ). The soil microbiome is similarly critical for ecosystem health and the nutritional qualities of food ( Ochoa-Hueso , 2017 ).
Scientists know considerably more about plant and animal interactions and yet often underestimate the negative impacts of introducing alien flora or fauna to isolated ecosystems ( Blackburn , 2019 ). How will the still mysterious microbiome react when a synthetic life form enters its midst ? And then mutates ?
Invasive Species : Britain ’ s Definition
An invasive non-native species is any nonnative animal or plant that has the ability to spread causing damage to the environment , the economy , our health and the way we live ”. ‘ Non-native species ’ is elaborated as follows : “ The term ‘ non-native species ’ is … the equivalent of ‘ alien species ’ as used by the Convention on Biological Diversity ( CBD ). It refers to a species , subspecies or lower taxon , introduced ( i . e . by human action ) outside its natural past or present distribution ; includes any part , gametes , seeds , eggs , or propagules of such species that might survive and subsequently reproduce ” [ 11 ].
NNSS , Definition of Terms . 2017 , London : Non-native Species Secretariat ( NNSS ).