Synthetic Biology: The Registry of Standard Biological Parts
Case details
- Resource system
- Synthetic biological components
- Resource units
- DNA and RNA
- Location
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
Location map
Description
The Registry of Standard Biological Parts is maintained by the International Genetic Engineering Machine (iGEM) Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Registry contains genetic information in the form of synthetically created deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences, protein, promoters, and other parts with various biological functions. The shared resources relevant to the commons dilemma faced by the community include the parts in the registry and their accessibility (common-pool). The action situation involves thousands of individuals from synthetic biology groups from around the world. There is a heterogeneous mix of natural and human-made infrastructures.
The case is an addition to the original Common-Pool Resource (CPR) database. David Gillum at Arizona State University entered this CPR report in 2015.
Institutional analysis
Institutional analysis document
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Coded institutional data
No coded case data available.
System representation
Resource system
Information (in the form of synthetic DNA and other standardized biological parts)
Resource users
High school students, undergraduate students, and graduate students participating in the International Genetic Engineering Machine (iGEM) Giant Jamboree; individuals interested in synthetic biology and the iGEM Registry of Standard Biological Parts
Public infrastructure
Research funding (public or private), tax credits, laboratory space, information and communication systems, satellite, and transportation infrastructures
Public infrastructure providers
Federal government agencies responsible for funding (Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health) and regulation (Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration); private infrastructure providers include resource-user-organized, voluntary initiatives, and funding ventures
Relationship 1
(none specified)Relationship 2
Private property rights and rules governing synthetic biology and technology transfer agreements.
Relationship 3
(none specified)Relationship 4
The Biobricks Foundation has developed a contract for people to share synthetically created biological parts. Also, federally funded synthetic biology research projects examine research products and patent applications.
Relationship 5
Federal regulatory oversight agencies (e.g., U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Environmental Protection Agency, and Food and Drug Administration
Relationship 6
Federal research grants; small business innovation research grants, technology transfer programs
Exogenous drivers (7) - Resource
(none specified)Exogenous drivers (7) - Infrastructure
(none specified)Exogenous drivers (8) - Users
(none specified)Exogenous drivers (8) - Providers
(none specified)Human infrastructure (users)
(none specified)Human infrastructure (providers)
(none specified)Sources
Contributors
- Ute Brady, Arizona State University
- David Gillum, Arizona State University
Bibliography
- (2015). Synthetic Biology: The Registry of Standard Biological Parts. ESS 591.