Living Circuits and Biofoundries: Ethics and Care of Synthetic Biology with Emma Frow
Modem Futura Podcast
Episode 34, May 20, 2025
Also available on Spotify, YouTube, and anywhere good podcasts are available.
What does it really take to engineer life—and should we? In this wide-ranging conversation, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard sit down with ASU colleague Dr. Emma Frow to unpack the promise and perils of synthetic biology. Emma traces the field’s origins—from the early “DNA-as-code” dream of rational genetic design to today’s reality of brute-force experimentation and highly automated biofoundries—and explains why biology stubbornly resists plug-and-play engineering. The trio dive into the tensions between control vs. care, showing how metaphors borrowed from electronics can miss the messy, evolving nature of living systems. They discuss emerging industrial platforms that treat DNA as “wetware,” the rise of robotic labs running thousands of parallel experiments, and the moral weight of releasing engineered organisms into open ecosystems. Throughout, Emma argues for a practice-based ethic of “taking care of”—a continual, relational approach that surfaces hidden risks, centers responsibility, and invites broader publics into decision-making. Along the way they draw surprising parallels with AI development, explore the economics shaping biotech innovation, and imagine futures where microbes help recycle toxic waste—or accidentally reboot entire ecosystems. It’s a candid, thought-provoking tour of how we might cultivate more caring—and more resilient—biotechnology futures.
Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit – https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu
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