A recent spate of news stories and opinion pieces by opponents of synthetic biology has renewed attention on the safety of a scientific process by which helpful microorganisms are being engineered to do everything from treating malaria to producing biofuels that can replace gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. To ensure that the public is fully informed about the synthetic biology research now under way at Berkeley Lab, including the fact that the Lab meets or exceeds all state and federal safety standards, a Lab-wide working group has been formed. Go here for more about synthetic biology and the Lab’s safety approach. Contact [email protected] for questions, concerns, or suggestions.