Protein engineering: security implications

The rapid pace of research in the life sciences is generating a vast amount of new knowledge that has beneficial applications in industry, agriculture and medicine but could, in some cases, be misused for warfare and terrorism. This dilemma has not escaped the attention of security experts and politicians, who worry that infectious microorganisms could be genetically modified so as to increase their pathogenicity, or that lethal viruses could be synthesized in the laboratory from their DNA sequence data. Another often overlooked area of molecular biology with a potential for misuse is protein engineering, or the design and synthesis of tailor‐made proteins for industrial or therapeutic applications (see sidebar). Of particular concern is the possibility that protein engineering could enhance the lethality and stability of known protein toxins or create entirely new ‘designer’ toxins. This article assesses the security risks that are associated with protein engineering and explores some ways of minimizing them. Protein‐engineering techniques Proteins play many roles in cellular physiology, serving as structural building blocks, catalysing biochemical reactions, performing regulatory functions and, in combination with other proteins, self‐assembling into complex molecular machines, such as the contractile fibres that are involved in cell motility or the channels that control ion flow across cell membranes. Protein engineering, which first emerged in the early 1980s, involves the use of chemical or genetic techniques to modify the structure of a protein, thereby increasing its stability or altering its physiological function or activity (Ulmer, 1983). The goal is to enhance the usefulness of proteins for commercial or medical applications, such as heat‐stable enzymes for use in laundry detergents and industrial processes, as well as new materials, biosensors, vaccines and therapeutic drugs. Another line of research aims to modify the substrate specificity of enzymes or enhance their catalytic efficiency. Protein engineering relies on the …