The nature of proper functions in the products of synthetic biology
Abstract This work analyzes the nature of the functions of bioartifacts engineered by synthetic biology following Ruth Millikan's notion of proper function. Synthetic biology is an emergent discipline whose main aim is the rational design of novel biological functions. The notion of proper function is focused on a paradigmatic bioartifact of synthetic biology: Mycobacterium mycoides JCVI-syn1.0, a replica of a natural microrganism enabled by chemical synthesis. Two synthetic biology methodological strategies for the design of novel functions are contrasted to discuss the nature of proper functions: directed evolution and de novo design. Due to their double origin, the different parts composing bioartifacts of synthetic biology have both direct and derived proper functions. Even with the use of sophisticated technical tools for the rational design of new functions in living systems, bioartifacts engineered from synthetic biology keep a register of natural history and its direct proper functions. The construction of organisms with functions based only on a rational design and beyond the limits imposed by biological evolution does not seem to be possible yet.
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Vermaas, Pieter y Houkes, Wybo (2006). Technical functions: a drawbridge between the intentional and structural natures of technical artefacts. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 37, 5–18.
Wang, Yajie, Xue, Pu, Cao, Mingfen, Yu, Tianhao, Lane, Stephan, Zaho Huimin (2021). Directed Evolution: Methodologies and Applications. Chemical Reviews, 121, 12384–12444.
Wright, Larry (1973). Functions. The Philosophical Review, 82(2), 139–168.
Chiarabelli Cristiano, Stano, Pasquale y Luisi, Pier Luigi (2009). Chemical approaches to synthetic biology. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 20, 492-497.
Cuevas Badallo, Ana (2016). Los bioartefactos: viejas realidades que plantean nuevos problemas en la adscripción funcional. En Jorge Enrique Linares y Elena Arriaga (coords.), Aproximaciones interdisciplinarias a la bioartefactualidad. México: UNAM, pp. 23-54.
Cuevas Badallo, Ana y Vermaas, Pieter (2010). A functional abc for biotechnology and the dissemination of its progeny. Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 42, 261-269.
Cummins, Robert (1975). Functional Analysis. The Journal of Philosophy, 72(20), 741-765. Doi: 10.2307/2024640.
Cummins, Robert (2002). Neo-Teleology. En André Ariew, Robert Cummins y Mark Perlman (eds.). Functions: New assays in the philosophy of psychology and biology. Oxford: OUP, pp 157-172.
Dougherty, Michael y Arnold, Frances (2009). Directed evolution: new parts and optimized function. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 20, 486–491.
Endy, Drew (2005). Foundations for engineering biology. Nature, 438, 449–453.
Gibson, Daniel G., Glass, John, Lartigue, Carole, Noskov, Vladimir, Chuang, Ray, Algire, Mikkel, Benders, Gwynedd, Venter, John Craig (2010). Creation of a bacterial cell controlled by a chemically synthesized genome. Science, 329, 52–56.
Green, Jerry (2016). The rise and future of glyphosate and glyphosate-resistant crops. Pest Managment Science, 2018, 1035–1039.
Hilpinen, Risto (1992). On artifacts and works of art. Theoria, 93, 58–82.
Holm, Sune (2013). Organism and artifact: Proper functions in Paley organisms. Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 44, 706–713.
Huang, Po-Ssu, Boyken, Scott, Baker, David (2016). The coming of age of de novo protein design. Nature, 537, 321–327.
Hutchison III, Clyde A., Chuang, Ray-Yuan, Noskov, Vladimir N., Assad-Garcia, Nacyra, Venter, John Craig (2016). Design and synthesis of a minimal bacterial genome. Science, 351(6280), aad6253-1-aad6253-11.
Kroes, Peter y Meijers, Anthonie (2006). The dual nature of technical artefacts. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 37, 1–4.
Lee, Keekok (2005). Philosophy and revolutions in genetics: Deep science and deep technology. Basingstoke: Palgrave McMillan.
Lewens, Tim (2004). Organisms and Artifacts. Design in Nature and Elsewhere. A Bradford Book. London:The MIT Press.
Lewens, Tim (2013). From bricolage to BioBricksTM: Synthetic biology and rational design. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 44(4B), 641–648.
Longy, Francoise (2009). How biological, cultural and intented functions combine. En Ulrich Krohs y Peter Kroes (eds.), Functions in biological and artificial worlds. London: MIT Press, pp. 51–67.
Millikan, Ruth G. (1984). Language, thought, and other biological categories. Cambridge: MIT Press, reprinted (2001).
Millikan, Ruth G. (1989). In Defense of Proper Functions. Philosophy of Science, 56(2), 288–302.
Paley, William (1802). Natural Theology: Or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity Collected From the Appearances of Nature. London: reprinted Farnborough, G. (1970).
Parente, Diego (2014). El estatuto de los bioartefactos. Intencionalismo, reproductivismo y naturaleza. Revista de Filosofía, 39(1), 163–185.
Powell, Kendall (2018). Biology from the scratch. Nature, 563, 172–175.
Preston, Beth (2013). A philosophy of material culture. Action, function, and mind. New York: Routledge.
Ro, Dae-Kyun, Paradise, Eric M., Ouellet, Mario, Fisher, Karl J., Newman, Karyn L., Keasling, Jay D. (2006). Production of the antimalarial drug precursor artemisinic acid in engineered yeast. Nature, 440, 940–943.
Schyfter, Pablo (2015). Function by Agreement. Social Epistemology, 29(2), 185–206.
Schyfter, Pablo (2021). Knowing Use: An Analysis of Epistemic Functionality in Synthetic Biology. Social Epistemology, 35(5), 475–489.
Sperber, Dan (2007). Seedless grapes: nature and culture. En Eric Margolis y Stephen Laurence (eds.). Creations of the mind. Theories of artifacts and their representation. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 124–137.
Thomasson, Amie L. (2003). Realism and Human Kinds. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 67, 580–609.
Vermaas, Pieter y Houkes, Wybo (2006). Technical functions: a drawbridge between the intentional and structural natures of technical artefacts. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 37, 5–18.
Wang, Yajie, Xue, Pu, Cao, Mingfen, Yu, Tianhao, Lane, Stephan, Zaho Huimin (2021). Directed Evolution: Methodologies and Applications. Chemical Reviews, 121, 12384–12444.
Wright, Larry (1973). Functions. The Philosophical Review, 82(2), 139–168.
Goldraij, A. (2024). The nature of proper functions in the products of synthetic biology
. ArtefaCToS. Revista De Estudios Sobre La Ciencia Y La tecnología, 13(2), 131–152. https://doi.org/10.14201/art2024.32057
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