The assurance timeline: Building assurance cases for synthetic biology

Myra B. Cohen, Justin Firestone, Massimiliano Pierobon

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent research advances in modifying and controlling DNA have created a booming field of biological engineering called synthetic biology. In synthetic biology engineers manipulate and modify living organisms to change (and produce entirely novel) functionality, which has led to new fuel sources or the ability to mitigate pollution. Synthetic biology research is also expected to lead to methods of intelligent drug delivery. In synthetic biology, designs are first built using biological programming languages and then implemented in a laboratory. These synthetic organisms can be considered living programs that will sense, respond and interact with humans while they persist in the natural environment. We argue that we should view these as safety critical devices which can be both regulated and certified. Since the synthetically engineered organisms follow a regular cycle of reproduction and replication that involves mutations, they will eventually adapt and evolve new behavior over time. In this paper we propose the use of an assurance case for synthetically engineered organisms, and present an orthogonal dimension, an assurance timeline, that can be used to reason about the dynamic, evolving aspects of these systems. We present a case study based on a real application to illustrate our ideas.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationComputer Safety, Reliability, and Security, SAFECOMP 2016 - Workshops ASSURE, DECSoS, SASSUR, and TIPS, Proceedings
EditorsJérémie Guiochet, Erwin Schoitsch, Friedemann Bitsch, Amund Skavhaug
PublisherSpringer Verlag
Pages75-86
Number of pages12
ISBN (Print)9783319454795
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016
EventInternational Conference on Computer Safety, Reliability, and Security, SAFECOMP 2016 and International Workshop on Assurance Cases for Software-Intensive Systems, ASSURE 2016, Workshop on Dependable Embedded and Cyber-physical Systems and Systems-of-Systems, DECSoS 2016, 5th International Workshop on Next Generation of System Assurance Approaches for Safety-Critical Systems, SASSUR 2016, and 1st International Workshop on the Timing Performance in Safety Engineering, TIPS 2016 - Trondheim, Norway
Duration: Sep 21 2016Sep 23 2016

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume9923 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Other

OtherInternational Conference on Computer Safety, Reliability, and Security, SAFECOMP 2016 and International Workshop on Assurance Cases for Software-Intensive Systems, ASSURE 2016, Workshop on Dependable Embedded and Cyber-physical Systems and Systems-of-Systems, DECSoS 2016, 5th International Workshop on Next Generation of System Assurance Approaches for Safety-Critical Systems, SASSUR 2016, and 1st International Workshop on the Timing Performance in Safety Engineering, TIPS 2016
Country/TerritoryNorway
CityTrondheim
Period9/21/169/23/16

Keywords

  • Assurance case
  • Evolution
  • Synthetic biology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Theoretical Computer Science
  • General Computer Science

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