数据、信息与生命--文特尔生命观研究

Data,Information and Life:Research on Venter's View of Life

人类对“生命是什么”的探索从未停止,而合成生物学正在成为认知与改造生命的重要方式之一,同时深刻地改变着人类的生命观。以活力论与还原论争论作为历史背景,通过系统地回顾和分析“人造生命之父”克雷格·文特尔开展合成基因组实验、染色体移植实验、合成细胞实验的过程与内容,探讨文特尔“生命是一个信息系统”生命观的内涵并且明确文特尔合成生物学成就的科学意义与社会价值,并以此为案例解读合成生物学中涉及的生物安全和生命伦理问题。

The quest for"what is life"has never stopped,and one of the most important ways to recognize and transform life is synthetic biology,which is profoundly changing the human life view.Based on the historical background of the debate between vitality and reductionism,through a systematic review and analysis of the process and contents of Venter's synthetic genome experiment,chromosome transplantation experiment and synthetic cell experiment,this paper explores the connotation of the concept of life as an information system.The authors analyze the scientific significance and social value of Venter's synthetic biology achievements,taking it as a case study to explain the biosafety and bioethical issues involved in synthetic biology.