Molecular Systems Engineering
Molecular Systems Engineering (MSE) is a rapidly emerging interdisciplinary field that reconfigures the boundaries of biology, chemistry, and engineering. It involves researchers not only developing new technologies but also actively shaping the field's very definition.
Some Key Questions:
Key ethical questions include how the process of defining MSE—through published definitions, biomimetic strategies, and shared metaphors—shapes the norms, values, and goals of the field. What are the implications of interdisciplinarity for responsibility, and how do narratives of societal relevance influence priority-setting in research? Ethical concerns also arise in relation to the role of artificial intelligence and autonomous experimentation in advancing MSE, particularly regarding accountability, transparency, and control. Our research examines how emerging technological ecosystems, such as those supported by initiatives like the NCCR MSE, are governed, and how ethical reflection can guide the responsible formation of new scientific domains.