Adrian Villalba
Adrián Villalba Felipe (Mataró, 1993) is a Spanish biochemist, bioethicist, and science communicator, known for his work on metabolism and the ethics of emerging reproductive technologies.
Synthetic DNA and bioethics
Villalba is known for his pioneering work at the intersection of synthetic DNA technologies and bioethical analysis, especially concerning assisted reproduction. Synthetic DNA (synDNA) refers to DNA molecules that are chemically manufactured rather than derived from living organisms, enabling unprecedented precision, programmability, and scalability in genetic design. He is leading an international team of philosophers and scientists from different European countries exploring the ethical, regulatory, and societal implications of synthetic genomic tools.
Villalba’s publications on synthetic DNA explore both the philosophical questions raised by this technology and its possible influence on assisted reproduction.[1][2]. His work examines the ethical and conceptual status of DNA that is produced through chemical synthesis and how this form of genetic material reshapes ideas about relatedness, identity and biological parenthood. At the same time he studies how synthetic DNA could alter current reproductive practices, including embryo testing[3], the creation of gametes in the laboratory[4] and the future possibility of writing entire genomes. His papers highlight potential medical advantages together with the risks linked to unequal access, inappropriate use and the new expectations that might fall on parents and clinicians. Villalba argues that synthetic DNA opens the way to forms of biological design that existing ethical frameworks do not yet address in a complete manner and that a careful reflection on responsibility, autonomy and long term social effects is required.
Books
Adrian Villalba is also the author of several popular science books written in Spanish and Catalan, which have had notable impact.
- Madre no hay más que una (2018)[5].
- Atrapats! Un escape room al món dels fàrmacs[6] (2021).
- GENES (coordinator and writer, 2021)[7].
- Explorando la Medicina del Futuro (2023)[8].
- Embriología Humana (with Daniel Pellicer, 2025)[9]
References
- ↑ Villalba, Adrian; Smajdor, Anna; Brassington, Iain; Cutas, Daniela (2024-11-20). "The ethics of synthetic DNA". Journal of Medical Ethics: jme–2024–110124. doi:10.1136/jme-2024-110124. ISSN 0306-6800.
- ↑ Villalba, Adrian; Brassington, Iain; Smajdor, Anna; Cutas, Daniela (2025-05-07). "Synthetic DNA and mitochondrial donation: no need for donor eggs?". Journal of Medical Ethics: jme–2024–110122. doi:10.1136/jme-2024-110122. ISSN 0306-6800.
- ↑ Villalba, Adrian; Smajdor, Anna; Brassington, Iain; Cutas, Daniela (2025-09). "Non-viable embryos created with synthetic DNA". Trends in Biotechnology. 43 (9): 2093–2095. doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.02.021. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ Villalba, Adrian; Räsänen, Joona (2025-10). "Synthetic gametes and the non-identity problem: the babies of tomorrow". Trends in Genetics. 41 (10): 845–848. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2025.08.004. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ Villalba Felipe, Adrián (2018). Madre no hay más que una (in español). Corona Borealis. ISBN 978-8494815270. Search this book on
- ↑ Villalba Felipe, Adrian. "onadaedicions.com". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Villalba Felipe, Adrián (2021). GENES (3rd ed.). Almuzara. ISBN 978-84-17547-62-2. Search this book on
- ↑ Villalba Felipe, Adrián (2023). Explorando la medicina del futuro (in español). Spain: Editorial Almuzara. ISBN https://www.amazon.es/Explorando-medicina-del-futuro-Divulgaci%C3%B3n/dp/841941414X Check
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- ↑ Villalba Felipe, Adrián (2025). Embriología Humana (in español). Spain: Editorial Pinolia. ISBN https://almuzaralibros.com/fichalibro.php?libro=10636&edi=9 Check
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