When Synthia, a human-made cell, was created in 2010, invoked a global debate on ethics related to synthetic biology. Opponents criticized the work as destroying people's basic beliefs about _____________ and charging that the spread of artificial organisms into nature may cause environmental and health disasters. U.S. President Barack Obama also expressed concerns about this research and asked the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to review the synthetic-biology field and identify appropriate ethical boundaries to ensure that Americans reap the benefits of synthetic biology and to minimize identified risks.