In the statement, the organization states that practitioners of engineering biology should:

• Seek to create products or processes that benefit people, society, or the environment
• Consider and weigh the benefits of research against potential harms
• Incorporate equity and justice in the selection and implementation of engineering biology education, research, development, policy, and commercialization
• Seek to openly distribute the results of early-stage research and development
• Protect the rights of individuals associated with engineering biology, including the freedom of inquiry of researchers and the free and informed consent of research participants
• Support open communication between engineering biology researchers and the stakeholders who might be affected by research, development, and the deployment of new technologies

In the paper, the authors call on members of the scientific community to practice the principles in the statement and help build consensus around ethical issues in the field.

EBRC is a nonprofit, public-private partnership dedicated to bringing together an inclusive community committed to advancing engineering biology to address national and global needs.