The president’s bioethics commission has concluded that there is no need to temporarily halt research or to impose new regulations on the controversial new field known as synthetic biology.

In a report issued Thursday, the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues said that at present the technology  which involves creating novel organisms through the synthesis and manipulation of DNA  poses few risks because it is still in its infancy.

The commission recommended self-regulation by synthetic biologists. It also said the president’s office should better coordinate government agencies that oversee different aspects of the field.

“The commission thinks it imprudent either to declare a moratorium on synthetic biology until all risks can be determined and mitigated, or to simply ‘let science rip,’ regardless of the likely risks,” the report says. “The commission instead proposes a middle ground  an ongoing system of prudent vigilance that carefully monitors, identifies and mitigates potential and realized harms over time.”