Is genetic modification a form of biomimicry?
Genetic modification is a form of using biology – what we call “bio-assisted” – rather than learning from it. In bio-assisted processes we domesticate the producer. In biomimicry, we emulate the producer. For example, in biomimicry you would study the spider’s “manufacturing process” for silk and then figure out how to emulate that process. So biomimicry is about learning the recipe of the spider’s brilliant creation, rather than combining spider and goat genes to make some sort of super silk. In addition, there is still a lot to learn about “unintended consequences” of genetic modification. It is still a relatively young science, and despite how wide-spread its reaches are today, we should be cautious with how we use it. David Suzuki, a well known geneticist, wrote this piece (PDF) that you might find interesting.
