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Guerrini CJ, McGuire AL. An Ethics Framework for Evaluating Ownership Practices in Biomedical Citizen Science. CITIZEN SCIENCE : THEORY AND PRACTICE 2022; 7:48. [PMID: 37275350 PMCID: PMC10237586 DOI: 10.5334/cstp.537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The collaborative nature of citizen science raises important questions about managing ownership of its research outputs. Potential citizen science research outputs include data sets, findings, publications, and discoveries of new ideas, methods, products, and technologies. Unlike citizen science projects conducted in other disciplines, biomedical citizen science projects often include features, such as contribution of personal health data, that might heighten citizen scientists' expectations that they will be able to access, control, or share in the benefits of project outputs. Here, we refer to moral claims of access, control, and benefit as ownership claims, and a project's management of ownership claims as its ownership practices. Ethical management of ownership is widely recognized as an important consideration for citizen science projects, and practitioners and scholars have described helpful recommendations for preempting issues and engaging stakeholders on practices. Building on this literature, we propose a framework to help biomedical citizen science projects systematically evaluate the ethical soundness of their ownership practices based on four considerations: reciprocal treatment, relative treatment, risk-benefit assessment, and reasonable expectations.
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Jansky B, Langstrup H. Device activism and material participation in healthcare: retracing forms of engagement in the #WeAreNotWaiting movement for open-source closed-loop systems in type 1 diabetes self-care. BIOSOCIETIES 2022; 18:1-25. [PMID: 35474758 PMCID: PMC9024066 DOI: 10.1057/s41292-022-00278-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The #WeAreNotWaiting movement is a global digital health phenomenon in which people with diabetes, mainly type 1 diabetes (T1D), engage in the development and usage of open-source closed-loop technology for the improvement of their "chronic living" (Wahlberg et al. 2021). The characteristics of a digitally enabled and technologically engaged global activist patient collective feed into existing narratives of user-led and open-source innovation. They also call for more exploration of what it actually means to be locally involved in this kind of technologically mediated and global form of patient engagement. Building on empirical research conducted in the German healthcare context, we explore the different forms of material participation encountered among a group of people with T1D (who describe themselves as loopers), who are engaged in the development and usage of this open-source technology. Introducing the concept of device activism, we retrace three different device-centered narratives that show how a globally shared concern and political participation through technology use varies with local practices. Hereby we stress that the engagement in the #WeAreNotWaiting movement is both shaped by and is shaping the matters of concerns: devices in, on, and with bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Jansky
- Ethics of Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Stenglinstraße 2, 86156 Augsburg, Germany
- Institute for Sociology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Henriette Langstrup
- Center for Medical Science and Technology Studies, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
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de Lange O, Youngflesh C, Ibarra A, Perez R, Kaplan M. Broadening Participation: 21st Century Opportunities for Amateurs in Biology Research. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:2294-2305. [PMID: 34427632 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The modern field of biology has its roots in the curiosity and skill of amateur researchers and has never been purely the domain of professionals. Today, professionals and amateurs contribute to biology research, working both together and independently. Well-targeted and holistic investment in amateur biology research could bring a range of benefits that, in addition to positive societal benefits, may help to address the considerable challenges facing our planet in the 21st century. We highlight how recent advances in amateur biology have been facilitated by innovations in digital infrastructure as well as the development of community biology laboratories, launched over the last decade, and we provide recommendations for how individuals can support the integration of amateurs into biology research. The benefits of investment in amateur biology research could be many-fold, however without a clear consideration of equity, efforts to promote amateur biology could exacerbate structural inequalities around access to and benefits from STEM. The future of the field of biology relies on integrating a diversity of perspectives and approaches-amateur biology researchers have an important role to play.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Casey Youngflesh
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
| | - Ana Ibarra
- Stanford University, Department of Bioengineering
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Trejo M, Canfield I, Brooks WB, Pearlman A, Guerrini CJ. "A cohort of pirate ships": biomedical citizen scientists' attitudes toward ethical oversight. CITIZEN SCIENCE : THEORY AND PRACTICE 2021; 6:15. [PMID: 35474712 PMCID: PMC9037960 DOI: 10.5334/cstp.360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As biomedical citizen science initiatives become more prevalent, the unique ethical issues that they raise are attracting policy attention. The ethical oversight of bottom-up biomedical citizen science projects that are designed and executed primarily or solely by members of the public is a significant concern because the federal rules that require ethical oversight of research by institutional review boards generally do not apply to such projects, creating what has been called an ethics gap. Working to close this gap, practitioners and scholars have considered new mechanisms of ethical oversight for biomedical citizen science. To date, however, participants' attitudes about ethics and oversight preferences have not been systematically examined. This information is useful to efforts to develop ethical oversight mechanisms because it provides a basis for evaluating the likely effectiveness of specific features of such mechanisms and their acceptability from the perspective of biomedical citizen scientists. Here, we report data from qualitative interviews with 35 stakeholders in bottom-up biomedical citizen science about their general ethics attitudes and preferences regarding ethical oversight. Interviewees described ten ethical priorities and endorsed oversight mechanisms that are voluntary, community-driven, and offer guidance. Conversely, interviewees rejected mechanisms that are mandatory, hierarchical, and inflexible. Applying these findings, we conclude that expert consultation and community review models appear to align well with ethical priorities and oversight preferences of many biomedical citizen scientists, although local conditions should guide the development and use of mechanisms in specific communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Trejo
- Baylor College of Medicine, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Isabel Canfield
- Baylor College of Medicine, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Whitney Bash Brooks
- Baylor College of Medicine, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030
| | | | - Christi J. Guerrini
- Baylor College of Medicine, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030
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Beran D, Lazo-Porras M, Mba CM, Mbanya JC. A global perspective on the issue of access to insulin. Diabetologia 2021; 64:954-962. [PMID: 33483763 PMCID: PMC8012321 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-020-05375-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of insulin in 1921 changed the prognosis for people with type 1 diabetes. A century later, availability and affordability of insulin remain a challenge in many parts of the globe. Using the WHO's framework on understanding the life cycle of medicines, this review details the global and national challenges that affect patients' abilities to access and afford insulin. Current research and development in diabetes has seen some innovations, but none of these have truly been game-changing. Currently, three multinational companies control over 95% of global insulin supply. The inclusion of insulin on the WHO's Prequalification Programme is an opportunity to facilitate entry of new companies into the market. Many governments lack policies on the selection, procurement, supply, pricing and reimbursement of insulin. Moreover, mark-ups in the supply chain also affect the final price to the consumer. Whilst expenses related to diabetes are mostly covered by insurance in high-income countries, many patients from low- and middle-income countries have to pay out of their own pockets. The organisation of diabetes management within the healthcare system also affects patient access to insulin. The challenges affecting access to insulin are complex and require a wide range of solutions. Given that 2021 marks the centenary of the discovery of insulin, there is need for global advocacy to ensure that the benefits of insulin and innovations in diabetes care reach all individuals living with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Beran
- Division of Tropical and Humanitarian Medicine, University of Geneva and Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maria Lazo-Porras
- Division of Tropical and Humanitarian Medicine, University of Geneva and Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- CRONICAS Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Camille M Mba
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Jean Claude Mbanya
- Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
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Automation for the artisanal economy: enhancing the economic and environmental sustainability of crafting professions with human–machine collaboration. AI & SOCIETY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00146-019-00915-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Kemp L, Adam L, Boehm CR, Breitling R, Casagrande R, Dando M, Djikeng A, Evans NG, Hammond R, Hills K, Holt LA, Kuiken T, Markotić A, Millett P, Napier JA, Nelson C, ÓhÉigeartaigh SS, Osbourn A, Palmer MJ, Patron NJ, Perello E, Piyawattanametha W, Restrepo-Schild V, Rios-Rojas C, Rhodes C, Roessing A, Scott D, Shapira P, Simuntala C, Smith RDJ, Sundaram LS, Takano E, Uttmark G, Wintle BC, Zahra NB, Sutherland WJ. Bioengineering horizon scan 2020. eLife 2020; 9:e54489. [PMID: 32479263 PMCID: PMC7259952 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Horizon scanning is intended to identify the opportunities and threats associated with technological, regulatory and social change. In 2017 some of the present authors conducted a horizon scan for bioengineering (Wintle et al., 2017). Here we report the results of a new horizon scan that is based on inputs from a larger and more international group of 38 participants. The final list of 20 issues includes topics spanning from the political (the regulation of genomic data, increased philanthropic funding and malicious uses of neurochemicals) to the environmental (crops for changing climates and agricultural gene drives). The early identification of such issues is relevant to researchers, policy-makers and the wider public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Kemp
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine’s College, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Christian R Boehm
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Rainer Breitling
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Bioengineering, University of ManchesterManchesterUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Malcolm Dando
- Division of Peace Studies and International Development, University of BradfordBradfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Appolinaire Djikeng
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Nicholas G Evans
- Department of Philosophy, University of MassachusettsLowellUnited States
- Rogue BioethicsLowellUnited States
| | | | | | - Lauren A Holt
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine’s College, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Todd Kuiken
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State UniversityRaleighUnited States
| | - Alemka Markotić
- University Hospital for Infectious DiseasesZagrebCroatia
- Medical School, University of RijekaRijekaCroatia
- Catholic University of CroatiaZagrebCroatia
| | - Piers Millett
- Future of Humanity Institute, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- iGem FoundationBostonUnited States
| | | | - Cassidy Nelson
- Future of Humanity Institute, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Seán S ÓhÉigeartaigh
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine’s College, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Megan J Palmer
- Center for International Security and Cooperation (CSIAC), Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | | | | | - Wibool Piyawattanametha
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology LadkrabangBangkokThailand
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
| | | | - Clarissa Rios-Rojas
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Ekpa’Palek: Empowering Latin-American Young ProfessionalsLimaPeru
| | - Catherine Rhodes
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine’s College, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Anna Roessing
- Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies, University of BathBathUnited Kingdom
| | - Deborah Scott
- Science, Technology & Innovation Studies, School of Social and Political Science, University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Philip Shapira
- Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of ManchesterManchesterUnited Kingdom
- SYNBIOCHEM, University of ManchesterManchesterUnited Kingdom
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
| | | | - Robert DJ Smith
- Science, Technology & Innovation Studies, School of Social and Political Science, University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Lalitha S Sundaram
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine’s College, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Eriko Takano
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Bioengineering, University of ManchesterManchesterUnited Kingdom
| | - Gwyn Uttmark
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Bonnie C Wintle
- School of BioSciences, University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Nadia B Zahra
- Department of Biotechnology, Qarshi UniversityLahorePakistan
| | - William J Sutherland
- Biosecurity Research Initiative at St Catharine’s College, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
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Ienca M, Vayena E. "Hunting Down My Son's Killer": New Roles of Patients in Treatment Discovery and Ethical Uncertainty. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2020; 17:37-47. [PMID: 32103412 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-020-09963-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The past few years have witnessed several media-covered cases involving citizens actively engaging in the pursuit of experimental treatments for their medical conditions-or those of their loved ones-in the absence of established standards of therapy. This phenomenon is particularly observable in patients with rare genetic diseases, as the development of effective therapies for these disorders is hindered by the limited profitability and market value of pharmaceutical research. Sociotechnical trends at the cross-section of medicine and society are facilitating the involvement of patients and creating the digital infrastructure necessary to its sustainment. Such participant-led research (PLR) has the potential to promote the autonomy of research participants as drivers of discovery and to open novel non-canonical avenues of scientific research. At the same time, however, the extra-institutional, self-appointed, and, often, oversight-free nature of PLR raises ethical concern. This paper explores the complex ethical entanglement of PLR by critically appraising case studies and discussing the conditions for its moral justification. Furthermore, we propose a path forward to ensure the safe and effective implementation of PLR within the current research ecosystem in a manner that maximizes the benefits for both individual participants and society at large, while minimizing the risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Ienca
- ETH Zurich, Health Ethics & Policy Lab, Department of Health Sciences & Technology (D-HEST), HOA H 13-17, Hottingerstrasse, 10, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Effy Vayena
- ETH Zurich, Health Ethics & Policy Lab, Department of Health Sciences & Technology (D-HEST), HOA H 13-17, Hottingerstrasse, 10, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Adames NR, Gallegos JE, Hunt SY, So WK, Peccoud J. Hands-On Introduction to Synthetic Biology for Security Professionals. Trends Biotechnol 2019; 37:1143-1146. [PMID: 31320118 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The rapid pace of life sciences innovations and a growing list of nontraditional actors engaging in biological research make it challenging to develop appropriate policies to protect sensitive infrastructures. To address this challenge, we developed a five-day awareness program for security professionals, including laboratory work, site visits, and lectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil R Adames
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Jenna E Gallegos
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sonia Y Hunt
- Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC, USA
| | - William K So
- Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jean Peccoud
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA; GenoFAB Inc., Fort Collins, CO, USA.
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