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Nelson JP, Selin CL. Seven open questions in the futures of human genome editing. FUTURES 2023; 149:103138. [PMID: 37484876 PMCID: PMC10358607 DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2023.103138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Scholarly discussion around the governance of human genome editing (HGE) recognizes that development and application of HGE techniques could result in unexpected societal outcomes. However, it contains few to no methodological models for how to anticipate, prepare for, or shape such outcomes. This article presents early-stage results from research guided by anticipatory governance, a framework for broad expert and public consideration of innovation processes and purposes. We present and discuss key themes emerging from a set of future-oriented interviews with genome editing practitioners and experts, designed to inform broadly scoped deliberations about plausible futures of HGE. We articulate our results as seven "open questions," the answers to which will be important components of HGE's eventual shape and outcomes. Some themes are perennial in studies of science and society, and others are more novel to HGE. Each helps to reframe HGE beyond a simple comparison of risk and benefit. Such reframing opens up new and important terrain for discussion among policymakers, academics, scientists, and publics. We suggest that discussion framed around broad and reflexive questions like those presented here will help governance efforts to better acknowledge and flexibly respond to the uncertainty and complexities of HGE developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Nelson
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, 1120 South Cady Mall, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5603
| | - Cynthia L. Selin
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society/Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes, Arizona State University, 1120 South Cady Mall, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5603
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2
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Esquerda M, Lorenzo D, Torralba F. Certainties and Uncertainties in Genetic Information: Good Ethics Starts with Good Data. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2022; 22:48-50. [PMID: 35089836 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.2013985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Lorenzo
- Institut Borja de Bioetica-Universitat Ramon LLull
- Sant Joan de Deu University School of Nursing
| | - Francesc Torralba
- Institut Borja de Bioetica-Universitat Ramon LLull
- Catedra Ethos-Universitat ramon Llull
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3
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Szymanski E. Words Are Essential, but Underexamined, Research Tools for Microbes and Microbiomes. mSystems 2021; 6:e0076921. [PMID: 34463574 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00769-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Language constitutes an essential set of scientific construction tools, not only for communicating knowledge, but for conceptualizing the world. Metaphors in particular, as conventions that guide and reproduce analogical reasoning, merit attention that they largely do not receive. My research addresses this deficit by examining how metaphors for handling microbes shape possibilities for working with yeast and bacteria in synthetic biology, microbiome research, and other fields that reconfigure what microbes can be. Though poised to reexamine assumptions, these fields routinely rest on metaphors and other language tools that quietly embed ways of thinking that may work against wider aims-for example, imagining bacteria as imperfect machines that should therefore be rendered increasingly passive and controllable. Researchers, therefore, need to examine how language tools structure their observations and expectations so that the tools they choose are appropriate for the work they want to do.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Szymanski
- Department of English, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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4
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Smit AK, Reyes-Marcelino G, Keogh L, Cust AE, Newson AJ. 'There is a lot of good in knowing, but there is also a lot of downs': public views on ethical considerations in population genomic screening. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2020; 47:medethics-2019-105934. [PMID: 32434901 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2019-105934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Publics are key stakeholders in population genomic screening and their perspectives on ethical considerations are relevant to programme design and policy making. Using semi-structured interviews, we explored social views and attitudes towards possible future provision of personalised genomic risk information to populations to inform prevention and/or early detection of relevant conditions. Participants were members of the public (n=30) who had received information on their personal genomic risk of melanoma as part of a research project. The focus of the analysis presented here is participants' views regarding ethical considerations relevant to population genomic screening more generally. Data were analysed thematically and four key themes related to ethical considerations were identified: (i) personal responsibility for health: 'forewarned is forearmed'; (ii) perceptions of, and responses to, genetic fatalism; (iii) implications for parenting and reproduction; (iv) divided views on choosing to receive genomic risk information. Ethical considerations underlying these themes include the valorisation of information and choice, paternalism, non-directiveness and increasing responsibilisation of individuals in health and healthcare. These findings arguably indicate a thin public conceptualisation of population genomic testing, which draws heavily on how these themes tend to be described in existing social discourses. Findings suggest that further public engagement is required to increase complexity of debate, to consider (for example) the appropriate place of individual and social interests in population genomic testing. Further discernment of relevant ethical approaches, drawing on ethical frameworks from both public health and clinical settings, will also assist in determining the appropriate implementation of population genomic screening for complex conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia K Smit
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Health Ethics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gillian Reyes-Marcelino
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Louise Keogh
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anne E Cust
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ainsley J Newson
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Health Ethics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Martin A, Wolcott NS, O'Connell LA. Bringing immersive science to undergraduate laboratory courses using CRISPR gene knockouts in frogs and butterflies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/Suppl_1/jeb208793. [PMID: 32034043 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.208793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The use of CRISPR/Cas9 for gene editing offers new opportunities for biology students to perform genuine research exploring the gene-to-phenotype relationship. It is important to introduce the next generation of scientists, health practitioners and other members of society to the technical and ethical aspects of gene editing. Here, we share our experience leading hands-on undergraduate laboratory classes, where students formulate hypotheses regarding the roles of candidate genes involved in development, perform loss-of-function experiments using programmable nucleases and analyze the phenotypic effects of mosaic mutant animals. This is enabled by the use of the amphibian Xenopus laevis and the butterfly Vanessa cardui, two organisms that reliably yield hundreds of large and freshly fertilized eggs in a scalable manner. Frogs and butterflies also present opportunities to teach key biological concepts about gene regulation and development. To complement these practical aspects, we describe learning activities aimed at equipping students with a broad understanding of genome editing techniques, their application in fundamental and translational research, and the bioethical challenges they raise. Overall, our work supports the introduction of CRISPR technology into undergraduate classrooms and, when coupled with classroom undergraduate research experiences, enables hypothesis-driven research by undergraduates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Nora S Wolcott
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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Lorenzo D, Esquerda M. Map of ethical conflicts of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene edition technique. Med Clin (Barc) 2019; 153:357-359. [PMID: 31248623 DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2019.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Lorenzo
- Grupo Interdisciplinar en Bioética, Instituto Borja de Bioética, Universidad Ramón Llull, Barcelona, España
| | - Montse Esquerda
- Grupo Interdisciplinar en Bioética, Instituto Borja de Bioética, Universidad Ramón Llull, Barcelona, España.
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Gelinsky E, Hilbeck A. European Court of Justice ruling regarding new genetic engineering methods scientifically justified: a commentary on the biased reporting about the recent ruling. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE 2018; 30:52. [PMID: 30613460 PMCID: PMC6302053 DOI: 10.1186/s12302-018-0182-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In July 2018, the European Court of Justice (Case C-528/16) ruled that organisms obtained by directed mutagenesis techniques are to be regarded as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) within the meaning of Directive 2001/18. The ruling marked the next round of the dispute around agricultural genetic engineering in Europe. Many of the pros and cons presented in this dispute are familiar from the debate around the first generation of genetic engineering techniques. The current wave of enthusiasm for the new genetic engineering methods, with its claim to make good on the failed promises of the previous wave, seems to point more to an admission of failure of the last generation of genetic engineering than to a true change of paradigm. Regulation is being portrayed as a ban on research and use, which is factually incorrect, and the judges of the European Court of Justice are being defamed as espousing "pseudoscience". Furthermore, this highly polarised position dominates the media reporting of the new techniques and the court's ruling. Advocates of the new genetic engineering techniques appear to believe that their benefits are so clear that furnishing reliable scientific evidence is unnecessary. Meanwhile, critics who believe that the institution of science is in a serious crisis are on the increase not just due to the cases of obvious documented scientific misconduct by companies and scientists, but also due to the approach of dividing the world into those categorically for or against genetic engineering. In this construct of irreconcilable opposites, differentiations fall by the wayside. This article is a response to this one-sided and biased reporting, which often has the appearance of spin and lacks journalistic ethics that require journalists to report on different positions in a balanced and factual manner instead of taking positions and becoming undeclared advocates themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Gelinsky
- Critical Scientists Switzerland (CSS Board), Dändlikerrain 3, 3014 Berne, Switzerland
- Semnar/Seed Policy & Science, Tempikon 2, 6283 Baldegg, Switzerland
| | - Angelika Hilbeck
- European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER Board), Marienstrasse 19/20, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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Cavaliere G. Looking into the shadow: the eugenics argument in debates on reproductive technologies and practices. Monash Bioeth Rev 2018; 36:1-22. [PMID: 30535862 PMCID: PMC6336759 DOI: 10.1007/s40592-018-0086-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Eugenics is often referred to in debates on the ethics of reproductive technologies and practices, in relation to the creation of moral boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable technologies, and acceptable and unacceptable uses of these technologies. Historians have argued that twentieth century eugenics cannot be reduced to a uniform set of practices, and that no simple lessons can be drawn from this complex history. Some authors stress the similarities between past eugenics and present reproductive technologies and practices (what I define throughout the paper as 'the continuity view') in order to condemn the latter. Others focus on the differences between past and present practices (what I define throughout the paper as 'the discontinuity view') in order to defend contemporary reproductive technologies. In this paper, I explore the meanings of the word 'eugenics' and the relationship between its past and present uses in terms of contemporary debates on reproductive technologies and practices. I argue that moral disagreement about present technologies originate in divergent views of condemnable and justifiable features of the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cavaliere
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, School of Global Affairs, King's College London, Room 3.12, Bush House (NE), 30, Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK.
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Ceccarelli L. CRISPR as agent: a metaphor that rhetorically inhibits the prospects for responsible research. LIFE SCIENCES, SOCIETY AND POLICY 2018; 14:24. [PMID: 30426260 PMCID: PMC6233552 DOI: 10.1186/s40504-018-0088-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In 2015, a group of 18 scientists and bioethicists published an editorial in Science calling for "open discourse on the use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology to manipulate the human genome" and recommending that steps be taken to strongly discourage "any attempts at germline genome modification" in humans with this powerful new technology. Press reports compared the essay to a letter written by Paul Berg and 10 other scientists in 1974, also published in Science, calling for a voluntary deferral of certain types of recombinant DNA experimentation. A rhetorical analysis of the metaphors in these two documents, and in the summary statements that came out of the respective National Academy of Sciences conferences they instigated, shows that while they have a lot in common, they are different in at least one important way. The more recent texts deploy conceptual metaphors that portray the biotechnology in question as an autonomous agent, subtly suggesting an inevitability to its development, in contrast to the earlier texts, which portray the scientists who are using the technology as the primary agents who take action. Rhetorical moves depicting biotechnology as an agent in the 2015 texts hint at contemporary skepticism about whether humans can restrain the forward momentum of science and technology in a global context, thus inhibiting scientists from imagining a consequential role for themselves in shaping the future of responsible research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Ceccarelli
- Department of Communication, University of Washington, Box 353740, Seattle, WA, 98195-3740, USA.
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Wolt JD, Wolf C. Policy and Governance Perspectives for Regulation of Genome Edited Crops in the United States. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1606. [PMID: 30467510 PMCID: PMC6236124 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Genome editing for crop improvement lies at the leading edge of disruptive bioengineering technologies that will challenge existing regulatory paradigms for products of biotechnology and which will elicit widespread public interest. Regulation of products of biotechnology through the US Coordinated Framework for Biotechnology is predicated on requiring burden of proof that regulation is warranted. Although driven by considerations of newly emerging processes for product development, regulation has, for the most part, focused on characteristics of the biotechnology product itself and not the process used for its development per se. This standard of evidence and product focus has been maintained to date in regulatory considerations of genome edited crops. Those genome edited crops lacking recombinant DNA (rDNA) in the product intended for environmental release, lacking plant pest or pesticidal activity, or showing no food safety attributes different from those of traditionally bred crops are not deemed subject to regulatory evaluation. Regardless, societal uncertainties regarding genome editing are leading regulators to seek ways whereby these uncertainties may be addressed through redefinition of those products of biotechnology that may be subject to regulatory assessments. Within US law prior statutory history, language and regulatory action have significant influence on decision making; therefore, the administrative law and jurisprudence underlying the current Coordinated Framework strongly inform policy and governance when considering new plant breeding technologies such as genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D. Wolt
- Department of Agronomy, Crop Bioengineering Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Clark Wolf
- Department of Philosophy, Department of Political Science and Bioethics Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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Kearnes M, Kuch D, Johnston A. How to do things with metaphors: engineering life as hodgepodge. LIFE SCIENCES, SOCIETY AND POLICY 2018; 14:22. [PMID: 30221313 PMCID: PMC6389216 DOI: 10.1186/s40504-018-0084-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a collaboration between social scientists and a chemist exploring the promises for new therapy development at the intersection between synthetic biology and nanotechnology. Drawing from ethnographic studies of laboratories and a recorded discussion between the three authors, we interrogate the metaphors that underpin what Mackenzie (Futures 48:5-12 2013) has identified as a recursive relationship in the iconography of the life sciences and its infrastructure. Focusing specifically on the use of gene editing techniques in synthetic biology and bio-nanotechnology, we focus our analysis on the key metaphors of 'evolutionary life as hodge-podge' within which 'cutting' of DNA and the 'sticking' and 'binding' of engineered particles to proteins can be performed by researchers in laboratory settings. Taken together, we argue that these metaphors are consequential for understanding metaphors of life-as-machine and the prevalence of notions of 'engineering life'. Exploring the ways in which notions of cutting, targeting and life as an evolutionary hodgepodge prefigure a more contingent notion of engineering and synthesis we close by considering the interpretive implications for ethnomethodological approaches to contemporary life science research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Kearnes
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science & Technology (CBNS), School of Humanities and Languages, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Declan Kuch
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science & Technology (CBNS), School of Humanities and Languages, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Angus Johnston
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science & Technology (CBNS), Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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van Dijke I, Bosch L, Bredenoord AL, Cornel M, Repping S, Hendriks S. The ethics of clinical applications of germline genome modification: a systematic review of reasons. Hum Reprod 2018; 33:1777-1796. [PMID: 30085071 PMCID: PMC6454467 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dey257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION What are the reasons for or against the future clinical application of germline genome modification (GGM)? SUMMARY ANSWER A total of 169 reasons were identified, including 90 reasons for and 79 reasons against future clinical application of GGM. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY GGM is still unsafe and insufficiently effective for clinical purposes. However, the progress made using Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)- CRISPR-associated system (Cas) has led scientists to expect to overcome the technical hurdles in the foreseeable future. This has invited a debate on the socio-ethical and legal implications and acceptability of clinical applications of GGM. However, an overview of the reasons presented in this debate is missing. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION MEDLINE was systematically searched for articles published between January 2011 and June 2016. Articles covering reasons for or against clinical application of intentional modification of the nuclear DNA of the germline were included. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Two researchers independently extracted the reported reasons from the articles and grouped them into categories through content analysis. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The systematic search yielded 1179 articles and 180 articles were included. Most papers were written by professionals in ethics, (science) journalism and biomedical sciences. Overall, 169 reasons were identified, including 90 reasons for, and 79 reasons against future clinical application of GGM. None of the included articles mentioned more than 60/169 reasons. The reasons could be categorized into: (i) quality of life of affected individuals; (ii) safety; (iii) effectiveness; (iv) existence of a clinical need or alternative; (v) costs; (vi) homo sapiens as a species (i.e. relating to effects on our species); (vii) social justice; (viii) potential for misuse; (ix) special interests exercising influence; (x) parental rights and duties; (xi) comparability to acceptable processes; (xii) rights of the unborn child; and (xiii) human life and dignity. Considerations relating to the implementation processes and regulation were reported. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION We cannot ensure completeness as reasons may have been omitted in the reviewed literature and our search was limited to MEDLINE and a 5-year time period. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Besides needing (pre)clinical studies on safety and effectiveness, authors call for a sound pre-implementation process. This overview of reasons may assist a thorough evaluation of the responsible introduction of GGM. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) University of Amsterdam, Alliance Grant of the Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute (I.D.), and Clinical Center, Department of Bioethics, National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Program (S.H.). There are no competing interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivy van Dijke
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Meibergdreef 9, AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Clinical Genetics, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, van der Boechorsstraat 7, BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lance Bosch
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Meibergdreef 9, AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annelien L Bredenoord
- Julius Center, Medical Humanities, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martina Cornel
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Clinical Genetics, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, van der Boechorsstraat 7, BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd Repping
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Meibergdreef 9, AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Hendriks
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Meibergdreef 9, AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Bioethics, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Döring M. Synthetic biology in the German press: how implications of metaphors shape representations of morality and responsibility. LIFE SCIENCES, SOCIETY AND POLICY 2018; 14:14. [PMID: 29936670 PMCID: PMC6015587 DOI: 10.1186/s40504-018-0079-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology (SynBio) represents a relatively young field of research which has developed into an important scientific endeavour. Characterised by a high degree of interdisciplinary work crossing disciplinary boundaries, such as biology, mathematics and engineering, SynBio has been, since its beginning, devoted to creating new biological functions, metabolic pathways or even minimal organisms. Although its often-articulated aim of developing new forms of life has so far not been archived, SynBio nowadays represents a well-established biotechnological approach and it has also attracted public concern, especially since Craig Venter's work on Mycoplasma Mycoides JCVI-syn1.0. Taking these developments as a starting point, the paper empirically investigates the metaphorical representations of SynBio in two leading German media publications, the daily newspaper Die Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the weekly magazine Der Spiegel between 2000 and 2010. Using a novel combination of metaphor and co-occurrence analysis, the paper engages in a systematic examination of implicit moral implications inherent in linguistic images permeating this news coverage. It demonstrates a method of how media-metaphorical representations and their moral implications of SynBio could analytically be revealed and analysed. In doing so, it aims at contributing to empirical ethical analyses of the news coverage on SynBio in particular and offers an approach that methodologically adds to literature on responsible language use, which is emerging in science and technology studies and ethical analyses of new technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Döring
- Institute of Geography, University of Hamburg, Bundesstraße 55, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
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Braun M, Fernau S, Dabrock P. Images of synthetic life: Mapping the use and function of metaphors in the public discourse on synthetic biology. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199597. [PMID: 29928050 PMCID: PMC6013092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology is currently one of the most frequently addressed emerging biotechnologies. Developments within this field receive a great deal of attention in media coverage, in which they are frequently illustrated by certain forms of metaphorical speech. Although it can be assumed that societal perceptions and evaluations of emerging biotechnologies are shaped by media coverage and its transported images, there is a lack of empirical research examining the reporting on synthetic biology as well as the use and function of metaphors within media articles. Thus, filling in this gap is one of the urgent desiderata for gaining an enhanced understanding of public views and assessments of this field of biotechnology. Against this background, this article addresses two main questions: (1) Which metaphors and framings are prevalent in the media discourse and what meaning do they have? (2) In which way are metaphors used in media coverage and what function do they have? The research is based on a media content analysis and includes a total number of 11.867 German- as well as English-language media articles dealing with synthetic biology, covering the period between 2004 and 2015. The findings suggest that forms of metaphorical speech address the novelty of current and envisioned scientific developments, highlighting their potential to shift social values and cultural concepts of life and nature. Basic expressions for describing progress within the field of synthetic biology are mainly descriptive metaphors originating from the semantic fields of craft, engineering, IT or art. In comparison, the total frequency of religiously charged metaphors, such as “playing God” or “creating life”, is substantially lower. This low usage rate of religio-cultural expressions in media coverage can be considered a surprising result, since other empirical studies and particularly the ongoing broader ethical discussion attach more importance to these forms of metaphorical speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Braun
- Chair of Systematic Theology II (Ethics), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Sandra Fernau
- Chair of Systematic Theology II (Ethics), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter Dabrock
- Chair of Systematic Theology II (Ethics), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Gene modification therapies: views of parents of people with Down syndrome. Genet Med 2018; 21:487-492. [PMID: 29930393 PMCID: PMC6309526 DOI: 10.1038/s41436-018-0077-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose In considering gene modification technologies, the priorities of patient communities must be a central consideration. The purpose of this study is to assess views of families with Down syndrome (DS) regarding potential genome-based interventions. Methods We constructed an anonymous online survey for family members of people with DS. Participants were asked to agree or disagree with scenarios describing hypothetical interventions to silence or significantly alter the physical and cognitive effects of a trisomy 21, and also with scenarios depicting currently available physical interventions. Results All 532 respondents were parents of people with DS. For each of the five scenarios, over half said they would approve the intervention or would advise their children with DS to do so. Responses to hypothetical prenatal and pediatric cognitive interventions were significantly affected by participants’ assessments of the impact of DS on their children’s and their families’ lives, while physical and adult cognitive scenarios were not. Conclusion Future interventions to address genetic conditions will impact patient communities and cannot succeed without their input and support. While many parents of people with DS indicated approval for hypothetical genetic therapies, these results indicate a need for continuing dialogue about benefits and drawbacks of gene modification technologies.
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McCarthy MW, Walsh TJ. Harnessing the potential of CRISPR-Cas9 to advance the study of human fungal pathogens. EXPERT REVIEW OF PRECISION MEDICINE AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/23808993.2017.1375851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew William McCarthy
- Hospital Medicine, Joan and Sanford I Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas J. Walsh
- Transplantation-Oncology Infectious Diseases Program, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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17
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McLeod C, Nerlich B. Synthetic biology, metaphors and responsibility. LIFE SCIENCES, SOCIETY AND POLICY 2017; 13:13. [PMID: 28849542 PMCID: PMC5573707 DOI: 10.1186/s40504-017-0061-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Metaphors are not just decorative rhetorical devices that make speech pretty. They are fundamental tools for thinking about the world and acting on the world. The language we use to make a better world matters; words matter; metaphors matter. Words have consequences - ethical, social and legal ones, as well as political and economic ones. They need to be used 'responsibly'. They also need to be studied carefully - this is what we want to do through this editorial and the related thematic collection. In the context of synthetic biology, natural and social scientists have become increasingly interested in metaphors, a wave of interest that we want to exploit and amplify. We want to build on emerging articles and books on synthetic biology, metaphors of life and the ethical and moral implications of such metaphors. This editorial provides a brief introduction to synthetic biology and responsible innovation, as well as a comprehensive review of literature on the social, cultural and ethical impacts of metaphor use in genomics and synthetic biology. Our aim is to stimulate an interdisciplinary and international discussion on the impact that metaphors can have on science, policy and publics in the context of synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen McLeod
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK.
| | - Brigitte Nerlich
- School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Weisberg SM, Badgio D, Chatterjee A. A CRISPR New World: Attitudes in the Public toward Innovations in Human Genetic Modification. Front Public Health 2017; 5:117. [PMID: 28589120 PMCID: PMC5439143 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2017.00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The potential to genetically modify human germlines has reached a critical tipping point with recent applications of CRISPR-Cas9. Even as researchers, clinicians, and ethicists weigh the scientific and ethical repercussions of these advances, we know virtually nothing about public attitudes on the topic. Understanding such attitudes will be critical to determining the degree of broad support there might be for any public policy or regulation developed for genetic modification research. To fill this gap, we gave an online survey to a large (2,493 subjects) and diverse sample of Americans. Respondents supported genetic modification research, although demographic variables influenced these attitudes—conservatives, women, African-Americans, and older respondents, while supportive, were more cautious than liberals, men, other ethnicities, and younger respondents. Support was also was slightly muted when the risks (unanticipated mutations and possibility of eugenics) were made explicit. The information about genetic modification was also presented as contrasting vignettes, using one of five frames: genetic editing, engineering, hacking, modification, or surgery. Despite the fact that the media and academic use of frames describing the technology varies, these frames did not influence people’s attitudes. These data contribute a current snapshot of public attitudes to inform policy with regard to human genetic modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Weisberg
- Department of Neurology, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel Badgio
- Department of Neurology, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anjan Chatterjee
- Department of Neurology, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Perrault S, O'Keefe MM. Journeys as Shared Human Experiences. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2016; 16:13-15. [PMID: 27653390 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2016.1214319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
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20
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Nie JB, Gilbertson A, de Roubaix M, Staunton C, van Niekerk A, Tucker JD, Rennie S. Healing Without Waging War: Beyond Military Metaphors in Medicine and HIV Cure Research. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2016; 16:3-11. [PMID: 27653388 PMCID: PMC5064845 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2016.1214305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Military metaphors are pervasive in biomedicine, including HIV research. Rooted in the mind set that regards pathogens as enemies to be defeated, terms such as "shock and kill" have become widely accepted idioms within HIV cure research. Such language and symbolism must be critically examined as they may be especially problematic when used to express scientific ideas within emerging health-related fields. In this article, philosophical analysis and an interdisciplinary literature review utilizing key texts from sociology, anthropology, history, and Chinese and African studies were conducted to investigate the current proliferation of military metaphors. We found the use of these metaphors to be ironic, unfortunate, and unnecessary. To overcome military metaphors we propose to (1) give them less aggressive meanings, and/or (2) replace them with more peaceful metaphors. Building on previous authors' work, we argue for the increased use of "journey" (and related) metaphors as meaningful, cross-culturally appropriate alternatives to military metaphors.
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21
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Merriman B. "Editing": A Productive Metaphor for Regulating CRISPR. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2015; 15:62-64. [PMID: 26632369 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2015.1103806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
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22
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Nelson SC, Yu JH, Ceccarelli L. How Metaphors About the Genome Constrain CRISPR Metaphors: Separating the "Text" From Its "Editor". THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2015; 15:60-62. [PMID: 26632368 PMCID: PMC4790449 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2015.1103815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - J-H Yu
- a University of Washington
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23
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Blasimme A, Anegon I, Concordet JP, De Vos J, Dubart-Kupperschmitt A, Fellous M, Fouchet P, Frydman N, Giovannangeli C, Jouannet P, Serre JL, Steffann J, Rial-Sebbag E, Thomsen M, Cambon-Thomsen A. Genome Editing and Dialogic Responsibility: "What's in a Name?". THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2015; 15:54-57. [PMID: 26632366 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2015.1103811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - John De Vos
- d Inserm U1183-CHRU Université de Montpellier
| | | | | | - Pierre Fouchet
- g Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Institut de radiobiologie cellulaire et moléculaire, INSERM U967, Fontenay aux roses
| | - Nelly Frydman
- h Reproductive biology unit (AP-HP) Université Paris Sud-Université Paris-Saclay
| | - Carine Giovannangeli
- i Museum national d'Histoire naturelle-Structure et Instabilité des Génomes-INSERM U1154 -CNRS 7196
| | | | | | - Julie Steffann
- l Inserm U1163-Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne cité - Hôpital Necker Enfants-Malades
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Ravitsky V, Birko S, Dupras-Leduc R. The "Three-Parent Baby": A Case Study of How Language Frames the Ethical Debate Regarding an Emerging Technology. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2015; 15:57-60. [PMID: 26632367 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2015.1103809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
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