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Kurtoğlu A, Yıldız A, Arda B. The view of synthetic biology in the field of ethics: a thematic systematic review. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1397796. [PMID: 38863492 PMCID: PMC11165145 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1397796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology is designing and creating biological tools and systems for useful purposes. It uses knowledge from biology, such as biotechnology, molecular biology, biophysics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and other disciplines, such as engineering, mathematics, computer science, and electrical engineering. It is recognized as both a branch of science and technology. The scope of synthetic biology ranges from modifying existing organisms to gain new properties to creating a living organism from non-living components. Synthetic biology has many applications in important fields such as energy, chemistry, medicine, environment, agriculture, national security, and nanotechnology. The development of synthetic biology also raises ethical and social debates. This article aims to identify the place of ethics in synthetic biology. In this context, the theoretical ethical debates on synthetic biology from the 2000s to 2020, when the development of synthetic biology was relatively faster, were analyzed using the systematic review method. Based on the results of the analysis, the main ethical problems related to the field, problems that are likely to arise, and suggestions for solutions to these problems are included. The data collection phase of the study included a literature review conducted according to protocols, including planning, screening, selection and evaluation. The analysis and synthesis process was carried out in the next stage, and the main themes related to synthetic biology and ethics were identified. Searches were conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, PhilPapers and MEDLINE databases. Theoretical research articles and reviews published in peer-reviewed journals until the end of 2020 were included in the study. The language of publications was English. According to preliminary data, 1,453 publications were retrieved from the four databases. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 58 publications were analyzed in the study. Ethical debates on synthetic biology have been conducted on various issues. In this context, the ethical debates in this article were examined under five themes: the moral status of synthetic biology products, synthetic biology and the meaning of life, synthetic biology and metaphors, synthetic biology and knowledge, and expectations, concerns, and problem solving: risk versus caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayşe Kurtoğlu
- Department of Medical History and Ethics, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye
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Urueña S. Anticipation and modal power: Opening up and closing down the momentum of sociotechnical systems. SOCIAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE 2022; 52:3063127221111469. [PMID: 35934971 DOI: 10.1177/03063127221111469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Within STS, there are three approaches to the creation and mobilization of futures: descriptive, normative, and interventive. Visions, expectations, and imaginaries are currently seen as anticipatory artifacts that close down the momentum of sociotechnical systems and, as such, are objects of critical scrutiny. At the same time, interventive techniques engaging with future representations are considered to be useful anticipatory instruments for opening up ranges of envisaged alternatives. This article reviews STS advances concerning the performativity of both de facto and interventive anticipatory practices in shaping the momentum of sociotechnical systems in light of the phenomenon of modal power: the modulation dynamics of what actors deem to be (im)plausible and/or (un)desirable. The diverse attempts of STS scholars and practitioners to understand, critique, and engage with the politics of opening up and closing down the momentum of sociotechnical systems require engaging with the creation, mobilization, and execution of modal power. The heuristics presented here are intended to be useful in framing and recognizing the political-epistemic radicality that the creation and mobilization of sociotechnical futures holds in the constitution of our sociotechnical orders as well as the role that the attribution of (im)plausibility or (un)desirability plays in such processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Urueña
- University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
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Tokalić R, Buljan I, Mejlgaard N, Carrió M, Lang A, Revuelta G, Marušić A. Responsible research and innovation training programs: implementation and evaluation of the HEIRRI project. Forensic Sci Res 2021; 6:320-330. [PMID: 35127198 PMCID: PMC8815623 DOI: 10.1080/20961790.2021.1970319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Responsible research and innovation, or RRI, is a concept that aims to bring together society and science for a better future. There are six key elements of RRI: public engagement, gender equality, science education, open access, ethics and governance. Higher Education Institutions and Responsible Research and Innovation (HEIRRI) project aimed to bring the concept of RRI into the educational system. Using state-of-the-art review of good practices, HEIRRI team developed 10 training programs on RRI for different higher education institution educational levels, including a summer school and a massive open online course (MOOC). We conducted pilot of the trainings and evaluated participants’ experiences. Satisfaction with HEIRRI training programs on responsible research and innovation was high, both for participants and for the trainers, and trainings raised awareness of RRI. Participants’ feedback was used to identify areas that need improvement and provided for recommendations for final versions of the HEIRRI training programs. In order to equip researchers with skills to recognize and apply RRI values, RRI should be included in their education. HEIRRI training is suitable for a range of different disciplines, including forensic science, and is free to use and adjust for specific contexts (available from: https://rri-tools.eu/heirri-training-programmes). Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/20961790.2021.1970319 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Ružica Tokalić
- Department of Research in Biomedicine and Health, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
| | - Ivan Buljan
- Department of Research in Biomedicine and Health, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
| | - Niels Mejlgaard
- Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy, Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mar Carrió
- Health Sciences Education Research Group, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexander Lang
- Institut für Höhere Studien – Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), Vienna, Austria
| | - Gema Revuelta
- Studies Centre on Science, Communication and Society, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Marušić
- Department of Research in Biomedicine and Health, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
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Diep P, Boucinha A, Kell BJ, Yeung BRA, Chen XA, Tsyplenkov D, Serra D, Escobar A, Gnanapragasam A, Emond CA, Sajtovich VA, Mahadevan R, Kilkenny DM, Gini-Newman G, Kaern M, Ingalls B. Advancing Undergraduate Synthetic Biology Education: Insights from a Canadian iGEM Student Perspective. Can J Microbiol 2021; 67:749-770. [PMID: 34237221 DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2020-0549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The last two decades have seen vigorous activity in synthetic biology research and ever-increasing applications of its technologies. However, pedagogical research pertaining to teaching synthetic biology is scarce, especially when compared to other science and engineering disciplines. Within Canada there are only three universities that offer synthetic biology programs; two of which are at the undergraduate level. Rather than take place in formal academic settings, many Canadian undergraduate students are introduced to synthetic biology through participation in the annual International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. Although the iGEM competition has had a transformative impact on synthetic biology training in other nations, the impact in Canada has been relatively modest. Consequently, the iGEM competition is still a major setting for synthetic biology education in Canada. To promote further development of synthetic biology education, we surveyed undergraduate students from the Canadian iGEM design teams of 2019. We extracted insights from these data using qualitative analysis to provide recommendations for best teaching practices in synthetic biology undergraduate education, which we describe through our proposed Framework for Transdisciplinary Synthetic Biology Education (FTSBE).
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Diep
- University of Toronto, 7938, BioZone - Centre for Applied Bioscience and Bioengineering, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Austin Boucinha
- University of Toronto, 7938, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education , Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Brayden James Kell
- University of Toronto, 7938, Department of Physics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University of Toronto - Mississauga, 71637, Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Bi-Ru Amy Yeung
- University of Toronto, 7938, Department of Physiology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Xingyu Amy Chen
- Queen's University, 4257, School of Medicine, Kingston, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Daniel Tsyplenkov
- Concordia University, 5618, Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Montreal, Quebec, Canada;
| | - Danielle Serra
- University of Toronto, 7938, Department of Human Biology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University of Toronto, 7938, Department of Cell & Systems Biology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Andres Escobar
- University of Waterloo, 8430, Department of Chemistry , Waterloo, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Ansley Gnanapragasam
- McGill University, 5620, Department of Human Genetics, Montreal, Quebec, Canada;
| | - Christian A Emond
- University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, 70401, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,University of Calgary, 2129, Department of Biological Sciences, Calgary, Alberta, Canada;
| | - Victoria A Sajtovich
- University of Toronto, 7938, Department of Molecular Genetics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 28310, Marburg, Hessen, Germany;
| | - Radhakrishnan Mahadevan
- University of Toronto, 7938, BioZone - Centre for Applied Bioscience and Bioengineering, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University of Toronto, 7938, Institute for Biomedical Engineering , Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Dawn M Kilkenny
- University of Toronto, 7938, Institute of Biomedical Engineering , Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University of Toronto, 7938, Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Garfield Gini-Newman
- University of Toronto, 7938, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Mads Kaern
- University of Ottawa, 6363, Ottawa Institute of System Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,University of Ottawa, 6363, Department of Physics, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Brian Ingalls
- University of Waterloo, 8430, Department of Applied Mathematics, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.,University of Waterloo, 8430, Department of Biology, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.,University of Waterloo, 8430, Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada;
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