History and Ethics of BiotechnologyHSCI E137

Course website:

http://isites.harvard.edu/k78554

Agenda for Jan 26

• The challenge of defining biotechnology

• Its areas of application: agriculture and medicine

• What ethical issues does biotech raise?

• Syllabus and course requirements

• In class reading: “The Birthmark”

Areas of application-- agriculture

• Herbicide-resistant and pesticide-containing crops

• Golden Rice (to remedy Vitamin A deficiency)

• Corn genetically modified for ethanol production

Hybrid ethanol corn from DuPont (not genetically modified)

Areas of application-- agriculture

• Herbicide-resistant and pesticide-containing crops

• Golden Rice• Corn genetically modified for ethanol

productionTransgenic trees-- low in lignin content

Low lignin poplars(NY Times)

Eucalyptus treesgenetically modifiedfor low lignin contentas well as higher-than-normal carbon dioxide

absorptive capacity,Developed by Taiwan National Sci Council

and NCSU(Biopact website)

Areas of application-- agriculture

• Herbicide-resistant and pesticide-containing crops

• Golden Rice• Corn genetically modified for ethanol

production• Transgenic treesPharma-cropsFood from cloned animals

The calf Priscilla was cloned by ViaGen from a slab of beef.Thomas Terry, Associated Press

Areas of application--medicine

• Gene therapy

• Therapeutic cloning-- regenerative medicine

Aug 2010: Following FDA approval (and a year’s delay), Geron runs first clinical trial of a therapy for people with severe spinal cord injury, using human embryonic stem cells

NY Timesdiagram

Areas of application--medicine

• Gene therapy

• Therapeutic cloning-- regenerative medicine

Genetic testing; pharmacogenomics

Some of the ethical issues:

• The biotech industry and its subjects– Biobanks– Use of indigenous knowledge– Genetically modified crops

Supai, Arizona: home of Havasupai Tribephoto credit: fostertribe.org

Farmers in Girona, Spain, burned their corn harvestafter learning that it contained genetically modified plants.

(Greenpeace photo)

Ethical issues, continued:

• Genes as intellectual property• Controlling genetically modified organisms• Screening/testing outpacing treatment• Treatment vs. enhancement• Playing Godhttp://video.nytimes.com/video/2006/09/01/science/1194817115689/embryo-screening.html

(the Kingsbury case, narrated by Amy Harmon)

HSCI E137 course website

http://isites.harvard.edu/k78554