Description
Synbio is a diverse field with diverse applications, and the different contexts (e.g., gain-of-function research, biofuels) raise different ethical and governance challenges. The objective
of this course is to increase participants’ awareness and understanding of
ethical and policy/governance issues that arise in the design, conduct and
application of synthetic biology. The course will begin with a short history of
recombinant DNA technology and how governance of that science developed and
evolved, and progress through a series of areas of application of synbio.
Content will
be presented in many forms, including not only reading and lectures, but also recorded
and live interviews and discussions with scientists, ethicists and policy
makers. Learners will have the opportunity to think, write and talk about the
issues and challenges in their own work and in real-life case examples. A final
project will engage students in the development of governance models for synbio.