Think about… 3.1 What is bioethics? 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Recall ‘Think about…’

2. Think about… 3.1 What is bioethics? 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Recall ‘Think about…’ Summary concept map

3. Cloning ourselves Following the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep and other mammals, humans could possibly be cloned.

4. 3.1 What is bioethics? Bioethics (生物倫理學) is the study of ethical issues and implications brought about by the advances in the areas of biological science and medicine.

5. 3.1 What is bioethics? In favour human cloning Human cloning is a new form of human reproduction. It enables infertilecouples like us to have children.

6. 3.1 What is bioethics? In favour human cloning Our son died in an accident. A clone of our son may make up for our loss.

7. 3.1 What is bioethics? Against human cloning It is irresponsible to clone humans when animal cloning has such a low success rate.

8. 3.1 What is bioethics? Against human cloning A clone is neither the child nor the brother/sister of the nucleus donor. The identity of the clone is unclear.

9. 3.1 What is bioethics? • values (價值觀) guide the way people make their decisions • values are affected by religion, culture and past experiences, etc. • one thing that benefits some people may not be beneficial to others

10. 3.1 What is bioethics? Bioethics is the study of ethical and brought implications issues about by the advances in the areas of biological science and medicine.

11. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology ethical issues legal issues social issues economic issues environmental issues

12. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Genetically modified food • any food or food ingredient that comes from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) GM tomatoes with longer shelf life

13. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Genetically modified food 1 Safety issues • long-term effects on human health? • new genes or their products cause allergies? • transferral of antibiotic resistance genes produces ‘superbugs’?

14. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Genetically modified food 2 Ethical issues • is it playing God? • should vegetarians eat GM plants that contain animal genes?

15. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Genetically modified food 3 Social and economic issues • increases the dependence of food supply on developed countries and affects the living of farmers in developing countries

16. In 1994, genetically modified tomatoes hit the market in the US as the first commercially available genetically modified crop. GM tomatoes have since disappeared.

17. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Genetically modified food 4 Environmental issues • GMOs may replace the wild types, reduce biodiversity, or upset the ecologicalbalance • produces ‘superweeds’ • speeds up the evolution of resistant population of pests

18. Could insect resistance arise in with BT corn? YES • Learn about the "refuge" system and how researchers are manipulating selective pressures in order to try and slow the development of Bt-resistant pests. • http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/tdc02_vid_btcorn/

19. Insects that feed on the Bt-enhanced plants are continuously exposed to the lethal Bt toxin, not intermittently exposed, as when Bt is sprayed. The plants kill most of the insects, but a few bugs will survive because of random mutations that make them resistant. They'll not only survive, but they'll gain a reproductive edge, breeding with each other to create strains of Bt-resistant bugs that could dominate an area. To forestall this catastrophe, farmers create "refuges" -- fields planted with the original, non-Bt-modified crops. In these refuges the pests' reproduction will be free of the selection pressures favoring resistant mutants. The few Bt-immune individuals will be overwhelmed by the wild-type, Bt-susceptible insects. And when the resistant bugs mate with the wild-type individuals, their offspring will be vulnerable to the Bt toxin. Refuge field

20. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Cloning • lack of genetic variations

21. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology 100 50 16 14 2 12 18 4 0 10 6 8 Cloning 1 Ethical issues • low success rate  death of embryos justified? implantation % survival day of pregnancy

22. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Cloning 2 Economic issues • worthinvesting the money?

23. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Cloning 3 Environmental issues • clones of endangered animals will still have no place to live  Better spend money on habitat conservation instead?

24. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Cloning Human reproductive cloning • clones are ‘unnatural’ ‘sub-humans’? • relation of the clone with the nucleus donor and the donor’s family? • could the clone experience his/her own life? • cloning lowers the valueof life?

25. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Cloning Human reproductive cloning Risk of abuse • what happens if rich people use the technology to produce servants?

26. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Cloning Human reproductive cloning Risk of abuse • what happens if Adolf Hitler clones himself? • what happens if someone allows only the ‘best’ people to be cloned?

27. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Human Genome Project 1 Ethical issues • diagnosis of a genetic disease before available treatment causes anxiety? I’m sorry. There is no cure for the disease. Oh no.

28. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Human Genome Project 2 Legal issues • who can own or gain access to personal genetic information?

29. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Human Genome Project 2 Legal issues • how can we prevent discrimination against people with particular genotypes and misuse of genetic information? This man has a high risk of developing a fatal genetic disease.

30. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Human Genome Project 2 Legal issues • how can we prevent discrimination against people with particular genotypes and misuse of genetic information? We’d better refuse his insurance application.

31. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Human Genome Project 2 Legal issues • can the presence of a certain gene be used as evidence to prove someone guilty or innocent? My client didn’t do it. His gene did it.

32. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Human Genome Project 3 Social issues • how is the public perception of an individual affected by his/her genetic information? Go! He has a gene related to violence.

33. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Human Genome Project 4 Economic issues • can the same benefits be obtained from lessexpensivealternatives?

34. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Gene therapy 1 Ethical issues • when should gene therapy be used? • acceptable for genetic enhancement? May I change my eye colour using gene therapy?

35. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Gene therapy 1 Ethical issues • when should gene therapy be used? • acceptable for genetic enhancement? • is it playing God? • causes unforeseeable harmful effectson future generations?

36. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Gene therapy 2 Legal issues • how can we obtain informed consent from seriously ill patients or embryos? • how can we prevent misuse of gene therapy to produce a ‘perfect’ human race-- Eugenics?

37. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Gene therapy 3 Social issues • widens the social class gap? 4 Economic issues • right to invest a large sum of money for the benefit of a few patients? • any alternatives?

38. Ethical issues of gene therapy • Is it right to replace a 'defective' gene with a 'normal' one? • Is the answer the same for a gene which causes the bearer pain, as it is where the gene has a merely cosmeticeffect? • Who decides what is 'defective' and what is 'normal'? A 'defective' gene may actually confer some other advantage, e.g. sickled RBC gene. • Is there a danger that we shall in time reduce the variety so essential to evolution, by the progressive removal of unwanted genes or, by combining genes from different species, are we actually increasing variety and favouring evolution? • Where a gene probe detects a fatal abnormality, what criteria, if any, should be applied before deciding whether to carry out an abortion?

39. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Stem cell therapy 1 Ethical issues • human embryos are destroyed to obtain embryonic stem cells  murder? N.B. recent scientific advances may allow production of ES cells without destroying embryos

40. 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Stem cell therapy 2 Legal issues • how can we ensure that the technique would not be used in human reproductive cloning? 3 Social issues • the public become used to the destruction of human life?

41. Are You Ready for the Genetic Revolution? | Jamie Metzl | TEDxPaloAlto • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgGtlLjHMgM

42. 1 Why do people disagree on cloning a whole person? What factors affect their views on it? Values guide the way people make their decision. Values are affected by religion, culture and past experiences, etc.

43. 1 Why do people disagree on cloning a whole person? What factors affect their views on it? In addition, one thing that benefits some people may not be beneficial to others. Thus, people may disagree on cloning a whole person.

44. 2 Do you support the cloning of a whole person? Why? Answers vary with students.

45. Bioethics study of ethical issues and implications brought about by the advances in the areas of biological science and medicine includes biotechnology

46. biotechnology raises legal issues economic issues ethical issues social issues environmental issues