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Team:Tsinghua-A/HumanPractice
From 2014.igem.org
1
Overview
The team planned and implemented several events concerning the application and field of our project. We focused on fields including transgenesis and genetic therapy, where TALE has been widely used as gene editing tool. Two of our teammates attended as guest lecturers a conference held for leaders in sci-tech education of High school and elementary level students in Beijing. Aside from publicity among high school students and educators, we held two seminars on synthetic biology and systems biology in Tsinghua University. Through heated discussions of the fields and our project itself, we managed to raise public awareness of novel advance in such interdisciplinary subjects. Multiple ethics issues were proposed during the seminars considering current topics in synthetic biology. We also conducted questionnaire survey on these issues later on. Results revealed important information and resolution on such. Ethics problems in genetic editing are researched and discussed in relevant pages.
2
Lecture
On Sep. 9th, Xu Chumeng and Liu Huarui gave a lecture on our project and current topics in synthetic biology as part of the conference for leaders in sci-tech education of High school and elementary school students in Beijing. Teachers, high school students and researchers on Bioinformatics, Heredity, Molecular Biology and Botany gathered in Beijing No.8 Middle School aiming at enacting educational plans on science and technology research for high school and elementary level students.
After presenting our project, Chumeng, as an alumna of Beijing No.8 Middle School, shared her experience on high school sci-tech research experience and how it had led to synthetic biology research in Tsinghua. We received a lot of useful insights on our projects from attending researchers. An overview on the current topics in synthetic biology and its applications was delivered by our two teammates. We found that interdisciplinary subjects like synthetic biology still lack awareness among students below collegiate level and their educators. The high school students present at the conference showed keen interest in the topics, even raised a few issues worthy of consideration such as novel application of gene editing, “crazy” but creative ideas in the field of synthetic biology.
3
Seminars
On Oct. 11th. Our team held a seminar in collaboration with team
Tsinghua. We introduced our iGEM project to the undergraduates from school of life science and had heated discussion on synthetic biology, systems biology and bioinformatics. Our introduction of interdisciplinary subjects was attractive, and we even successfully persuaded the scholars to join iGEM in the next year.
We also held a seminar in our own department on Oct. 12th.
4
Survey
In order to find out the people’s mainstream views to transgene, a survey consists of four parts which are basic information, acknowledge about transgenic technology, attitudes towards genetically modified food and perspective of genetic therapy is designed and distributed through internet.
Based on static from basic information, it is confirmed that the investigated people are selected randomly in terms of sex, living city, most of which are highly educated adults.
Referring to transgenic technology, the majority of people have general knowledge of it from traditional media more than daily conversation, who support study in transgene.
Management of drug and label is considered necessary for genetically modified food, because it may contain latent danger without precedents.
Upon genetic therapy, there is a tendency in believing that it will be applied to patience soon, even be able to repair cells, prolong life or accomplish organ transplantation without rejection. However, in consideration of privacy and social ethics, 20 percent of people under investigation are unwilling to possess a “gene ID card” for illness prediction.
Resolutions to present prejudice against transgene：
1. For government，it should strengthen supervision on genetically modified food, which will eliminate public’s worries and detestation on it.
More specifically, first, a series of detailed laws ought to be written for ensure of consumers’ rights.
Then, it had better increase their coverage on the positive influence on genetic technology for social atmosphere.
2. For press media, a positive lead is indispensably to be set, as it plays an important role on influencing mainstream views towards transgene.
Most importantly, any one-sided reportage aiming for catching eyes should be eradicated so as not to deepen misunderstanding.
3. For the medical industry, it is obliged to present an implicit elaboration of genetic therapy to public, rather than different viewpoints from many different so-called experts.
It can make itself more convincing by advertising posters in relative knowledge domain and holding authoritative career talks.
5
Ethics
Genetic editing and genetic therapy (especially those involving transgenesis), key applications of TALE, raise several noticeable ethics problems (listed below).
1. In regard of current lacking of legal treaty on such issues, uncontrolled access to such technologies may cause unpredictable chaos.
2. Experiments conducted on genetic therapy may pose threat to human life.
3. Transgenesis and genetic modifying may have long-term effects on the environment
4. It might be hard to set the boundaries between species with gene editing taken into consideration.
5. Transgenesis may have negative influence on animal welfare.
