scholarly journals Synthetic biology: below the radar

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (01) ◽  
pp. R01
Author(s):  
Emma Weitkamp
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
The Public ◽  
Synthetic Approaches

Englehard et al. provide a wide-ranging look at synthetic biology, from discussion of how one might classify different synthetic approaches to consideration of risk and ethical issues. The chapter on public engagement considers why synthetic biology seems to sit below the public radar.

scholarly journals Open Science and the Science-Society Relationship

Society ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 246-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lakomý ◽  
Renata Hlavová ◽  
Hana Machackova
Keyword(s):  
Public Engagement ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
Science Society ◽  
Scientific Institutions

Abstract Nowadays, the prevailing trend in the science-society relationship is to engage with the broader public, which is beneficial for the public, scientific institutes, scientific findings, and the legitimacy of science as a whole. This article provides a broad review of the rapidly growing research on Open Science and identifies the gaps in the current knowledge for future research. The review focuses on the science-society relationship, such that knowledge from this field is summarised and systematised. Insight into the most salient topics, including science communication, public engagement with science, public cognition of science, and challenges and potential unintended consequences connected to interactions with the public are examined. The first section of the paper focuses on science communication which involves efforts and approaches to inform the public about science by the most effective means. The section on public engagement reviews how scientists and scientific institutions are increasingly involved in direct interactions with the public and different groups of stakeholders to make science more open. The section focusing on public cognition of science provides information about public knowledge, perception, and trust regarding science, which both determines and is formed by public engagement. Last, risks, ethical issues, and data issues connected to the implementation of Open Science principles are reviewed, as there are many unintended consequences of Open Science which are examined by this current research. In conclusion, research covering the science-society relationship is rapidly growing. However, it brings multiple challenges as well as opportunities which are captured and discussed in a variety of existing studies. This article provides a coherent overview of this field in order to bring more comprehensible knowledge to scientists, scientific institutions, and outreach professionals.

OP82 Ethical Challenges Related To Engaging Patients And The Public In HTA

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (S1) ◽  
pp. 30-30
Author(s):  
Meredith Vanstone ◽  
Julia Bidonde ◽  
Ken Bond ◽  
Julia Abelson ◽  
Lisa Schwartz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Engagement ◽  
Information Disclosure ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Health Technology ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Recruitment Methods ◽  
The Public ◽  
Risks And Benefits ◽  
Patient And Public Engagement

Introduction:It is widely recognized that the incorporation of patient and public perspectives can enrich health policy decision-making. Methodological and practical advice on engaging patients and the public has proliferated in recent years, with many health technology assessment (HTA) agencies working to formalize their processes in this area. However, despite growing enthusiasm for patient and public engagement, many ethical issues remain unaddressed including: balancing risks and benefits to participants; recruitment methods; reimbursement for time spent participating; representation; and, information disclosure.Methods:In this critical analysis, we draw on our collective experiences engaging with patients and public in the context of HTA. We use principles from two theories, i) research ethics, and ii) participatory governance, to analyze these challenges. The purpose of this analysis is to explore the ways in which risks and benefits to patient and public participants might be balanced in HTA activities.Results:We begin by describing some ethically challenging experiences we have faced when soliciting views and values from patients and members of the public, some anticipated and some unexpected. These challenges include unexpected disclosures of information, navigating power differentials when working with vulnerable populations, eliciting information about potentially traumatizing experiences, and fairly representing controversial and conflicting opinions. We offer examples about what types of patient engagement activities may subject participants to unreasonable risk, and suggest some guiding principles to help plan ethical patient and public engagement activities.Conclusions:Patient and public engagement requires more than just procedural methodological expertise- it also requires the ability to identify and analyze relevant ethical issues. We posit that health technology assessors have a moral obligation to ensure that the risks of patient and public engagement activities do not outweigh the benefits. We call upon the HTA community to engage in thoughtful deliberation about what can be learned from experiences within HTA and in other contexts.

scholarly journals Synthetic biology in the Science Café: what have we learned about public engagement?

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (04) ◽  
pp. A02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin L. Navid ◽  
Edna F. Einsiedel
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
The Public ◽  
Upstream Engagement ◽  
Safety Science ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Science Cafe

Engaging the public on emerging science technologies has often presented challenges. People may hold notions that science is too complicated for them to understand and the venues at which science is discussed are formal and perceived as  inaccessible. One approach to address these challenges is through the Science Café, or Café Scientifique. We conducted five Science Cafés across Canada  to gauge public awareness of synthetic biology technology, its potential applications, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the Science Café platform as a  knowledge-translation tool. Café participants were excited about the potential benefits of synthetic biology technology, but also concerned about the potential  risks. And while participants trusted scientists to carry out their research, there was limited confidence that regulators would ensure public safety. Science  Cafés as a forum for science to meet society were viewed positively for the relaxed atmosphere, small crowd size and informality of the venue. We conclude  that Science Cafés are an effective upstream engagement platform for discussing emerging science technologies.

Synthetic Biology between Self-Regulation and Public Discourse: Ethical Issues and the Many Roles of the Ethicist

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
GARDAR ARNASON
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Moral Judgments ◽  
The Public ◽  
Biology I ◽  
Technical Issues ◽  
The Many

Abstract:This article discusses the roles of ethicists in the governance of synthetic biology. I am particularly concerned with the idea of self-regulation of bioscience and its relationship to public discourse about ethical issues in bioscience. I will look at the role of philosophical ethicists at different levels and loci, from the “embedded ethicist” in the laboratory or research project, to ethicists’ impact on policy and public discourse. In a democratic society, the development of governance frameworks for emerging technologies, such as synthetic biology, needs to be guided by a well-informed public discourse. In the case of synthetic biology, the public discourse has to go further than merely considering technical issues of biosafety and biosecurity, or risk management, to consider more philosophical issues concerning the meaning and value of “life” between the natural and the synthetic. I argue that ethicists have moral expertise to bring to the public arena, which consists not only in guiding the debate but also in evaluating arguments and moral positions and making normative judgments. When ethicists make normative claims or moral judgments, they must be transparent about their theoretical positions and basic moral standpoints.

Ethics and research in psychiatry: Engagement with patients and public

2020 ◽  
pp. 71-82
Author(s):  
Stephani L. Hatch ◽  
Billy Gazard ◽  
Diana Rose
Keyword(s):  
Public Engagement ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Patient And Public Involvement ◽  
Psychiatric Research ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
The Public ◽  
Patient And Public Engagement

This chapter explores the ethical issues that arise in psychiatric research in relation to engagement with patients and the general public. Over the past decade, there has been a significant shift in psychiatric and other medical research that places an emphasis on the engagement and involvement of patients and the public. This shift has resulted in changes in the expectations of the way research is conducted and disseminated, specifically regarding the level of scientific knowledge that should be accessible to service users and the public. The chapter begins by making the distinction between patient and public engagement and patient and public involvement. It then discusses basic ethical principles as they relate to engagement, and provides examples of how patient and public engagement is situated within psychiatric research agendas, particularly as it relates to participatory action approaches. It concludes with three brief case studies of engagement approaches in psychiatric research with discussion of ethical issues that may arise in different types of engagement.

Flood alleviation in a heavily urbanized area – Kai Tak Nullah, Hong Kong

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan K. L. Chan ◽  
Colin K. C. Wong ◽  
Robin H. N. Lee ◽  
Mike W. H. Cho
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Hydraulic Modelling ◽  
The Public ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Urbanized Area ◽  
Development Area ◽  
The Government ◽  
Exercise Design

The existing Kai Tak Nullah flows from Po Kong Village Road along Choi Hung Road and Tung Tau Estate into Kai Tak Development Area before discharging into the Victoria Harbour. Historically its upstream has been subject to flooding under storm conditions and this has had serious repercussions for the adjacent urban areas. A study has been commissioned by the Drainage Services Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), China to investigate the flood mechanisms and to provide flood alleviation measures by improving the capacity of the Kai Tak Nullah. In addition to flood alleviation, there is a strong public aspiration to rehabilitate the Kai Tak Nullah by a comparatively natural river design. Since the Kai Tak Nullah is located within a heavily urbanized area, traffic and environmental impacts are also highly concerned. The final flood alleviation scheme has thus had to strike a balance among the aforesaid factors with assistance from the hydraulic modelling utilizing InfoWorks Collection Systems (CS) software. This paper presents the public engagement exercise, design considerations, methodologies, and recommendations regarding the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Kai Tak Nullah.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic, Transparency, and “Polidemic” in the Republic of Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-224
Author(s):  
Cheol Kang ◽  
Ilhak Lee
Keyword(s):  
Media Coverage ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Republic Of Korea ◽  
Global Media ◽  
The Public ◽  
Rational Debate ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
The Republic ◽  
New Perspective

AbstractThis article examines the development of the Republic of Korea’s strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 with particular focus on ethical issues and the problem of politicization of public communication. Using prominent examples of stakeholders who have acted and expressed themselves in highly contradictory ways on the topic of the pandemic, we provide an analysis of how the public health policy discourse has entered into the realm of politicization and elaborate on the danger that this phenomenon poses in terms of rational debate and appropriate policy measures geared toward the public’s safety. Considering the role that the Republic of Korea have had in global media coverage of quarantine policies and epidemic prevention, we believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it provides a new perspective and insights into the forces at work within and around a prevention strategy that has both been lauded and seen as highly controversial.

scholarly journals Virus Eradication and Synthetic Biology: Changes with SARS-CoV-2?

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 569
Author(s):  
Jean-Nicolas Tournier ◽  
Joseph Kononchik
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
Virus Eradication ◽  
Disease Eradication ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
Significant Effort

The eradication of infectious diseases has been achieved only once in history, in 1980, with smallpox. Since 1988, significant effort has been made to eliminate poliomyelitis viruses, but eradication is still just out of reach. As the goal of viral disease eradication approaches, the ability to recreate historically eradicated viruses using synthetic biology has the potential to jeopardize the long-term sustainability of eradication. However, the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 pandemic has highlighted our ability to swiftly and resolutely respond to a potential outbreak. This virus has been synthetized faster than any other in the past and is resulting in vaccines before most attenuated candidates reach clinical trials. Here, synthetic biology has the opportunity to demonstrate its truest potential to the public and solidify a footing in the world of vaccines.

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