Ethical Issues in Biotechnology


Book Description

Visit our website for sample chapters!




Ethical Issues in Biotechnology


Book Description

Ethical Issues in Biotechnology is the first textbook of its kind, written collaboratively by a philosopher and a biologist to provide undergraduate students with a comprehensive, accessible introduction to the ethical and scientific fundamentals of biotechnology. Engaging the ethics and the science side by side, the text addresses pressing questions in agricultural, food, and animal biotechnology; human genetics; gene therapy; human cloning; and stem cell research. A general introduction to both the moral philosophy and fundamentals of genetics is enhanced throughout the text with section-specific introductions addressing the particular philosophical and scientific challenges posed by the topic under consideration. Diagrams and drawings, study cases, liberal use of practical examples, and suggestions for further reading make the text an ideal resource for a broad range of students interested in issues and questions lying at the intersection of philosophy and genetics.




An Introduction to Ethical, Safety and Intellectual Property Rights Issues in Biotechnology


Book Description

An Introduction to Ethical, Safety and Intellectual Property Rights Issues in Biotechnology provides a comprehensive look at the biggest technologies that have revolutionized biology since the early 20th century, also discussing their impact on society. The book focuses on issues related to bioethics, biosafety and intellectual property rights, and is written in an easy-to-understand manner for graduate students and early career researchers interested in the opportunities and challenges associated with advances in biotechnology. Important topics covered include the Human Genome Project, human cloning, rDNA technology, the 3Rs and animal welfare, bioterrorism, human rights and genetic discrimination, good laboratory practices, good manufacturing practices, the protection of biological material and much more. Full of relevant case studies, practical examples, weblinks and resources for further reading, this book offers an essential and holistic look at the ways in which biotechnology has affected our global society. Provides a comprehensive look at the ethical, legal and social implications of biotechnology Discusses the global efforts made to resolve issues Incorporates numerous case studies to more clearly convey concepts and chart the development of guidelines and legislation regulating issues in biotechnology Takes a straightforward approach to highlight and discuss both the benefits and risks associated with the latest biotechnologies




BioIndustry Ethics


Book Description

This book is the first systematic, detailed treatment of the approaches to ethical issues taken by biotech and pharmaceutical companies. The application of genetic/genomic technologies raises a whole spectrum of ethical questions affecting global health that must be addressed. Topics covered in this comprehensive survey include considerations for bioprospecting in transgenics, genomics, drug discovery, and nutrigenomics, as well as how to improve stakeholder relations, design ethical clinical trials, avoid conflicts of interest, and establish ethics advisory boards. The expert authors represent multiple disciplines including law, medicine, bioinformatics, pharmaceutics, business, and ethics.




Food Biotechnology in Ethical Perspective


Book Description

This revised edition updates Thompson’s trail-blazing study of ethical and philosophical issues raised by biotechnology. The 1997 book was the first by a philosopher to address food and agricultural biotechnology, discussing ethical issues associated with risk assessment, labelling, animal transformation, patents, and impact on traditional farming communities. The new edition addresses the debates of the intervening decade, including cloning, the Precautionary Principle, and the biotechnology debate between the United States and Europe.




Biotechnology


Book Description

Biotechnologyâ€"the manipulation of the basic building blocks of lifeâ€"is rapidly advancing in laboratories around the world. It has become routine to refer to DNA fingerprints and genetically engineered foods. Yet the "how to" of biotechnology is only the beginning. For every report of new therapies or better ways to produce food, there is a Jurassic Park scenario to remind us of the potential pitfalls. Biotechnology raises serious issues for scientists and nonscientists alike: Who will decide what is safe? Who will have access to our personal genetic information? What are the risks when advanced science becomes big business? In Biotechnology, experts from science, law, industry, and government explore a cross-section of emerging issues. This book offers straightforward explanations of basic science and provides insight into the serious social questions raised by these findings. The discussions explore five key areas: The state of the art in biotechnology-including an overview of the genetic revolution, the development of recombinant DNA technology, and the possibilities for applying the new techniques. Potential benefits to medicine and the environment-including gene therapy, the emerging area of tissue engineering and biomaterials, and the development of therapeutic proteins. Issues in technology transfer-focusing on the sometimes controversial relationship between university research centers and industry. Ethics, behavior, and values-exploring the ethical issues that surround basic research and applications of new technology, with a discussion of scientific misconduct and a penetrating look at the social impact of genetic discoveries. Government's role-including a comparison of U.S., European, and Japanese policies on pharmaceutical and biotechnology development. Biotechnology is here to stay, and this volume adds immeasurably to understanding its multiple aspects and far-reaching implications. This book will be of interest to scientists and industry leaders involved in biotechnology issues-and it will be welcomed by the concerned lay reader. Frederick B. Rudolph, Ph.D., is a professor of biochemistry and cell biology at Rice University and is executive director of the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering. Larry V. McIntire, Ph.D., is the E. D. Butcher Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at Rice University and is chair of the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering.




Biotechnology, Bioethics and the Law


Book Description

With every new advancement in biotechnology, ethical and legal questions arise. Sometimes, those questions are easily addressed and settled. However, more often, these issues are not easily resolved and at times are left to the democratic process or markets to establish the boundaries of technological pioneering. In Biotechnology, Bioethics, and the Law, the authors canvass the broader fields, valleys, and pastures of biotechnology, providing mostly cases, but at times law review and medical journal articles to provide a comprehensive look at a given technology. Their goal is to encourage a critical engagement on the topics shared in the book, whether on cloning animals and plants for human consumption, drug regulation, or human reproduction and eugenics. Many of the cases contained in the book provide novel questions for judges. Some of these cases are the first impression for the courts, meaning that judges are attempting to learn the law in these new areas and develop its jurisprudence at the same time that the public -- or the reader -- are doing the same. As students read the cases, they are asked to consider whether they would reach the same conclusions as the courts. Are these issues better left to legislatures? Are markets the best forum for efficiently resolving biotechnological conundrums?




Animal Biotechnology and Ethics


Book Description

Advanced biomedical techniques such as genetic engineering are now used extensively in animal related research and development. As the pace of development has quickened, there has been growing public anxiety about the ethical issues involved. Animal Biotechnology and Ethics draws together in one book some of the leading themes and issues which have emerged in the recent debates surrounding biotechnology as applied to animals. With contributions from authors of many different viewpoints, the subject is given a thorough and balanced treatment. Among those to whom the book will be of particular interest are practitioners of animal biotechnology, and those whose interest lies in assessing its credentials, such as philosophers and social or political scientists. It also has a great deal to interest policy-makers and pressure groups, as well as more general readers. The strong chapters on the legal and regulatory framework will make it useful to those involved in advising on company policy, patenting or litigation.




The Case against Perfection


Book Description

Breakthroughs in genetics present us with a promise and a predicament. The promise is that we will soon be able to treat and prevent a host of debilitating diseases. The predicament is that our newfound genetic knowledge may enable us to manipulate our nature—to enhance our genetic traits and those of our children. Although most people find at least some forms of genetic engineering disquieting, it is not easy to articulate why. What is wrong with re-engineering our nature? The Case against Perfection explores these and other moral quandaries connected with the quest to perfect ourselves and our children. Michael Sandel argues that the pursuit of perfection is flawed for reasons that go beyond safety and fairness. The drive to enhance human nature through genetic technologies is objectionable because it represents a bid for mastery and dominion that fails to appreciate the gifted character of human powers and achievements. Carrying us beyond familiar terms of political discourse, this book contends that the genetic revolution will change the way philosophers discuss ethics and will force spiritual questions back onto the political agenda. In order to grapple with the ethics of enhancement, we need to confront questions largely lost from view in the modern world. Since these questions verge on theology, modern philosophers and political theorists tend to shrink from them. But our new powers of biotechnology make these questions unavoidable. Addressing them is the task of this book, by one of America’s preeminent moral and political thinkers.




Encyclopedia of Ethical, Legal, and Policy Issues in Biotechnology


Book Description

This set is comprehensive and technically literate and more informative on regulation and policy issues. Thomas Murray is a world-renowned leader in this field.