BIOTECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE: APPLICATIONS AND ETHICAL ISSUES
HRT 486 / PHL 486 / CSS 486 / FOR 486
Tuesday, Thursday 10:20-11:40; Rm 182 Plant and Soil Sciences
| Rebecca Grumet Horticulture Department Office Hours: Tu/Th following class and by appointment 342 Plant and Soil Sciences 353-5568 grumet@pilot.msu.edu |
Fred Gifford Philosophy Department Office Hours:M 5:40-6:40 & T 1:30-2:30 536 S. Kedzie 353-1993 gifford@pilot.msu.edu |
Texts:
| Barnum, SR Biotechnology: An Introduction Wadsworth Publishing Co., Detroit 1998 |
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| Rollin, BE The Frankenstein Syndrome Cambridge University Press, New York 1995 |
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| Biotechnology in Agriculture Coursepack 1998 |
Course Grading:
| Essays | 20% | |
| Discussion/Class participation | 20% | |
| Midterm | 20% | |
| Final | 20% | |
| Term Paper | 20% |
Course Objective: This course will explore the current uses and emerging biotechnology applications in agriculture and will critically address both the scientific and policy issues involved. The emphasis will be on the scientific basis for the technologies, specific applications, and various associated environmental, social and ethical concerns.
| Class | Date | Topic |
| 1 | 9/1 | Overview of course |
| Introduction to biotechnology and the controversies surrounding it | ||
| Readings: Grumet and Gifford, Prince Charles, Tribe, Fox, Kilman, Brownley, Thompson | ||
| Essay #1 assigned: should transgenic foods be labeled? | ||
| 2 | 9/3 | Historical perspective of genetic engineering in the context of genetics |
| Readings: Barnum c. 1,2 (Watson et al. 1,2); Asilomar packet | ||
| Discussion: Introduction to argument and decision making | ||
| Readings: Riess and Straughan | ||
| 3 | 9/8 | Introduction to ethical argument |
| Readings: Regan; Stitch p. 86-97 | ||
| Discussion: 'Industry groups' - assignment | ||
| Essay #1 due | ||
| 4 | 9/10 | Review of transcription, translation, gene expression, and regulation |
| Readings: Barnum, c. 3 (Watson et al. c. 3,4,8) | ||
| Introduction to cost-benefit analysis | ||
| Readings: Stitch p. 97-115 | ||
| 5 | 9/15 | Discussion: Industry groups - product choice |
| Essay #2 assigned: Term paper topic choice and justification | ||
| 6 | 9/17 | Discussion: Industry groups - what technologies are needed? |
| Molecular genetic tools and techniques I (restriction and ligation, plasmids, libraries, electrophoresis, PCR) | ||
| Readings: Barnum c. 4 (Watson et al. c. 5,6) | ||
| 7 | 9/22 | Evaluation of risk assessment |
| Alar case study | ||
| Readings: Roberts, Consumer Reports, Rosen, NY Times | ||
| Essay #2 due | ||
| 8 | 9/24 | Molecular genetic tools and techniques II (hybridization techniques, sequencingin vitro transcription and translation, mutagenesis), |
| Readings: Barnum c. 4 (Watson et al. c. 7,11) | ||
| 9 | 9/29 | Discussion: Industry groups - how to obtain needed technologies? |
| Molecular genetic tools and techniques III (mapping, fingerprinting, map-based cloning, two-hybrid analysis, DNA microarrays) | ||
| Readings: Waught and Powell, Yoon, Barnum c. 11, Tomb (Watson et al. c. 26) | ||
| 10 | 10/1 | Prepared discussion 1: Scientific method |
| Readings: Rollin p. 11-20; Feynman, Nat. Acad. Rep. p. 1-14 | ||
| 11 | 10/6 | Public involvement in science policy making and regulation |
| Readings: Sclove, Dughan, Rollin p. 67-108 | ||
| 12 | 10/8 | MIDTERM |
| 13 | 10/13 | Prepared discussion 2: Morality, intuition, and G-d |
| Crossing species boundaries, limitations of cost-benefit analysis | ||
| Readings: Rollins c.1; Rifkin, Sagoff, Bova | ||
| 14 | 10/15 | Agriculturally useful microorganisms |
| Ice minus case study | ||
| Readings: Barnum c. 5; O'Connell et al., Krimsky | ||
| 15 | 10/20 | Prepared discussion 3: The biodiversity treaty - germplasm diversity, preservation, ownership |
| Readings: Rhoads; Kloppenberg and Kleinman; Shell; Biodiversity treaty articles | ||
| Essay #3 assigned: Who owns rights to Yellowstone microbes? | ||
| 16 | 10/22 | Plant transformation technologies |
| Readings: Barnum c. 6; Gasser and Fraley, (Watson et al. c. 15) | ||
| Discussion: Structure of biotechnology research; problem selection; who gains? | ||
| Readings: Crouch, Beachy | ||
| 17 | 10/27 | Impact of biotechnology on developing countries |
| Panel of foreign scientists | ||
| Prepared questions | ||
| Readings: Spallone, Gbewonyo, Thro et al., vaccine, Svarstad | ||
| Essay #3 due | ||
| 18 | 10/29 | Production of specialty products in plants |
| Readings: Barnum c. 6; Goddjin and Pen, Mason and Arntzen | ||
| Discussion: Should we produce specialty products in plants? | ||
| 19 | 11/3 | Prepared discussion 4 |
| Impact of biotechnology on the family farm | ||
| Readings: Comstock | ||
| Environmental ethics | ||
| Readings: Sober | ||
| 20 | 11/5 | Biotechnology and the environment |
| Readings: Shah et al.; Cunningham et al. | ||
| Discussion: Can a genetically engineered product be organic? | ||
| Readings: Fox, Hoyle, Perrenboom | ||
| 21 | 11/10 | Scientific evidence concerning release |
| Readings: Keeler, Pimentel | ||
| 22 | 11/12 | Intellectual property rights: patenting living organisms; personal benefit; information exchange |
| Readings: Barnum c. 12, p.196-198; Krimsky, Sagoff/Brody, Wachbroit; Stone, Hoyle; Mestel | ||
| Essay #4 assigned: Should animals be patentable? | ||
| 23 | 11/17 | Animal agriculture, animal biotechnology |
| Guest lecture: Dr. M. Vandehaar | ||
| 24 | 11/19 | Animal rights |
| Readings: Rollin c. 3; Sapontzis | ||
| Essay #4 due | ||
| 25 | 11/24 | Engineered BST |
| Guest lecture: Dr. M. Vandehaar | ||
| 26 | 12/1 | Prepared discussion 5: |
| Economic and social implications of biotechnolgy on agriculture | ||
| Analysis of arguments against BST; are they specific to BST? | ||
| Readings: Schulman, Browne and Hamm | ||
| 27 | 12/3 | Animal cloning and transgenic animals |
| Guest lecture: Dr. G. Smith | ||
| Readings: Barnum c. 7 (Watson et al. c. 24) | ||
| TERM PAPER DUE | ||
| 28 | 12/8 | Prepared discussion 6: animal cloning - ethical implications |
| Readings: MacQuitty, Hogsdon, Marshall, TIME articles, Hopkins | ||
| 29 | 12/10 | Bringing biotechnology products to market |
| Case study: Flavr Savr tomato | ||
| FINAL EXAM - Friday Dec. 18, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon | ||