DIYbio and Bioethics {entering soft-science}

[Jeswin]

I was wondering if anyone is a hobbyist philosopher(or related, not
sure the name) who is studying Bioethics (the whole field rather than
DIYbio only). Why should DIYbio be confined to "hard" science like
labwork or in-silico? Is anyone, as a hobby, thinking and writing on
morals and ethics in biology and other science fields?

***Sorry if my words are not well-chosen, e.g. "soft-science",
"confined", etc. I hope my point is understandable.

[drllau]

Anyone who's done a PhD sorta picks up Philosophy of Science via osmosis (why do we do the things we do?)
Outside that, the consequences of science and role in wider society is more nebulous as it's not what you take out of it, but re-examining the values that you bring to the debate. I'd recommend just subscribing to the science in society type blogs (in NZ it's http://sciblogs.co.nz/terms/category/science-and-society/) and avoid the esoteric language.

I'll give you an ethical dilemma (one that a researcher I know is looking into). We now have genetic tests ... to what extent they should be available or even prescribed prior to an abortion? Given that often there are govt subsidies, should they extend to such tests? Or would private insurance companies insist on them least they're left holdin the baby (figuratively speaking).

Lawrence
http://www.linkedin.com/in/drllau

[Cory Geesaman]

How does a genetic test even relate to an abortion in such a way that it could be prescribed prior?

[Nathan McCorkle]

On Sun, Apr 1, 2012 at 8:51 AM, Cory Geesaman <co...@geesaman.com> wrote:

How does a genetic test even relate to an abortion in such a way that it could be prescribed prior?

My thought exactly... unless the companies/govt was mining for special genetic traits for super soldiers, etc. Still that is a little far-fetched. 

--
Nathan McCorkle
Rochester Institute of Technology
College of Science, Biotechnology/Bioinformatics

[Simon Quellen Field]

I think some imagination could serve here.

In a state where abortion is only allowed after rape, a genetic test to make sure the

baby wasn't fathered by the husband, boyfriend or other consensual partner might

(I almost said 'conceivably' here) be legally required.

But there might also be cases where the fear of a genetic disability might be the reason

for the abortion, and a test of fetal cells could rule it out.

Now, if he had said 'proscribed' instead of 'prescribed', that would also conjure up interesting

distopian fantasies.

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[drllau]

Trust me for opening my mouth and tossing thoughts in the air without thinking. The paper is

http://www.otago.ac.nz/anthropology/anth/publications/conference/FitzgeraldSMA2009.pdf
2010, Marsden, Troubling Choice. Exploring and explaining techniques of moral reasoning for people living at the intersection of reproductive technologies, genetics, and disability, Feb 2011 – Feb 2014. (PI along with CoPIs Assoc. Prof. Julie Park, University of Auckland, and Assoc. Prof. Mike Legge, University of Otago).

and a general public version of research http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/university-otago/133363/troubling-choice
< quote> Reproductive decisions as to whether to terminate a pregnancy or give birth to a child with genetic anomalies are often made rapidly in real life.  </quote>

I'm not arguing the case one way or another but pointing out the dilemmas out there.

Lawrence
http://www.linkedin.com/in/drllau

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[Lisa Thalheim]

Hey,

On Sun, Apr 1, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Simon Quellen Field <sfi...@scitoys.com> wrote:

> In a state where abortion is only allowed after rape, a genetic test to make
> sure the
> baby wasn't fathered by the husband, boyfriend or other consensual partner
> might
> (I almost said 'conceivably' here) be legally required.

s/baby wasn't fathered by the husband, boyfriend or other consensual
partner/baby wasn't fathered by someone other than the perpetrator of
the rape/

Let's be clear about the possibility of rapes happening within
marriages or committed relationships.

[Lisa Thalheim]

Hello Jeswin,

I occasionally spend time on working through bioethics issues, mostly
centered around privacy, civil rights, intellectual property &
biopiracy, epistemology, and the problematic concept of "naturalness"
in certain types of arguments against genetic engineering.
I don't write on it much, though - not enough hours in a day.

If you're interested in this, you may like (or already know?) the book
"Tactical Biopolitics" for a start.

More generally: do you already know what particularly interests you in
the area of bioethics?

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[Cat Ferguson]

I very much enjoy studying issues in bioethics. I'm not sure where to draw the line about hobbies, since I'm going to school for neuroscience, but it's certainly something I pay attention to for extracurricular fun. I mostly focus on issues of neuroscience - psychopharm, neural enhancement, etc. I haven't written anything (though I'm planning to in the near future) but I sure do argue about it a lot :)

Cat

[eriksonj]

I think as far as prenatal genetic testing, he is referring to the T13/T18/T21 trisomy tests from Sequenom, Verinata, etc.  The idea is to test for genetic abnormalities early on so you can abort the baby within a safe range.  Prenatal testing is going to expand into into other tests (CF etc.) in order to guarantee the parents a non-defective baby.

I think "prescribed" is the wrong word to use.

[Simon Quellen Field]

I was careful to say consensual partner.

But I understand that these are sensitive issues, and people will read them in ways that

they were not intended.

Your point is well taken.

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[drllau]

Why treat it as a hobby? See lecturer level job at Otago University  ...

 

https//docushare.otago.ac.nz/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-73242/JD%201200390.pdf

 

with research themes in

- neuroethics - moral aspects of personhood & brain changes

- reproductive ethics

- human enhancement (sport, cosmetic) with fear of transhumaism

- philosophy of mental health

- sport medicine and competitiveness

- cross culture (Daoist attitude v indigenous)

- end of life

 

Lawrence

http://www.linkedin.com/in/drllau