Difference between revisions of "Team:Hawaii/Human Practices"

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<h3>★  ALERT! </h3>
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<p>This page is used by the judges to evaluate your team for the <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Judging/Medals">medal criterion</a> or <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Judging/Awards"> award listed below</a>. </p>
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<p> Delete this box in order to be evaluated for this medal criterion and/or award. See more information at <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Judging/Pages_for_Awards"> Instructions for Pages for awards</a>.</p>
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    <h1>ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS</h1>
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    <p id="p1"> Transgenesis, the transfer of genetic material from one organism to another, has the potential to offer new beneficial traits to an organism. Providing advantageous genes to crops could aid in feeding our growing population and increasing the quality of produce. However, transgenic crops pose health and environmental concerns. </p>
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    <p>Centromeric retrotransposable (CR) elements utilize a natural transportation system to package and carry genes to functional centromeres. Centromeres are interesting transgene targets as the location offers genes a sort of “protection” with its lack of recombination activity. This could store beneficial genes to accumulate useful traits. However, with some mechanisms of reinsertion unknown, using CR elements to transport genes to a crucial area of cell division poses various risks. We must thoroughly understand the implications of both transgenic modification and the use of this retrotransposition system. A few concerns would be as follows:</p>
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    <h3>HEALTH</h3>
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    <p> Although CR elements identify centromeric regions for integration, will there ever be a chance of CR elements integrating into areas of high gene expression in the genome? How will we know? Will other traits be affected by reintegration of CR elements into the centromere in the present and future? How will these new traits affect other organisms? These questions must be answered by further research. </p>
  
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    <h3>ENVIRONMENT</h3>
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    <p> Can and will modified transgenic crops form reactive or harmful substances with other molecules on Earth? Will downstream effects of transgenic crop production (abundance, resistance to pests...etc.) lead to changes in the food chain? Such questions may be tested through short-term and long-term experiments that introduce transgenic crops to closed artificial environmental systems. </p>
  
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    <h3>REGULATION</h3>
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    <p> To what extent will transgenic modifications be regulated? Who will make the decision on what genes are deemed “useful”? Will those who object to consuming transgenic products have an equal and alternative option? Who will have a say in determining how transgenic modifications are regulated? These issues must be considered prior to public release. </p>
  
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    <p>Weighing the risks and benefits of genetic modifications will be important in determining when and how transgenic crops may be used in the future. </p>
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<h1>Human Practices</h1>
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At iGEM we believe societal considerations should be upfront and integrated throughout the design and execution of synthetic biology projects. “Human Practices” refers to iGEM teams’ efforts to actively consider how the world affects their work and the work affects the world. Through your Human Practices activities, your team should demonstrate how you have thought carefully and creatively about whether your project is responsible and good for the world. We invite you to explore issues relating (but not limited) to the ethics, safety, security, and sustainability of your project, and to show how this exploration feeds back into your project purpose, design and execution.
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<p>For more information, please see the <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Human_Practices">Human Practices Hub</a>. There you will find:</p>
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<li> an <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Human_Practices/Introduction">introduction</a> to Human Practices at iGEM </li>
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<li>tips on <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Human_Practices/How_to_Succeed">how to succeed</a> including explanations of judging criteria and advice about how to conduct and document your Human Practices work</li>
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<li>descriptions of <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Human_Practices/Examples">exemplary work</a> to inspire you</li>
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<li>links to helpful <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Human_Practices/Resources">resources</a></li>
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<li>And more! </li>
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<p>On this page, your team should document all of your Human Practices work and activities. You should write about the Human Practices topics you considered in your project, document any activities you conducted to explore these topics (such as engaging with experts and stakeholders), describe why you took a particular approach (including referencing any work you built upon), and explain if and how you integrated takeaways from your Human Practices work back into your project purpose, design and/or execution. </p>
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<p>If your team has gone above and beyond in work related to safety, then you should document this work on your Safety wiki page and provide a description and link on this page. If your team has developed education and public engagement efforts that go beyond a focus on your particular project, and for which would like to nominate your team for the Best Education and Public Engagement Special Prize, you should document this work on your Education and Education wiki page and provide a description and link here. </p>
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<p>The iGEM judges will review this page to assess whether you have met the Silver and/or Gold medal requirements based on the Integrated Human Practices criteria listed below. If you nominate your team for the <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Judging/Awards">Best Integrated Human Practices Special Prize</a> by filling out the corresponding field in the <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Judging/Judging_Form">judging form</a>, the judges will also review this page to consider your team for that prize.
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<h3>Silver Medal Criterion #3</h3>
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<p>Convince the judges you have thought carefully and creatively about whether your work is responsible and good for the world. Document how you have investigated these issues and engaged with your relevant communities, why you chose this approach, and what you have learned. Please note that surveys will not fulfill this criteria unless you follow scientifically valid methods. </p>
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<p>Expand on your silver medal activity by demonstrating how you have integrated the investigated issues into the purpose, design and/or execution of your project. Document how your project has changed based upon your human practices work.
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<h3>Best Integrated Human Practices Special Prize</h3>
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<p>To compete for the Best Integrated Human Practices prize, please describe your work on this page and also fill out the description on the judging form. </p>
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<p>How does your project affect society and how does society influence the direction of your project? How might ethical considerations and stakeholder input guide your project purpose and design and the experiments you conduct in the lab? How does this feedback enter into the process of your work all through the iGEM competition? Document a thoughtful and creative approach to exploring these questions and how your project evolved in the process to compete for this award!</p>
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<p>You must also delete the message box on the top of this page to be eligible for this prize.</p>
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Revision as of 23:46, 2 October 2018

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Transgenesis, the transfer of genetic material from one organism to another, has the potential to offer new beneficial traits to an organism. Providing advantageous genes to crops could aid in feeding our growing population and increasing the quality of produce. However, transgenic crops pose health and environmental concerns.

Centromeric retrotransposable (CR) elements utilize a natural transportation system to package and carry genes to functional centromeres. Centromeres are interesting transgene targets as the location offers genes a sort of “protection” with its lack of recombination activity. This could store beneficial genes to accumulate useful traits. However, with some mechanisms of reinsertion unknown, using CR elements to transport genes to a crucial area of cell division poses various risks. We must thoroughly understand the implications of both transgenic modification and the use of this retrotransposition system. A few concerns would be as follows:

HEALTH

Although CR elements identify centromeric regions for integration, will there ever be a chance of CR elements integrating into areas of high gene expression in the genome? How will we know? Will other traits be affected by reintegration of CR elements into the centromere in the present and future? How will these new traits affect other organisms? These questions must be answered by further research.

ENVIRONMENT

Can and will modified transgenic crops form reactive or harmful substances with other molecules on Earth? Will downstream effects of transgenic crop production (abundance, resistance to pests...etc.) lead to changes in the food chain? Such questions may be tested through short-term and long-term experiments that introduce transgenic crops to closed artificial environmental systems.

REGULATION

To what extent will transgenic modifications be regulated? Who will make the decision on what genes are deemed “useful”? Will those who object to consuming transgenic products have an equal and alternative option? Who will have a say in determining how transgenic modifications are regulated? These issues must be considered prior to public release.

Weighing the risks and benefits of genetic modifications will be important in determining when and how transgenic crops may be used in the future.