Team:BGU ISRAEL/Ethics/EtichsAndSaftey
Ethics
When we first thought about our idea for the iGEM project we didn't know much about the ethical issues that may arise from the synthetic biology field and from biodegradation of plastics. On our journey to develop "PlastiCure" we encountered some of those ethical issue. In order to produce a product that truly helps the environment but doesn't harms mankind in the process, we learned about how important the ethical issue is. So, During the summer, we met several experts from the Bioethics Field, who gave us new insights about synthetic biology ethical issues.
Our first meeting was with Professor Ute Deichmann, Professor for History and Philosophy of Science. In the meeting, Professor Deichmann explained us the impotency of ethics in research. In the end of the meeting, she offered us to meet with Prof. Shimon Glick for further knowledge.
Our second meeting was with Prof. Shimon Glick from the Faculty of Health Sciences (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel), who is an expert in the field of Jewish medical ethics. In our meeting we deepened our knowledge about ethical issues in Synthetic Biology and gained an interesting aspect of Jewish approach to different ethical issues posed by this new technology.
Shimon Glick describes several ethical issues related to Synthetic Biology from a Jewish aspect in a paper he published a few years ago:” Synthetic Biology: A Jewish View” (1): Ethics raises many issues and controversy in science. According to Judaism philosophy, man is considered as a collaborator with God; his motives to research are pure. His goal is to improve mankind and its surroundings. However, there are many risks when we deal with science, like deliberate abuse or dangerous miscalculations.
After the meeting with Prof. Glick, we continued to learn that ethics in science has been treated carefully in Jadaism. Here's a quote from Rabi Moshe Ben Maimom - philosopher, scientist, polymath and one of the most important adjudicators ever (2): "If men possessed wisdom, which stands in the same relation to the form of man as the sight to the eye, they would not cause any injury to themselves or to others, for the knowledge of the truth removes hatred and quarrels, and prevents mutual injuries".
we, at PlastiCure BGU iGEM team, conduct our research from pure motives. Our will is to protect the environment and to find an effective and simple way to deal with the problem of plastic waste.
In addition to the ethics issues, one of our main goals is to create a safe and controlled work environment. Therefore, we follow strict safety rules that enable us to ensure minimum mistakes and ideal conditions for our work.
Address:
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben Gurion 1, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel
Mail: igembgu2016@gmail.com
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