Team:Northeastern/Human Practices
Human Practices
Bioethics of Genetic Engineering
With all of the cynicism and spectacle regarding genetic engineering in the mainstream media, for the human practices portion of our project we wanted to educate the general public on what synthetic biology really is and what it has the capabilities to do. We created an informational video giving some facts and expert opinions on synthetic biology to inform those without a scientific background and hopefully reduce the stigma. We researched the history of synthetic biology, starting with selectively breeding crops for a higher output, interviewed Northeastern University bioengineering and ethics professors, and interviewed synthetic biologists at Joslin Diabetes Center who are studying aging in the nematode C. elegans. The video aims to diminish the dramatic representation of biological engineering in the media and cultivate more thoughtful opinions towards it, because in the future our world will be influenced greatly by the possibilities genetic engineering has to offer.
