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Workshop: Biotech Age

The Lisbon Workshop 28-29 January 2005

Biotech Age

The interest and development in biotechnology and its applications is rapid and awesome. By means of this development we are now able to influence our own evolution and the development of other organisms, which raises a number of ethical, legal, political and social concerns. Generally, biotechnology affects human life in a number of ways where currently the optimistic views are counterbalanced by public concern of the risks involved.  These are some of the issues we would wish to be elucidated in the Lisbon workshop:

• New perceptions of health, disease, normality and functional impairment are potential breakthroughs for the human kind and concurrently frightening if issues concerning privacy and the use of such information in biobanks are not handled properly. A great interest have been attached to stem cell research, therapeutic cloning, xenotransplantation and pharmacogenetics
  
• Controversies surrounding genetically modified organisms concern positive effects on agricultural productivity and its potential promises in the fight against malnutrition and starvation as well as a lessen dependence on pesticides versus negative effects such as threats to human health, food safety and adverse effects on biological diversity
  
• R&D in biotechnology is often financed by private capital due to its potential commercial possibilities. This raises concerns about global and state regulations, governance and other economical, ethical and legal actions. Discussions entail issues such as intellectual property rights, patenting of genes, monopolization of discoveries, public attitudes and protection against risks.

There is a growing need to analyze and carry out empirical investigations on these and other pertinent issues in the fields of biotechnology from a social science perspective. Therefore we welcome sociological, ethical and interdisciplinary research that could bring new ideas, theories, methods and data to elucidate the profound consequences of biotechnology and its applications.

Timetable and Agenda

Friday, January 28

10:00-10:30 Opening Session

Paper session 1 (10:30-13:00)

Chair: Luísa Oliveira

1.1. Nicolas Léchopier, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne / IHPST:
Epidemiology, Marketing and Research Finalities

11:15-11:30 Coffee break

1.2. Halldor Stefansson, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany:
Science and the Industry of Anti-aging

1.3. Franc Mali, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia:
The Recent Dilemmas of Social and Legal Regulations of Biotechnology

13:00-14:30 Lunch

Paper session 2 (14:30-18:00)

Chair: Aaro Tupasela

2.1. Sven Hemlin, Gotenberg University, Sweden:
Pharmacogenetics; what it is and what some of its effects could turn out to be

2.2. Kjell Andersson, Sweden:
Models of Transparency and Accountability in the biotech Age

16:00-16:15 Coffee break

2.3. Klaus Hoeyer, Mette Hartlev, Lene Kock, University of Copenhagen, Denmark:
Stem Cells, Ownership and other entitlement

17:00-18:00 Business Meeting

Saturday, January 29

Paper session 3 (10:00-12:30)

Chair: Sven Hemlin

3.1. Aaro Tupasela, University of Helsinki:
Biomedical Research destabilizing estabilished frameworks: Hereditary disease, prevention and the chalenge of regulation

3.2. Maria Reyes Gil-Delgado, University Pontificia Comillas, Madrid:
Biosafety Regulations and Enviromental Liability in the Biotechnology field

11:30-11:45 Coffee break

3.3. Graham Dutfield; Uma Suthersanen, Queen Mary University of London:
DNA Music: law, logic and unintended consequences

12:30-14:00 Lunch

Paper session 4 (14:45-18:00)

Chair: Franc Mali

4.1. Maarten Mentzel, University of Leiden, Netherlands:
Issues of Power, Risk and Ethics in the Biotech Debate

4.2. Katarina Prpic, Institute for Social Research of Zagreb, Croatia:
Research ethics in biosciences and other scientif fields: an empirical comparison

16:15-16:30 Coffee break

4.3. Helena Siipi and Juha Räikkä, University of Turku, Finland:
Genetic Democracy and Mystification of Genetechnologies

4.4. Maria Alexandra Abreu Lima e Lia Vasconcelos, Estação Agronómica Nacional e Universidade Nova de Lisboa:
One Step Further: young student’s perceptions on plant biotechnology and their ethical reasoning about S&T in shaping adult visioning

Abstracts: click on the links above.

List of Participants

Luísa Oliveira - Dinâmia/ ISCTE - Lisboa
Nicolas Léchopier - Université Paris I
Halldor Stefansson - European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
Franc Mali - University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Sven Hemlin - Gotenberg University, Sweden
Kjell Andersson - Karita research, Sweden
Klaus Hoeyer - University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Mette Harley - University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Aaro Tupasela - University of Helsinki, Finland
Maria Reyes Gil-Delgado - University Pontificia Comillas, Madrid
Mr. Gil- Delgado - University Pontificia Comillas, Madrid
Graham Dutfield - Queen Mary University of London
Uma Suthersanen - Queen Mary University of London
Maarta Mentzel - University of Leiden, Netherlands
Franz Birrer - University of Leiden, Netherlands
Katarina Prpic - Institute for Social Research of Zagreb, Croatia
Helena Siipi - University of Turku, Finland
Juha Räikkä - University of Turku, Finland
Maria Alexandra Abreu Lima - Estação Agronómica Nacional e Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Lia Vasconcelos - Estação Agronómica Nacional e Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Raymund Werle - Max Planck Institute, Germany
Maria Eduarda Gonçalves - Dinâmia /ISCTE, Lisboa
Lars Ursin - Norwegian University for Technology and Science, Norway
Celsina Favorito - Universida Nova de Lisboa
Anabela Serrão - ISCTE, Lisboa

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Sociology of Science and Technology NETwork - last update: April 2006