Team:ATOMS-Turkiye/Practices/Ethics


P&P

As Atoms-TURKEY, we have been attending to IGEM for six years. As a result, we, as medical students, carry out health and medical projects. We came across with ethical issues about our studies that interest in ‘Human’ and we presume that it would be the case again in future. Because we do not have enough knowledge about this matter.

 

This year, for sorting out this problem, we have wanted to learn ethical issues’ rules and laws in our country and also all around the world. Therefore, we discussed this subject with ethics experts. One of them was Neyyire Yasemin YALIM who is a Professor of Bioethics in Ankara University School of Medicine Department of Medical Ethics.

She told us that ‘There is not any special law about Ethical issue of genetics in our country. But each study is examined specifically by some ethics committees. In general, the issues to be considered in genetics studies were as follows:

1)  The genetics studies have to be favourable or profitable for humankind and science.

2)  The rights of people who participate in genetics studies and law should not be ignored.

3)  Subjects and purposes of genetics studies should be expressed clearly to all people who want to know.

4)  The pros and cons about the genetics studies to country and world should be paid attention to.’

Along with these general guidelines, we have discussed about our project of ‘Fast & Curious’ as well, she added some useful information for us, as given below:

 

About ulcer part, she said that;

a)  You can make cost-effectiveness analysis.

b)  The availability of your new devices could be examined for all countries.

 

and for cancer part, she added that;

c)  In which step and what proportion your new treatment cure cancer?

d)   Would there be additional applications, such as scanning of stomach, etc.?

 

Thanks to her for additional ideas about our project and her valuable time. Now then, we know some ethical issues about our project fortunately. J