Difference between revisions of "Team:UChicago/Practices"
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− | <p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span | + | <p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span |
− | style='font-size: | + | style='font-size:32.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#C00000'>Human |
− | Practices</span></p> | + | Practices</span></b></p> |
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:14.0pt; | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:14.0pt; | ||
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line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'> </span></p> | line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'> </span></p> | ||
− | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size: | + | <p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:150%'><span |
− | line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'>Designing bacteria | + | style='font-size:16.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif; |
− | with the intention of allowing it to proliferate inside the human body presents | + | color:black'>Designing bacteria with the intention of allowing it to |
− | a myriad of potential ethical problems. For example, a research team at | + | proliferate inside the human body presents a myriad of potential ethical |
− | Vanderbilt University recently designed a strain of bacteria capable of | + | problems. For example, a research team at Vanderbilt University recently |
− | generating a hunger-suppressing lipid <i>in vivo<sup>1</sup></i>. Given that | + | designed a strain of bacteria capable of generating a hunger-suppressing lipid <i>in |
− | one in three Americans is currently obese, this has the potential to | + | vivo<sup>1</sup></i>. Given that one in three Americans is currently obese, |
− | significantly impact public health<sup>1</sup>. However, a person treated with | + | this has the potential to significantly impact public health<sup>1</sup>. |
− | these bacteria could accidentally transmit them to others via fecal exposure, | + | However, a person treated with these bacteria could accidentally transmit them |
− | thus negatively impacting other members of the population without their | + | to others via fecal exposure, thus negatively impacting other members of the |
− | knowledge or consent<sup>1</sup>. Synthetic organisms may also mutate in | + | population without their knowledge or consent<sup>1</sup>. Synthetic organisms |
− | unpredictable ways that could harm intended patients by, for example, causing | + | may also mutate in unpredictable ways that could harm intended patients by, for |
− | infections or unexpected immune responses<sup>2</sup>.</span></p> | + | example, causing infections or unexpected immune responses<sup>2</sup>.</span></p> |
− | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size: | + | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:16.0pt; |
+ | line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif'> </span></p> | ||
+ | |||
+ | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:16.0pt; | ||
line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'>Techniques do exist | line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'>Techniques do exist | ||
to manage these risks. In general, researchers must design methods to quickly | to manage these risks. In general, researchers must design methods to quickly | ||
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bacteria after a certain number of generations<sup>2</sup>.</span></p> | bacteria after a certain number of generations<sup>2</sup>.</span></p> | ||
− | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size: | + | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:16.0pt; |
line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif'><br> | line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif'><br> | ||
− | </span><span style='font-size: | + | </span><span style='font-size:16.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif; |
color:black'>While our project is still in its very early stages and mainly | color:black'>While our project is still in its very early stages and mainly | ||
focused on translating the basic science and theory into a workable system, in | focused on translating the basic science and theory into a workable system, in | ||
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bacteria are exposed to the environment outside of the human body. Once this is | bacteria are exposed to the environment outside of the human body. Once this is | ||
complete, there would still be various hurdles to overcome, such as ensuring | complete, there would still be various hurdles to overcome, such as ensuring | ||
− | the bacteria with our plasmids don’t cause pathogenicity, and trials in mice | + | the bacteria with our plasmids don’t cause pathogenicity, and trials in mice |
− | to the Vanderbuilt hunger-suppressing project’s set-up.</span></p> | + | similar to the Vanderbuilt hunger-suppressing project’s set-up. As we stated on |
+ | our </span><a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:UChicago/Collaborations"><span | ||
+ | style='font-size:16.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>Collaboration | ||
+ | page</span></a><span style='font-size:16.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif; | ||
+ | color:black'>, we are planning to talk to other experts on sleep medicine, and | ||
+ | the ethical implications of our project is certainly something we’d like to | ||
+ | discuss with then.</span></p> | ||
− | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size: | + | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:16.0pt; |
line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'> </span></p> | line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'> </span></p> | ||
− | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><b><span style='font-size: | + | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt; |
line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'>1.</span></b><a | line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'>1.</span></b><a | ||
href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-03/acs-smm022015.php"><b><span | href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-03/acs-smm022015.php"><b><span | ||
− | style='font-size: | + | style='font-size:16.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif'> |
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-03/acs-smm022015.php</span></b></a></p> | http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-03/acs-smm022015.php</span></b></a></p> | ||
− | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><b><span style='font-size: | + | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt; |
line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'>2.</span></b><a | line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'>2.</span></b><a | ||
href="http://bioethics.gov/sites/default/files/PCSBI-Synthetic-Biology-Report-12.16.10_0.pdf"><b><span | href="http://bioethics.gov/sites/default/files/PCSBI-Synthetic-Biology-Report-12.16.10_0.pdf"><b><span | ||
− | style='font-size: | + | style='font-size:16.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif'> |
http://bioethics.gov/sites/default/files/PCSBI-Synthetic-Biology-Report-12.16.10_0.pdf</span></b></a></p> | http://bioethics.gov/sites/default/files/PCSBI-Synthetic-Biology-Report-12.16.10_0.pdf</span></b></a></p> | ||
− | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><b><span style='font-size: | + | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt; |
line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'>3. Hillman, J.D., | line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'>3. Hillman, J.D., | ||
Mo, J., McDonell, E., Cvitkovitch, D. and Hillman, C.H. (2007), Modification of | Mo, J., McDonell, E., Cvitkovitch, D. and Hillman, C.H. (2007), Modification of | ||
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10.1111/j.1365-2672.2007.03316.x</span></b></p> | 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2007.03316.x</span></b></p> | ||
− | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size: | + | <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:16.0pt; |
line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'> </span></p> | line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:black'> </span></p> | ||
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{{UChicago/Footer}} | {{UChicago/Footer}} |
Latest revision as of 05:44, 9 October 2015
Human Practices
Designing bacteria with the intention of allowing it to proliferate inside the human body presents a myriad of potential ethical problems. For example, a research team at Vanderbilt University recently designed a strain of bacteria capable of generating a hunger-suppressing lipid in vivo1. Given that one in three Americans is currently obese, this has the potential to significantly impact public health1. However, a person treated with these bacteria could accidentally transmit them to others via fecal exposure, thus negatively impacting other members of the population without their knowledge or consent1. Synthetic organisms may also mutate in unpredictable ways that could harm intended patients by, for example, causing infections or unexpected immune responses2.
Techniques do exist to manage these risks. In general, researchers must design methods to quickly eradicate the effector strains in case an unexpected issue arises3. For example, one research group attempting to modify oral bacteria introduced a mutation that made their strain dependent on environmental d-alanine3. The human diet contains very little of this compound, giving the researchers better control over growth3. They also added a mutation hindering the uptake of environmental DNA, thus rendering the strain less prone to transformation3. There are also more general solutions under development, such as “kill switches” that activate and automatically kill bacteria after a certain number of generations2.
While our project is still in its very early stages and mainly
focused on translating the basic science and theory into a workable system, in
the future, we would want to explore implementing several of these safeguards
against potential ethical issues with the release of recombinant bacteria into
the environment. For instance, while it is far down the line, as a step on the
long path towards a probiotic that could one day be used in humans, we could
add a module onto the oscillator plasmid that acts as a kill switch when the
bacteria are exposed to the environment outside of the human body. Once this is
complete, there would still be various hurdles to overcome, such as ensuring
the bacteria with our plasmids don’t cause pathogenicity, and trials in mice
similar to the Vanderbuilt hunger-suppressing project’s set-up. As we stated on
our Collaboration
page, we are planning to talk to other experts on sleep medicine, and
the ethical implications of our project is certainly something we’d like to
discuss with then.
1. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-03/acs-smm022015.php
2. http://bioethics.gov/sites/default/files/PCSBI-Synthetic-Biology-Report-12.16.10_0.pdf
3. Hillman, J.D., Mo, J., McDonell, E., Cvitkovitch, D. and Hillman, C.H. (2007), Modification of an effector strain for replacement therapy of dental caries to enable clinical safety trials. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 102: 1209–1219. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2007.03316.x
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