Representatives

BNFo 491/591

Subcommittee on Genetic Modification
Defining Documents - Representatives

Spring 2019

Overview
Representatives are the holistic side of the operation. They seek a broad view of the matter at hand, combining analysis provided by their staffers with ethical and practical considerations. They look for alternate world views that may compete with their own and try to parse out the commonalities and the differences. They direct their staffers to provide an understanding of relevant observations. Collectively, they map out the path the subcommittee must take in order to accomplish its mandate.

Expanding modes of thought

Shedding preconceptions #1: There's always another vantage point
Shedding preconceptions #2: There's always another interpretation
Results vs Conclusions: A result is not a conclusion
Readings (on reserve): To help slash through mental obstacles (Discussion Jan 29)
- Jonathan Haidt (2013). The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion
- S.I. Hayakawa (1978). Language in Thought and Action

Different views of genome modification

Readings: Historical perspectives on genome modification (on reserve; discussion Feb 12)
- Jennifer Doudna and Samuel Sternberg (2018). A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution
- Jim Kozubek (2018). Modern Prometheus: Editing the Human Genome with CRISPR-Cas9
- Siddhartha Mukherjee (2017). The Gene: An Intimate History
Readings: Perspectives on plant genome modification (on reserve; discussion Feb 26)
- Steven Druker (2015). Altered Genes, Twisted Truth.
- Nina Fedoroff, Nancy Brown (2004). Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist's View of Genetically Modified Foods (2018)
- Wim Grunewald, Jo Bury (2015). The GMO Revolution
- Matan Qiam (2016). Genetically Modified Crops and Agricultural Development
- Claire Robinson, Michael Antoniou, John Fagan (2015). GMO Myths and Truths (2018)
Additional possibly useful books on plant genome modification (on reserve)
- Sala Mahgoub (2016). Genetically Modified Foods: Basics, Applications, and Controversy
- Debra Miller, editor (2012). Genetically Engineered Food
- Tamara Thompson, editor (2015). Genetically Modified Food.
Readings: Ecological Applications of Genome Modification (discussion Mar 12)
- Bikard D, Barrangou R (2017). Using CRISPR-Cas systems as antimicrobials. Curr Opin Microbiol 37:155-160.
- Hussain I, et al (2018). Microbe and plant assisted-remediation of organic xenobiotics and its enhancement by genetically modified organisms and recombinant technology: A review. Sci Total Environ 628-629:1582-1599.
- National Academies of Sciences,... (2016). Gene Drives on the Horizon: Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
- Prowse TAA, et al (2017). Dodging silver bullets: good CRISPR gene-drive design is critical for eradicating exotic vertebrates. Proc Biol Sci 284:20170799.
- Shemer B, et al (2015). Genetically engineered microorganisms for the detection of explosives' residues. Front Microbiol 29:1175.
Additional possibly useful books on ecological applications
- Gantz VM, Bier E (2015). The dawn of active genetics. BioEssays 38:50-63.
- National Academies of Sciences,... (2016). Gene Drives on the Horizon: Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Readings: Germline Modification of Humans (discussion Mar 19)
- Anderson KR and 21 others (2018). CRISPR off-target analysis in genetically engineered rats and mice. Nat Methods 15:512-514.
- Cox DBT, et al (2015). Therapeutic Genome Editing: Prospects and Challenges. Nat Med 21:121-131.
- Katz G, Pitts P (2017). Implications of CRISPR-Based Germline Engineering for Cancer Survivors. Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science 51:672-682.
- National Academies of Sciences,... (2017). Human Genome Editing: Science, Ethics, and Governance. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
- Withrock IC et al (2015). Genetic diseases conferring resistance to noninfectious diseases. Genes Dis 2930:247-254.
Additional possibly useful books on germline modification
- Knoepfler P (2016). GMO Sapiens: The Life-Changing Science of Designer Babies World Scientific, New Jersey. (on reserve)
- National Academies of Sciences,... (2017). Human Genome Editing: Science, Ethics, and Governance. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
- Sandel MJ (2007). The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering Belknap Press, Cambridge MA. (on reserve)
- Seedhouse E (2014). Beyond Human: Engineering Our Future Evolution. Springer, New York.