Download the report of the conference.

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Scope

The conference focussed on the impacts of the life sciences on society through the development of biotechnology-based products for health and for sustaining the environment.

The 21st century is sometimes referred to as “the century of biology” because of the potential contributions of the life sciences to virtually all research and consumer sectors. But assessing the outcomes a particular biotechnology may have on society or in research is difficult, due both to the complexities of these technologies, and to the multiple uses they may have. Further, biotechnology developments may be controversial because of ethical, economic and potential safety issues that might arise both in the research leading to these technologies, and in the wide use of the technologies themselves.

The multidisciplinary group of speakers presented some of the most promising developments of biotechnology and discussed their ethical, economic and societal implications.

 

The Science and Society conference series

The aim of these joint meetings is to promote mutual interest, understanding, and dialogue between biologists, specialists from related disciplines, policy makers and members of the public interested in how modern biology affects society.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Further reading

The role of the social sciences in innovation and risk regulation

The hidden risks for ‘three-person’ babies

UK scientists apply for licence to edit genes in human embryos

The moral imperative for bioethics

Bioethics accused of doing more harm than good

Easy DNA Editing Will Remake the World. Buckle Up.

Yellow light for emerging technologies

Science can't solve it

Tissue engineering: Organs from the lab

Cash from the Crowd

Financing Experiments

CRISPR germline engineering—the community speaks

Scientists Seek Ban on Method of Editing the Human Genome

A prudent path forward for genomic engineering and germline gene modification

Ethics of embryo editing divides scientists

Don't edit the human germ line

$1-million price tag set for Glybera gene therapy

Law, history and lessons in the CRISPR patent conflict

The more we looked into the mystery of Crispr, the more interesting it seemed

Pioneering scientists share 23mGBP Breakthrough prize pot at US awards

The new frontier of genome engineering with CRISPR-Cas9

A Call to Fight Malaria One Mosquito at a Time by Altering DNA

Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes could be released

Biotechnology: Independent streak

A life-saving hepatitis C cure with an $84,000 price tag