Biotechnology and Bioethics (P00936)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : MED-P-P00936

Recent biotechnological developments raise some of the most complex ethical and social issues. Using key developments in genetics and biotechnology (eg. the mapping of the human genome, mammalian cloning) as a starting point this course will seek to develop a critical understanding of these issues by exploring the extent to which they are genuinely new problems or more acute versions of long-standing problems.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : History and Theory of Medical Ethics

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Public Health Research, (Medicine, Schedule R)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	14:00	15:50	Med+Vet

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will:
- develop a familiarity with some of the most important ethical issues arising from recent developments in biotechnology (eg. Stem cell research, pharmcogenetics, zenotransplantation, antenatal screening, preimplantation genetic diagnosis);
- be able to identify, articulate, and analyze ethical issues arising from biotechnological developments, and to formulate critical and well-reasoned ethical arguments
- critically assess the main arguments in current debates about uses of biotechnology

Assessment Information

Formal assessment will be by coursework only. Essay (3,000 words) to be submitted by week 13. In addition, students will be required to take turns in leading the discussion of the readings in the seminars. The weighting of the different course work elements will be Essay 70%, seminar presentation 30%.