1 / 7

rDNA and Risk: Controversies of the 1970s and 80s

rDNA and Risk: Controversies of the 1970s and 80s. HSCI E137 Feb 23, 2011. Some of the scientific developments preceding the biotech era. Search for hereditary basis for traits and diseases (Penrose, 1940s) One gene-one enzyme hypothesis (Beadle and Tatum, 1940s)

noelle-bell
Download Presentation

rDNA and Risk: Controversies of the 1970s and 80s

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. rDNA and Risk:Controversies of the 1970s and 80s HSCI E137 Feb 23, 2011

  2. Some of the scientific developmentspreceding the biotech era • Search for hereditary basis for traits and diseases (Penrose, 1940s) • One gene-one enzyme hypothesis (Beadle and Tatum, 1940s) • Concept of “molecular disease” (Pauling, 1949) • DNA as hereditary material (Hershey and Chase, 1951) • Structure of DNA (Watson and Crick, 1953)

  3. Scientific developments • The “central dogma”: DNA makes RNA makes protein (Crick, 1958) • Frog cloned (Gurdon, 1961) • Discovery of restriction enzymes (late 1960s) • Recombinant DNA (1973)

  4. Krimsky’s Biotechnics • K’s view of technology: as contingent, not autonomous; cell-as-factory metaphor • K divides the history of the early biotech revolution by decade • Defining events in the first decade (1970s): • 1973: first successful recombinant DNA • 1974: formation of NIH RAC • 1975: Asilomar conference

  5. Defining events: 1970s • 1976-77: public involvement in rDNA debate • Cambridge City Council hearing, June 26, 1976 (video) • 1977: Cambridge passes rDNA law • 1977: Rifkin’s debut as anti-genetics activist

  6. Rifkin protesting in the 1990s Rifkin in 2009

  7. 1980s developments: • Growing commercialization of biotech: RDLPs and biopatenting policies • From lab containment to deliberate release • Field testing of ice minus (1982-1987) • EPA steps in as regulator • Risk assessment: geneticists vs. ecologists

More Related