Trails and Trials in Biotechnology Policy

Abstract

In this chapter, I reflect on my transition from natural science work in biochemistry and biotechnology to becoming a professor in the social and policy sciences. I discuss how I’ve viewed biotechnology policy from standpoints of ethics and philosophy, biochemistry and molecular biology, risk analysis, science and technology policy, and the social sciences. The “trails” of each period of this career have informed my recent work on the policy “trials” or controversies surrounding governance of emerging technologies, including agricultural biotechnology. At this critical juncture of enormous advances in biotechnology (e.g. synthetic biology, gene editing, and gene drives), I end the chapter with a plea for each of us to recognize our own biases and respect the viewpoints of others. I hope to see the current biotechnology revolution shaped by many different viewpoints, so it is done in the best interest of all of society. Only then will we be able to move past the inflamed and divisive rhetoric and enable safe, responsible, socially-desirable and appropriate use of genetic engineering.