Overview BCH 190

Issues in Biotechnology, BCH 190, is intended for a broad audience; including, undergraduate students, Life Science industry staff, high school teachers and high school students for college credit regardless of their major or degree program.
There are no prerequisites. This course aims to accomplish three goals:
1) Provide basic knowledge about DNA, genomics and gene expression that is fundamental to the how biological life functions
2) Present a panoramic survey of the current applications in biotechnology, and career opportunities in the growing fields that are related to biotechnology
3) Examine issues and ethics concerning the future of biotechnology and our society.
This course can be taken for (3) college credits through the University of Rhode Island.
Accreditation through the University of Rhode Island is transferable to most programs.
The entire course is available as a 42 DVD series in a digital textbook streamed through the lifeedu.org website that spans the fields of biotechnology. This format allows for students to take this course on their own schedule from any location.

An Introduction
Education about biology and biotechnology has become imperative. What we know now about the biological sciences and their applications in biotechnology will affect all of us and shape many facets of our global society well into the future. There is not a more profound, provocative, and socially relevant topic for education currently.

How does life work? What is life? How are genes sequenced or cloned? Should we be cloning genes and moving them into other organisms? How will biotechnology affect medicine, pharmacy, and agriculture? Should we be cloning and genetically engineering animals? Should the federal government support stem cell research? What are the ethical issues? What are the career opportunities in the various fields that utilize biotech? These are currently just some of the important and socially relevant questions regarding the extraordinary advances in biotechnology that are addressed in this new course titled “The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology”.Knowledge about how life on this planet works should be a part of basic education and will provide a basis for informed dialogue about the current advances in all of the various and often controversial fields of biotechnology.
Course Description
The biological and environmental sciences have been rapidly transformed by the introduction of DNA-based technologies that allow for the precise manipulation and examination of the genetic material of plants, animals and microbes. The applications of these technologies encompass the rapidly growing fields within biotechnology. The tools of biotechnology are currently being applied across the biological sciences to address problems in agricultural crop improvement, marine sciences and aquaculture, medicine, pharmacy, forensics, and public health. The introduction of this field has been extremely rapid and has created a tremendous educational need to keep pace.
This course provides an introduction to Biotechnology and its impact on the environmental and life sciences, medicine, and agriculture. First, the basic questions concerning What is Life? and How does it work? are examined. To address these questions, the fundamental mechanics of biological life, DNA, gene expression and cloning are presented in basic layman’s terms as a basis for the current applications of modern biotechnology. Next, the current basic techniques used for gene cloning, DNA sequencing, PCR and gene transfer are examined. These technologies provide the basis for biotechnological advances in medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, environmental, and forensic applications. Applications of recombinant DNA and genetic engineering are explored in these areas that are dramatically affecting our society and future. Lastly, the implications of biotechnology to world economy, politics, ecology and ethics are also discussed.
1. Background
Today, the term ‘biotechnology’ most frequently refers to the use of DNA-based technologies that are now so widely used in medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, environmental, and forensic applications. News and breakthroughs in biotechnology are now common in the popular press. For example, a recent special issue of TIME magazine was titled “Biotechnology-The future is now”. However, education of the public is lagging significantly behind the rate of advancement in this rapidly developing field.
The techniques to clone the first gene were developed more that thirty years ago. Now it is possible to clone genes from any organism, including bacteria, fungi, plants and animals and transfer those cloned genes into other organisms. For example, a gene can be cloned from a bacterium, and moved into a plant such as corn where the plant will then make the protein that is usually made by the bacteria. The transferred DNA sequence, or transgene, directs the cell to make its specific protein product and provides the potential for new traits.Given the rapid recent advances in genomics, transgenic biology, stem cell research and other related areas of biotechnology and a prediction that these fields will continue to grow and become increasing more sophisticated, there is an increasing need to create an informed and educated public in this area. The fact that there are various concerns and issues regarding the various fields of biotechnology further underscores the need for increased public education and awareness.
Educational Objectives for BCH 190:
This course, Issues in Biotechnology (BCH 190), is intended for the general public, Life Science Industry staff, high school teachers and undergraduate students regardless of their major or degree program. It also forms the basis for the graduate level versions of this course. There are no prerequisites. The course aims to accomplish three goals: 1) to provide basic knowledge about DNA and gene expression that is fundamental to the how biological life functions, 2) to present the current applications in biotechnology, and career opportunities in the growing fields that are related to biotechnology; and 3) to examine issues and ethics concerning the future of biotechnology and our society. This course provides a perspective on the rapidly changing fields of biotechnology and offers insight into careers.
Texts
Exploring The Way Life Works. The Science of Biology. Hoagland, Mahlon & Dodson, Bert ed. Hauck, Judith. 2001. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc. Sudbury MA
Available from www.lifeedu.org under the heading “Resources” as well as the URI book store.
Additional readings as assigned.
Student Workbook of Lectures in the series $65.00 (optional)
must be ordered at iCopy 99 Fortin Road, Kingston RI 02881 tele 401-788-8277
Quizzes
Quizzes will be given after each assignment via online testing through the lifeedu website. The tests and quizzes will cover: the weekly assigned chapter from the class text (The Way Life Works) focusing on both concepts and vocabulary, from that weeks class lecture and assigned reading from the previous class. These quizzes consist of 20 multiple choice questions and should be a test of your general knowledge on the subject.
3 Exams will be given at the end of each module and will cover both class lecture material as well as the class text. The final exam is comprehensive.
Stock Project each student will be responsible for a project, due before the end of term, detailing current market analysis of several publicly traded biotechnology companies. This project will be summarized with a written report and survey.

TUITION COSTS: ON-LINE PRESENTATION
• SCIENCE, NON-SCIENCE STAFF AND UNDERGRADUATES ($1012)
• HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ($195) (Special rates)
• HIGH AND MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS ($1012)

 

A General Syllabus The Way We Work With Life

A Modular Lecture Series

I. The Mechanics of Life: What is Life?

Issues in Biotechnology: Panacea or Pandora's Box

The Way Life Works. Setting the Stage and The Patterns of Life. Open Forum Discussion

Energy from Light to Life & The Information of Life

The Mechanics of Life & Feedback Loops

The Unity and Community of Life & Evolution as a Pattern

The Techniques and Applications of DNA-based biotechnology

II. Applications of Biotechnology: The future is now

Agricultural Biotechnology I

Agricultural Biotechnology II:GMO Foods: Risks and Benefits

Medical Biotechnology: Gene therapy, …

Stem cells: The Controversy and the Reality

Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals

The Genomics Revolution and Pharmacogenomics

Animal cloning and Genetic Engineering

Marine Biotechnology

Environmental Biotechnology

Careers, Job Compensation and Gender in Biotechnology

DNA and Forensics

Forensic DNA based Biotechnology

Genetics and Public Health

Bioweapons and Counter Defense

III. Biotechnology: Ethical Issues and Concerns

Biotechnology: Ethical Issues and Concerns: an overview

Genomics and informed consent: Diagnosing secrets and the right to know

Human therapeutic and reproductive cloning

Future Perspectives: Should We and Who decides

Globalization and Biotechnology

Freedom of Choice

Other topics of interest

Biotechnology and Current Investments

Patents and Regulatory Affairs

Biotechnology, Religions and Modern Philosophy

Organic Farming, Conventional Agriculture and Biotechnology

 

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