BTEC2002 Legal, Ethical and Social Aspects of Bioscience

The purpose of this topic is to provide appreciation of the impact of new developments in Bioscience technology upon the law, ethics, society and the environment. The topic will consider the national and international regulatory aspects and the ethical and social aspects of: control of genetically modified organisms; cloning and reproductive technologies; stem cell therapy; clinical trials; genetic testing and protection of the environment. Through case study analysis the topic will also explore what it means to be an ethical bioscience professional.

Ethical and legal considerations are an integral part of the training of bioscience students.

This topic aims to:

• Provide students with an outline of the principal regulatory regimes that operate to regulate bioscience research both nationally and internationally
• To raise their awareness of the interface between bioscience and society
• Allow them to understand the sources of diversity in ethical stand points, such as religion and culture and personal experience

1. Identify all the major national regulatory regimes relevant to bioscience research and commercialisation and how these contrast with those in other countries
2. Appreciate the role of bioscience in the community
3. Appreciate the factors that drive a diversity of ethical opinions
4. Adopt ethical reasoning to assume and defend a coherent position in relation to an ethical issue
5. Demonstrate enhancement of their group work and oral presentation skills