Course description:

Ethical and current issues in microbiology are discussed from the perspective of scientific and ethical conduct. Case studies will be analyzed. The course is targeted for students in their junior/senior year majoring microbiology and provides a fundamental understanding of a code of ethics for microbiologists, including ethical conduct, scientific integrity and the dignity of the profession and practice of microbiology.

Credits: 1

Prerequisites: 11:680:390 Open to microbiology majors and to others by special permission. Classes will be limited to 20 students.

Normally offered:
Spring Term
One 55 min lecture

Short description for course catalog:

Discussion of ethical conduct and scientific integrity in relation to the practice of microbiology.

Format: lectures interspersed with discussion groups, plus a poster session.
Text: Francis L. Macrina (ed.) 2005. Scientific Integrity: Text and Cases in Responsible Conduct of Research. American Society for Microbiology Press, Washington, D.C., 402pp. $49.95 (softcover).

Bioethics Program 2003 AIBS 21-23 March 2003 . Arlington, Virginia, "Bioethics in a Changing World." www.aibs.org
- The Responsible Conduct of Science: Collection, Analysis, and Reporting of Scientific Data*.Training the Next Generation of Scientists* The Public Dissemination of Sensitive Scientific Information
- Paul Ehrlich, Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University : "Bioethics: Are Our Priorities Right?"

Philip Kitcher, Department of Philosophy, Columbia University,

Stephen Kellert , School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University: "A Biocultural Basis for an Ethic Toward the Natural World"

Kristin Shrader-Frechette, Departments of Philosophy and Biology, University of Notre Dame: "Public Citizenship and the Duties of Scientists: Avoiding the Best Science Money Can Buy"

Arturo G -Pompa , Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California-Riverside: The Role of Biodiversity Scientists in a Troubled World"

Carl Leopold, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Cornell University
Living with the Land Ethic?

Paul Risser, President, Oregon State University"Responsible Science and Responsible Scientists"

Discussion:

"Training the Next Generation" Bruce Alberts, President, National Academy of Sciences ;
Ellis Cowling, Department Natural Resources, North Carolina State University Richard Boohar, University of Nebraska David Magnus, Director of Graduate Studies, Center for Bioethics
"Public Dissemination of Sensitive Scientific Information: Media, Internet, and the Civic and Ethical Responsibilities of Scientists" Randall Murch, Deputy Assistant Director, , FBI Academy Jane Alexande, Executive Director, Science and Technology, Office of Naval Research Henry Kelly, President, Federation of American Scientists Howard Schachman, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California-Berkeley

Discussion group topics:
* Developing a professional code of ethics
* Teaching ethics, and the ethics of teaching* Graduate student concerns and career issues* Whistleblowing* Federal research misconduct policy* Ethical challenges faced by journal editors
* Animal welfare* Forest fire policy and management for details.
AIBS site PRESIDENT BUSH CREATES BIOETHICS ADVISORY COMMITTEE - By Executive Order 13237 dated 28 November 2001. 18-member Council advises on bioethical issues that may emerge as a consequence of advances in biomedical science and technology, to include:

1. to undertake fundamental inquiry into the human and moral significance of developments in biomedical and behavioral science and technology;2. to explore specific ethical and policy questions related to these developments;3. to provide a forum for a national discussion of bioethical issues;4. to facilitate a greater understanding of bioethical issues; and5. to explore possibilities for useful international collaboration on bioethical issues.
- ethics and specific technological activities: embryo and stem cell research, assisted reproduction, cloning, uses of knowledge and techniques derived from human genetics or the neurosciences, and end of life issues. The Council may also study broader ethical and social issues not tied to a specific technology, such as questions regarding the protection of human subjects in research, the appropriate uses of biomedical technologies, the moral implications of biomedical technologies, and the consequences of limiting scientific research.
The Council shall not be responsible for the review and approval of specific projects or for devising and overseeing regulations for specific government agencies, although the Council may accept suggestions of issues for consideration from the heads of other Government agencies and other sources, as it deems appropriate. ___________________________________________________
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Meeting of the President's Council on Bioethics on June 22-23, 2006

SUMMARY: The President's Council on Bioethics (Edmund D. Pellegrino, MD, Chairman) twenty-fifth meeting, to consider: (1) organ transplantation and procurement and (2) newborn screening for genetic disorders. These two discussions are continuations of previous Council discussions. Past subjects have included: human dignity, therapeutic and reproductive cloning, assisted reproduction, reproductive genetics, neuroscience, aging retardation, and lifespan-extension. Publications issued by the Council to date include: Human Cloning and Human Dignity: An Ethical Inquiry (July 2002); Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit of Happiness (October 2003); Being Human: Readings from the President's Council on Bioethics (December 2003); Monitoring Stem Cell Research (January 2004), Reproduction and Responsibility: The Regulation of New Biotechnologies (March 2004), Alternative Sources of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: A White Paper (May 2005), and Taking Care: Ethical Caregiving in Our Aging Society (September 2005)
.
CONTACT: Ms. Diane Gianelli, Director of Communications, The President's Council on Bioethics, Suite 700, 1801 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20006. Telephone: 202/296-4669. E-mail: info@bioethics.gov. Web site: http://www.bioethics.gov.
__________________________________________________

• Lectures from 2003 AIBS Annual Meeting on Bioethics - Online for Free Viewing
  
  Video and audio recordings 2003 AIBS annual meeting, "Bioethics in a Changing World," can be viewed on the AIBS Virtual Library and are online for free viewing. To view the recordings, go to www.aibs.org/pubaibs/virtuallibrary.html.
  
  Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University:?Bioethics: Are Our Priorities Right??
  Arturo G -Pompa, University of California?Riverside: "The Role of Biodiversity Scientists in a Troubled World"
  Stephen Kellert, Yale University: "A Biocultural Basis for an Ethic toward the Natural World"
  Philip Kitcher, Columbia University: "Responsible Biology"
  Carl Leopold, Cornell University: "Ontogeny of the Land Ethic"
  Paul Risser, Oregon State University: "Responsible Science and Responsible Scientists"
  Bruce Alberts, National Academy of Sciences: "Why We Should Pay More Attention to Young Scientists"
  Ellis Cowling, North Carolina State University: "Knowledge, Wisdom, and the Moral Dimension of Intelligence"
  Richard Boohar, University of Nebraska: "Making Ethical Thinking Real"
  David Magnus, Center for Bioethics, Philadelphia: "The Meaning of Graduate Bioethics Education"
  Randall Murch, FBI Academy:"Disclosure of Scientific Information, National Security, and Law Enforcement: A Government Perspective"Steven Aftergood, Federation of American Scientists: "Challenging Government Secrecy, and Promoting Public Oversight"
  
  Also availableAIBS National Roundtables: series,
  "Agricultural Biosecurity,"
  "Bioterrorism Threats to Natural and Urban Ecosystems,"
  "The Future of Environmental Observatory Networks."

Recordings on CD-ROM may be purchased.
March 2003 AIBS Annual Meeting (theme: Bioethics in a Changing World) AVAILABLE AS VIDEOS
o Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University "Bioethics: Are Our Priorities Right?"
o Arturo Gomez-Pompa, University of California, Riverside "The Role of Biodiversity Scientists in a Troubled World"
o Stephen Kellert, Yale University "A Biocultural Basis for an Ethic Toward the Natural World"
o Philip Kitcher, Columbia University "Responsible Biology"
o Carl Leopold, Cornell University "Ontogeny of the Land Ethic"
o Paul Risser, Oregon State University "Responsible Science and Responsible Scientists"
o Bruce Alberts, National Academy of Sciences "Why We Should Pay More Attention to Young Scientists"
o Ellis Cowling, North Carolina State University "Knowledge, Wisdom, and the Moral Dimension of Intelligence"
o Richard Boohar, University of Nebraska "Making Ethical Thinking Real"
o David Magnus, Center for Bioethics, Philadelphia "The Meaning of Graduate Bioethics Education"
o Randall Murch, FBI Academy "Disclosure of Scientific Information, National Security and Law Enforcement: A Government Perspective"
o Steven Aftergood, Federation of American Scientists "Challenging Government Secrecy, and Promoting Public Oversight"

Francis L. Macrina (ed.) Scientific Integrity: Text and Cases in Responsible Conduct of Research. ASM Press, Washington, D.C., 2005, 402 p., $49.95 (softcover).

According to Webster's Dictionary, integrity (Lat. integritas, soundness or purity) can be defined as the firm adherence to a code or standard of values. The book by Francis Macrina is about integrity in science. Macrina provides scientists with a useful guide for values-based behavior by analyzing bioethics topics that can be used to teach students about the principles of scientific integrity through interactive exercises such as case studies, surveys, and a play-acting scenario.

The book consists of 11 chapters and 6 appendices. In the first chapter, various forms of scientific misconduct are discussed. Macrina pointed out that integrity is important and expected because science is based on trust and honesty. Scientific integrity should encompass values such as honesty, objectivity, and collegiality. However, humans are fallible and subjective, and self-deception and attempts to rationalize certain actions can be an unfortunate outcome. The second chapter examines the moral and legal dimensions of research practices. Chapter 3 deals with the issue of mentoring. Macrina characterizes the mentor-trainee relationship and discusses issues related to the selection of a mentor. He also provides helpful guidelines on mentoring pre- and postdoctoral trainees. In the fourth chapter, authorship and peer review are discussed, including the pressure to publish, manuscript preparation and review, authorship selection, copyright, conflict of interest, honest mistakes versus fraudulent behavior, and responsibilities of first, senior, submitting, and coauthors. Macrina also provides guidelines for peer reviewers, such as editorial board members and ad hoc reviewers.

The fifth and sixth chapters are devoted to the topic of using humans and animals in biomedical experimentation. A summary of the chronology of international guidelines for human subject experimentation is provided beginning with the Nuremberg Code of 1947 and ending with the World Medical Association (WMA) Declaration of Helsinki in 2000 (Scotland). Furthermore, the role of institutional review boards (IRBs), the issue of informed consent, human experimentation involving special populations, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), and issues related to fetal tissue and embryonic stem cell research are examined. In chapter 6, the use of animals in research, animal rights and legislation, constraints on the behavior of scientists, and the role of institutional animal care and use committees (IACUCs) are described. The seventh chapter covers the topic of managing competing interests in research. Conflict of effort, conflict of conscience, insider trading and equity interests, as well as scientific, academic, and institutional conflicts of interest, are analyzed. Chapter 8 discusses the topic of collaboration on research projects. Macrina provides a syllabus of collaboration principles and discusses collaboration models (e.g., Aglue grants@). In the ninth chapter, the ownership of data and intellectual property is analyzed, including trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, and patents. The tenth chapter is about the relationship between genetic technology and scientific integrity. Topics such as genetic screening and diagnosis, the human genome project, and the manipulation of genes are discussed.

Chapter 11 deals with the important issue of scientific record keeping, including proper data recording, storage, and retention. Examples for written and electronic laboratory notebooks are provided. The six appendices contain valuable information on survey tools, student exercises, guidelines, codes, and standards of scientific conduct, sample protocols for human and animal experimentation, an example of a U.S. patent specification, and laboratory notebook instructions.

The strength of Macrina's book is the combination of background information, relevant resources, and highly interactive case studies and discussion questions. Each chapter contains a set of questions, a list of references, general reading and selected Internet resources, and referrals to supplemental material in the appendix section. Some chapters also contain an author's note and/or a glossary to explain specific terms. The author offers a link to a website (www.scientificintegrity.net) that corresponds to the textbook chapters and provides supplemental materials, updates on policies and regulations, and files of the survey materials useful for classroom instruction. There is also a contact-the-author box for providing comments to Francis Macrina.

I believe this book is an excellent bioethics training guide for young scientists, but it is also a rich information source for laboratory technicians, seasoned scientists, engineers, and faculty members of academic institutions, industry, or government research laboratories. This book is undoubtedly an important contribution to the bioethics literature. I would highly recommend it.