Team:TU Delft/EPAC

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===A new approach to Human Practice - The EPAC Pyramid===
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==The EPAC Pyramid==
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When new technologies are presented to society, the reaction of the public is hard to predict. In the case of synthetic biology numerous questions raises about biosafety and biosecurity. Also issues like pattenting in contrast to open-source models are a topic of debate.
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===Introduction===
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During our iGEM project we tried to analyze, assess and improve the relationship between society and synthetic biology. By doing so, our team hopes to improve the way in which synthetic biology meets the expectations and needs of society.  
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When new technologies are presented to society, responses of the public are hard to predict. In the case of synthetic biology numerous questions rise about safety, security and ethics. Also issues like patenting versus open-source models are a topic of debate. During our iGEM project we tried to analyze, assess and improve the relationship between society and synthetic biology.  
 +
With our new approach, our team hopes to improve the way in which synthetic biology meets the expectations and needs of society.  
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To accomplish this goal we chose an holistic approach to Human Practice. Our approach implies various ways to equip sociaty with the right information in order to make sure that one is able to form a proper opinion. This way one can contribute to the public debate.
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===Inspiration===
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[[Image:TU Delft Flowchart for EPAC.jpg|400px|center|thumb|Depending on the general public opinion and awareness, scientist can provide the right information to inform about science & technology. People recieve this information and process this according to their own values and standards. After processing this information, people will be better able to join the discussion on science & technology.]]
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For our Human Practice project we got inspired by a 2-year European Project called SYNBIOSAFE (1).  
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SYNBIOSAFE was the first project in Europe to research the safety and ethical aspects of synthetic biology, aiming to proactively stimulate a debate on the following issues: safety, security, ethics and the boundary between science and society (2,3).
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To grasp the muliple aspects of this holistic approach, we come up with a model that provides us the right guide lines to organize our human practise activities - The EPAC Pyramid was created.
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Based on this project, we developed a complete new approach to human practice: The EPAC pyramid. Our model consists out of four elements: '''E'''ducation, '''P'''erception, '''A'''wareness & '''C'''ollaboration. These fundamentals formed the basis for organizing our activities. Because these elements are strongly related to each other we linked them together: the pyramid was born.
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[[Image:TU Delft Flowchart for EPAC.jpg|400px|center|thumb|Figure 1. Depending on the general public opinion and awareness, scientist can provide the right information to inform about science & technology. People recieve this information and process this according to their own values and standards. After processing this information, people will be better able to join the discussion on science & technology.]]
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===EPAC - This is how it works===
 +
 
 +
Using our unique and holistic EPAC approach, we could really focus on the different disciplinaries involving human practice and help society to consider, guide and address the impacts of ongoing advances in synthetic biology.
 +
Working with the model makes it important to first distinguish two information streams. Information can be received and distributed (figure 1).
 +
 
 +
In our point of view, we are at the interface between science and society. We can receive from and spread information to both sides.
 +
By providing information we aim to make people '''aware''' or more '''educated''' in the field of synthetic biology.
 +
The direct consequence of processing this information leads to the formation of '''perception'''. These opinions are not only based on the newly absorbed information, but also on norms, values, upbringing and education of the recipient.
 +
 
 +
Therefore it is imposible to look at education, perception and awareness as separate element. There is a continuous exchange between these streams of communication.
 +
We used the principle of the adressing two of this three elements in all of our activities and thereby maintaining the connection between the elements.
 +
 
 +
The C in EPAC comes from [[Team:TU_Delft/Collaboration|collaboration]]. Without cooperation, all of the above is not possible.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
''With the EPAC pyramid we provided a standard model for everyone that aims to manage their activities in the ongoing debate in the field of synthetic biology.''
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 +
===Our activities in the EPAC===
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 +
Click on the icons on the EPAC-pyramid to check our human practice activities.
   
   
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===Our interpretation of the EPAC Pyramid===
 
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We started to investigate the current '''perception'''. First we considered the influence of our work on the general public by conducting a literature research on the [[Team:TU_Delft/Safety/ethics|ethics of synthetic biology]]. We also thought about pressing issues such as [[Team:TU_Delft/Safety/society/who-owns-you|DNA patenting]], and what kind of influence this has on the development of the field of synthetic biology. In addition we analyzed the opinion of the general public by [[Team:TU_Delft#page=Safety/survey|interviewing people]] about this new technology. To finish it we interviewed the science communicator of the Biotechnolgy department of the TU Delft. This field is located in frontier zone between the scientist and society. She explained us what the University is doing to inform the general public about the research developments.
 
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One of the main reasons why people are averse of new technologies is ignorance. We tried to fill in this lack of information by generating '''awareness'''. Our goal here is to show that science is interesting and fun, and that synthetic biology is not scarry but promising for future prospects. Besides the [http://www.delta.tudelft.nl/nl/archief/artikel/green-solution-for-oil-spills/21312 scientific community], we also reached the general public by our appearance in the [[Team:TU_Delft/Publicity/in-the-news|national news]] and [[Media:TU Delft Volkskrant night of the nerds 20101011.pdf|national newspaper]].
 
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To keep the society up-to-date it is not enough to create awareness, for a long term effect on society it is important to '''educate''' people. We also contributed to teaching of biotechnology. We worked together with the [http://www.rathenau.nl/en.html Rathenau Institute] (Dutch national research and debate institute on science and technology) in organizing workshops for high school teachers and in science interested people. We collaborated with the [[Team:TU_Delft/Education/science-museum|Science Centre Delft]], a science museum for children, to establish a biotechnology room in which shows what biotechnology is all about. We also collaborated with students from computer sciences in order to develop a [[Team:TU_Delft/Education/science-museum|serious game]] about synthetic biology. By participating in the [[Team:TU_Delft/Education/nanopodium|Nanovideohunt competition]] we helped to teach young people about science on the small scale by showing them what we did with synthetic biology. On top of this all we visted the biggest [[Team:TU_Delft/Education/nemo|nerd-event]] in the Netherlands, Night of the Nerds @ NEMO (Amsterdam's science museum), because real geeks need to know all about synthetic biology!
 
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No iGEM Team can work on its own. To achieve all these activity in human practice we '''collaborated''' with many [[Team:TU_Delft/Collaboration/acknowledgements|people and organizations]].
 
===References===
===References===
 +
#'''Ganguli-Mitra, A., M. Schmidt, et al.''' (2009). Of Newtons and heretics. ''Nat Biotechnol'' 27(4): 321-322.
 +
#'''Schmidt, M., A. Ganguli-Mitra, et al.''' (2009). A priority paper for the societal and ethical aspects of synthetic biology. ''Syst Synth Biol'' 3(1-4): 3-7.
 +
#'''Schmidt, M., H. Torgersen, et al.''' (2008).  SYNBIOSAFE e-conference: online community discussion on the societal aspects of synthetic biology. ''Syst Synth Biol'' 2(1-2): 7-17.

Latest revision as of 23:16, 27 October 2010

The EPAC Pyramid

Introduction

When new technologies are presented to society, responses of the public are hard to predict. In the case of synthetic biology numerous questions rise about safety, security and ethics. Also issues like patenting versus open-source models are a topic of debate. During our iGEM project we tried to analyze, assess and improve the relationship between society and synthetic biology. With our new approach, our team hopes to improve the way in which synthetic biology meets the expectations and needs of society.

Inspiration

For our Human Practice project we got inspired by a 2-year European Project called SYNBIOSAFE (1). SYNBIOSAFE was the first project in Europe to research the safety and ethical aspects of synthetic biology, aiming to proactively stimulate a debate on the following issues: safety, security, ethics and the boundary between science and society (2,3).

Based on this project, we developed a complete new approach to human practice: The EPAC pyramid. Our model consists out of four elements: Education, Perception, Awareness & Collaboration. These fundamentals formed the basis for organizing our activities. Because these elements are strongly related to each other we linked them together: the pyramid was born.

Figure 1. Depending on the general public opinion and awareness, scientist can provide the right information to inform about science & technology. People recieve this information and process this according to their own values and standards. After processing this information, people will be better able to join the discussion on science & technology.

EPAC - This is how it works

Using our unique and holistic EPAC approach, we could really focus on the different disciplinaries involving human practice and help society to consider, guide and address the impacts of ongoing advances in synthetic biology. Working with the model makes it important to first distinguish two information streams. Information can be received and distributed (figure 1).

In our point of view, we are at the interface between science and society. We can receive from and spread information to both sides. By providing information we aim to make people aware or more educated in the field of synthetic biology. The direct consequence of processing this information leads to the formation of perception. These opinions are not only based on the newly absorbed information, but also on norms, values, upbringing and education of the recipient.

Therefore it is imposible to look at education, perception and awareness as separate element. There is a continuous exchange between these streams of communication. We used the principle of the adressing two of this three elements in all of our activities and thereby maintaining the connection between the elements.

The C in EPAC comes from collaboration. Without cooperation, all of the above is not possible.


With the EPAC pyramid we provided a standard model for everyone that aims to manage their activities in the ongoing debate in the field of synthetic biology.

Our activities in the EPAC

Click on the icons on the EPAC-pyramid to check our human practice activities.

iGEM Wiki TU Delft Communications Nanopodium Shell Visit Sponsors Media Collaboration Awareness Interviews Night of the Nerds Rathenau Institute Science Day for kids Science Day for teachers Game Science Museum Biotech room Education Image Map

References

  1. Ganguli-Mitra, A., M. Schmidt, et al. (2009). Of Newtons and heretics. Nat Biotechnol 27(4): 321-322.
  2. Schmidt, M., A. Ganguli-Mitra, et al. (2009). A priority paper for the societal and ethical aspects of synthetic biology. Syst Synth Biol 3(1-4): 3-7.
  3. Schmidt, M., H. Torgersen, et al. (2008). SYNBIOSAFE e-conference: online community discussion on the societal aspects of synthetic biology. Syst Synth Biol 2(1-2): 7-17.