HPAS/Allied Mains 2022 Answer Writing Challenge Day 260: Model Answer

Question: Explain various ethical and social issues involved in use of biotechnology. (8 marks/120 words)

Answer.

Biotechnology is technology based on biology – biotechnology harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet. Biotechnology has facilitated scientists to get information on human genetics.

Ethical issues:

• Researchers have been able to use the information from the Human Genome Project to develop the new science of pharmacogenetics, how an individual’s genes affect his or her body’s ability to metabolize or react to a drug. Modern pharmacogentics aims to eliminate adverse drug events (ADE) and side effects by tailoring drugs specific to a patient’s genome. While the new personalized medications can eliminate side effects, the use of genetic information to create medicine contributes to the rising cost of drugs, and shifts attention away from designing affordable drugs available for mass
• There are also other ethical concerns including when scientists use humans as clinical trial subjects – informed consent, confidentiality, wellbeing of the subjects, equal access to the benefits of research.
• The concept of GM foods, its efficacy, acceptance and associated consumer rights, right to food, cost also have been debated

Social issues:

Public or laboratory safety or biosafety issues:

• Maintenance of laboratory safety or biosafety is a crucial point to ensure public safety. Human and laboratory safety issues are crucial as it is assumed that insects and plant-destroying bacteria or diseases will continue to evolve with the GMOs, resulting in superpests and superdiseases that are untreatable.

Bioterrorism:

• Molecular biotechnologies are now much available which can be used by committed bioterrorist groups to manipulate and modify microorganisms and to make them increasingly infectious, virulent or treatment resistant for causing maximum casualties.

Environmental issues:

The insects and plant-destroying bacteria or diseases will continue to evolve with the GMOs, resulting in superpests and superdiseases that are untreatable by modern methods.

Conclusion

Policymakers should take an approach that involves regular deliberations between scientists, civil society, and the private sector. This can be more beneficial than resorting to ad-hoc regulatory arrangements. Scientists and researchers must always keep in mind Gandhi’s one of the seven sins, i.e, Science without humanity is a sin. Without humanity, science has the potential to cause great harm.