Life Sciences, Society and Policy

Articles

Content type: Research
| 24 June 2018

Synthetic biology in the German press: how implications of metaphors shape representations of morality and responsibility

Authors: Martin Döring
Content type: Research
| 14 June 2018

Individuals on alert: digital epidemiology and the individualization of surveillance

Authors: Silja Samerski
Content type: Research
| 4 June 2018

Machine metaphors and ethics in synthetic biology

Authors: Joachim Boldt
Content type: Review
| 16 May 2018

The biogenetical revolution of the Council of Europe - twenty years of the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention)

Authors: Oktawian Nawrot
Content type: Research
| 14 May 2018

Scientific iconoclasm and active imagination: synthetic cells as techno-scientific mandalas

Authors: Hub Zwart

Content type: Research article
| 12 December 2013

Perceptions of nature, nurture and behaviour

Authors: Mairi Levitt
Content type: Research
| 26 April 2017

Towards new human rights in the age of neuroscience and neurotechnology

Authors: Marcello Ienca and Roberto Andorno
Content type: Research article
| 26 April 2014

The role of philosophy of science in Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): the case of nanomedicine

Authors: Gry Oftedal
Content type: Research article
| 24 January 2015

Open consent, biobanking and data protection law: can open consent be ‘informed’ under the forthcoming data protection regulation?

Authors: Dara Hallinan and Michael Friedewald
Content type: Research article
| 27 June 2014

The use of agrobiodiversity for plant improvement and the intellectual property paradigm: institutional fit and legal tools for mass selection, conventional and molecular plant breeding

Authors: Fulya Batur and Tom Dedeurwaerdere

Digital epidemiology: how big data challenge ethics, society and politics in infectious disease surveillance

Digital epidemiology in infectious disease is a new discipline in the area of big data, which promises faster detection of disease outbreaks and improved surveillance as well as reduction in administrative burden, among other things. Whom will these methods help? What are their possible negative – consequences and how do we deal with these? To answer these questions well interdisciplinary discourse about digital epidemiology is critical including considering the relevant epistemological, methodological, ethico-legal, social, political, and organizational aspects and implications.
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Synthetic biology: How the use of metaphors impacts on science, policy and responsible research

In the context of biology, can we distinguish between metaphors that are used unconsciously or lazily and metaphors which are chosen consciously to stimulate hopes, fears, financial investment or emotional reactions; metaphors that inspire, challenge traditional thinking or entrench established prejudices; metaphors that are good for something or some people but detrimental to others; and finally, are there metaphors that travel between groups and connect people and metaphors that create barriers and divide people? Read more about submissions
The collection started to publish: 29 August 2017

Continental philosophical perspectives on life sciences and emerging technologies

This series aims to provide a podium for authors to address concrete issues of emerging life sciences and technologies from a ‘continental philosophical’ perspective (which includes phenomenology, hermeneutics, dialectics, psychoanalysis, pragmatism, critical theory and similar approaches) in areas such as epistemology, ontology and philosophical anthropology. Read more about submissions
The collection started to publish: 13 June 2016

ELSA & RRI - Ethical, legal and social aspects of emerging sciences and responsible research & innovation

Sensitivity to ethical, legal and societal issues, particularly within the life sciences, has increased over the years and has become a standard feature of funding programs. In particular, responsible research & innovation focuses on increasing involvement of stakeholder perspectives in research so as to make research more sensitive to the needs and concerns of society. Read more about submissions
The collection started to publish: 3 January 2014

Biobanks as sites of bio-objectification

The thematic series understands the contents of biobanks as bio-objects, referring to a socially potent biotechnological entity which generates controversy due to its potential challenging of established classifications.
The collection started to publish: 21 July 2015

Data protection (Brocher Foundation workshop)

The workshop discussed data protection and direct-to-consumer testing in relation to genome sequencing, aiming at informing discussions on all aspects of data protection and direct-to-consumer genetic testing: legal, ethical, and social.
The collection started to publish: 27 March 2015

S port and Genomics

Genetic testing/screening in athletes, especially preventive testing, is a diagnostic tool to identify hereditary health risks, but such preventive applications are sometimes hard to distinguish from enhancing measures, especially when talking about sports. As a matter of fact, it seems as if sports serves as the ideal playground for genomics in order to test outcomes in real life.
The collection started to publish: 15 May 2012

Featured article: Digital epidemiology - what is it, and where is it going?

Digital Epidemiology is a new field that has been growing rapidly in the past few years, fueled by the increasing availability of data and computing power, as well as by breakthroughs in data analytics methods. This short piece provides an outlook of where the field is heading, and offer a broad and a narrow definition of the term.

Featured article: Towards new human rights in the age of neuroscience and neurotechnology

New Content Item

Look how The Guardian, Scientific American and Die Welt, among others press outlets, picked up this paper, which by analysing the relationship between neuroscience and human rights, identifies four new rights that may become of great relevance in the coming decades.

Featured collection: Synthetic biology: How the use of metaphors impacts on science, policy and responsible research

In the context of biology, genetics, and new technologies, can we distinguish between metaphors that are used unconsciously or lazily in language and communication, and metaphors which are chosen consciously to stimulate hopes, fears, financial investment or emotional reactions? Metaphors are not just decorative rhetorical devices that make speech pretty. They are fundamental linguistic and cognitive tools for thinking about the world and acting on the world, and natural and social scientists have become increasingly interested in them. This ground-breaking collection presents interdisciplinary and international discussion of the impact that metaphors can have on science, policy and publics in the context of synthetic biology. The collection started publishing, stay tuned!

Aims and Scope

The purpose of Life Sciences, Society and Policy (LSSP) is to analyse social, ethical and legal dimensions of the most dynamic branches of life sciences and technologies, and to discuss ways to foster responsible innovation, sustainable development and user-driven social policies. LSSP provides an academic forum for engaged scholarship at the intersection of life sciences, philosophy, bioethics, science studies and policy research, and covers a broad area of inquiry both in emerging research areas such as genomics, bioinformatics, biophysics, molecular engineering, nanotechnology and synthetic biology, and in more applied fields such as translational medicine, food science, environmental science, climate studies, research on animals, sustainability, science education and others.

The goal is to produce insights, tools and recommendations that are relevant not only for academic researchers and teachers, but also for civil society, policy makers and industry, as well as for professionals in education, health care and the media, thus contributing to better research practices, better policies, and a more sustainable global society.

Established in 2005 as Genomics, Society and Policy, the journal has gradually expanded its area of research and critical reflection, particularly encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and now developing along four main directions:

How science and innovation affect society and the environment, and how responsible research can integrate societal needs and concerns in the process of research, with a strong focus on sustainability, responsibility and public engagement
Where humanities and science meet: multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship, for instance on neuro-enhancement and digitalisation
How research can inform evidence-based practices and policies
How philosophical traditions (such as phenomenology, hermeneutics, dialectics, psychoanalysis, pragmatism, and critical theory) can help understand and address concrete issues of emerging life sciences and technologies.

Call for papers on Responsible Research & Innovation (RRI)

The journal is calling for submissions to the thematic series ELSA and RRI - Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects of Emerging Sciences and Responsible Research & Innovation. Don't miss the opportunity to contribute to a lively debate over the state of the art of RRI both locally and globally, and to the further development of discussion and research. Read more

Discover thematic series and expand knowledge

Life Sciences, Society and Policy hosts thematic series on hot topics in the field of responsible research and innovation, bioethics, and applied ethics in emerging life sciences. Discover the articles and learn more about submitting your next article to these collections.