Plants and ABS
Content
Researcher: Dominic Berry and Deborah Scott
Over the course of the twentieth century the plant sciences underwent a transformation, firstly as a key site for the foundation of genetics, later through the molecularization of the biosciences, alongside changes in technique (particularly in microscopy), and most recently incorporating (or responding to) synthetic biology. Research involving extended periods of laboratory observation and interviews with plant synthetic biologists and plant scientists more generally aims to uncover what synthetic biologists are doing to plants, and what plants are doing to synthetic biology.
Dominic’s research on plant sciences and Deborah’s research on the Convention on Biological Diversity intersect at the area of policies on accessing genetic resources and the sharing of the resulting benefits arising from their utilization (access & benefit-sharing, or ABS).
Events
Workshop on Genetic resources in the age of the Nagoya Protocol and gene/genome synthesis, 18 November 2016, Cambridge University.
Publications
Berry, Dominic (2018) ‘Plants are technologies’, in Jon Agar and Jacob Ward (eds.) Histories of Technology, the Environment, and Modern Britain. London: UCL Press, pp. 161-185.
Scott, Deborah & Dominic Berry (2018). “Workshop report: Genetic resources in the age of the Nagoya Protocol and gene/genome synthesis.” Engineering Life & OpenPlant.
Blog posts
Berry, Dominic (2016) 'The historical anatomy of synthetic biology' PLOS Synthetic Biology Blog, 1st September 2016.
Bond, Molly & Deborah Scott (2016) ‘In an engineered world, who benefits from biological diversity?’ The Guardian, Political Science blog, 22 December 2016.
Talks and presentations
Scott, Deborah (2018). “Synthetic biology debates within the Convention on Biological Diversity,” invited presentation to SynthSys Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh.
Scott, Deborah (2017). “Governing synthetic biology: why, how, and who,” invited presentation to World Council of Churches’ Workshop on Synthetic Biology and the Future of Food, Toronto Canada.
Scott, Deborah (2017). “Dealing with diversity: Synthetic biology debates within the Convention on Biological Diversity,” invited presentation to Eastern ARC Interdisciplinary Workshop on Synthetic Biology and Society.
Scott, Deborah (2017). “Synthetic biology at the 2016 UN Biodiversity Conference,” invited presentation to Centre for Environmental Law and Governance, Strathclyde University.