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| Course Goals: |
To provide students with an overview of the methods of agricultural biotechnology and the products and processes that are at or nearly at market. Students are asked to evaluate the potential benefits and costs of agricultural biotechnology and the effects that a specific biotechnology product or service may have on food production, society, and public policy. Issues include food safety, potential environmental impacts, and social and legal issues. |
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| Entry Level: | This is an entry
level Graduate Education course that requires no specific course preparation
other than that the student be at least an upper division undergraduate.
BioSci 10 is recommended preparation. Reading assignments and discussion sections cover technical, ethical, social and legal aspects of biotechnology. |
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| Course Format: | Lecture - 3 hr/week;
Discussion - 1 hr/week.
Grading is based on performance in preparing an abstract, developing written arguments for or against deployment of a specific technology or promulgation of a specific regulation, preparation of a term paper covering technical, ethical, social and legal aspects of a specific biotechnology, a midterm examination and a final examination. |
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| Subject Outline: | Introduction - traditional
agriculture and food processing and the origins of agricultural biotechnology;
some issues of benefits and costs related to agricultural biotechnology,
including ethical, legal and social considerations.
Description of research methods, products and processes of agricultural biotechnology, at or close to market: crop biotechnology, domestic animal biotechnology, microbial and fermentation biotechnology. Agricultural biotechnology and sustainable agriculture. Case histories in agricultural biotechnology, bioremediation and food processing: technical, environmental, and ethical issues. Potential impacts on university research, third world agriculture, family farms, and environmental quality. Issues of intellectual property and regulations. |
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| Texts Used: | Assigned specific papers and prepared materials. | ||
