Final GES Colloquium podcast of Spring 2024 Investigating the societal and ethical implications of synthetic cells Barbara Herr Harthorn, PhD, Research Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara Profile | DOWNLOAD SEMINAR POSTER This talk introduces 3 ongoing NSF-funded collaborative interdisciplinary projects investigating US public and expert views on bottom-up synthetic cells using a responsible research and innovation framework. Abstract Based on three collaborative interdisciplinary research projects on bottom synthetic cells in development in the US on which she i ..read more

Gene technology in aquaculture: Potential, constraints, and first products to commercialization <h4>Eric Hallerman, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech University</h4> While aquaculture biotechnology has the potential to improve the sustainability of aquaculture, its realization will depend upon enabling public policy. Download seminar poster Abstract Aquaculture products are important to human nutrition, especially in developing countries. To meet growing global demand, aquaculture must improve production systems and farmed stocks ..read more

Eugenics and the Welfare State in North Carolina + Anna Krome-Lukens, PhD, Teaching Associate Professor, Public Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill Profile | Download seminar poster In North Carolina, social reformers and welfare officials relied on eugenics ideology as they built the welfare state before the New Deal, with lasting effects for our contemporary definitions of citizenship. Abstract Between 1929 and 1977, North Carolina officials approved the surgical sterilization of over 7,600 people under the aegis of the state’s eugenics program. To help explain the persistence of this program, I turn ..read more

Caring for the Enemy, Killing the Ally: The More-than-Human Politics of Transgenic Mosquitoes in Brazil <h4>Luisa Reis-Castro, PhD, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Southern California</h4> Profile | X | Bluesky | Download Seminar Poster This talk, based on ethnographic research with scientists and technicians working with transgenic mosquitoes in Brazil, examines the class, gender, and regional issues present in the efforts to transform the mosquito from a “problem” into a “solution.” Abstract The Aedes aegypti mosquito, known as the vector for Zika, dengue ..read more

Local seeds and global needs: Ethnobotany, agroecology, and the history of in situ conservation of agrobiodiversity <h4>Helen Anne Curry, PhD, Melvin Kranzberg Professor in the History of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology</h4> Website | @TechHSOC This talk will explore how insights from Indigenous agricultural practices, both past and present, can inform global efforts to conserve diverse crop varieties and bridge the gap between local practices and broader sustainability goals. <h5>Download seminar poster </h5> Abstract For decades, diverse disciplines like e ..read more

Indigenous Perspectives on Synthetic Biology for Conservation <h4>Kirsty Wissing, PhD, Research Fellow, Australian National University | Profile</h4> A discussion of synthetic biology and Torres Strait Islanders, bringing their perspectives into conversation to explore cultural implications for future island-bound applications of genetic biocontrol technologies, such as gene drives. <h5>Download seminar poster </h5> Abstract Applied over generations, genetic biocontrol technologies (GBTs), such as gene drives, have the potential to radically reduce a pest population thr ..read more

Ecological and evolutionary perspectives on genetic engineering <h4>David Andow, PhD,  Professor and Department Head, Applied Ecology, NC State University | Profile | @NCStateAEC</h4> Ecological and evolutionary perspectives have greatly influenced the development of genetic engineering as exemplified by significant events from history. <h5>Download seminar poster [icon name=&quot;download&quot; style=&quot;solid&quot; class=&quot;&quot; unprefixed_class=&quot;&quot;]</h5> Abstract Ecological and evolutionary perspectives have greatl ..read more

From Plants to People: Mendelian Eugenics in NC in the 20th Century Grace Wiedrich, CRDM PhD Student, NC State University The Mendelian eugenics movement in NC provides a useful case study into the lasting impact of over-generalized genetic theory on governments, medical professionals, and activists. <h5>Download seminar poster </h5> Abstract The history of eugenics in the United States is deeply entwined with theories about plants and animals arising in the 19th century. By the early 20th century, selective breeding of humans became a popular concern around the country. It wa ..read more

Public Engagement: Missing the Mark? <h4>Katie Barnhill, PhD, Senior Research Scholar, GES Center, NC State | Profile | Google Scholar</h4> Scholars and funders alike have increasingly recognized engagement as an important dimension of innovation, but is engagement accomplishing what we think it is? <h5>Download seminar poster </h5> Abstract Emerging environmental biotechnologies such as gene drives have often been called for to respond to wicked environmental problems, including applications that have the potential to protect land and water (pestici ..read more

Final seminar of the fall 2023 semester! Join us again in early January, 2024. From containment to connectivity: an oceanic approach to gene drive governance Riley Taitingfong, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona Profile | LinkedIn | @riley_ilyse An exploration of the containment paradigm in gene drive research and discourse, drawing on feminist and Indigenous science studies, and proposes a connectivity-based approach to gene drive governance. <h5>DOWNLOAD SEMINAR POSTER</h5> Abstract Dr. Riley Taitingfong explore ..read more