Week 6- BioTech + Art

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According to the infamous Wikipedia, “biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products and for thousands of years, humankind has used biotechnology in agriculture, food production, and medicine.” Biotechnology is a broad spectrum today and has become quite controversial. Some topics include animals, humans and even foods, which can be seen as moral or ethical issues. “BioArt” is collaboration with artists and biologist on a molecular/tissue level directly or indirectly. There are constant debates of artists medaling with genetic structures of nature and if it is ethical or not. Joe Davis pioneered this biotech phenomena  (lecture 1). Biotechnology has advanced anywhere from prenatal care to fast foods.

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“Genetic testing is a type of medical test that identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. The results of a genetic test can confirm or rule out a suspected genetic condition or help determine a person’s chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder” (http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/testing?show=a).  Genetic screening affects the way people live. It can limit and suffocate a person or family as well as have too much government involvement. This is why it becomes a debate as to whether it should be mandatory for everyone or not. People should have the freedom to chose if they would want to know if they have a gene or trait for a certain disease or not. It can affect they way you live and ultimately can decrease a persons quality of life.

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            Another aspect of biotechnology is Genetically Modified Organisms. These GMO’s are commonly found and talked about via food. “In the U.S., GMOs are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food” (http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/). The cause is from modifying plant and animals. “Because of your shared evolutionary history with the plants and animals on this planet, when you consume them you risk having their chemicals affect how you feel and even how you think” ("Seed Magazineabout"). These chemicals are not safe and are not labeled. So the public has no idea what is really going into their bodies or the direct effects from consuming certain foods. Connecting and tracing the dots from fast food french fries all the way back to the corn stock and how it is grown is what GMO testing is. Knowledge is power as the old saying says and personally, I want to have as much information possible on the food going inside my body.

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References

"Biotechnology." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biotechnology.

Fulda, K. G., and K. Lykens. "Ethical Issues in Predictive Genetic Testing: A Public Health Perspective." Journal of Medical Ethics. BMJ Group, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2564466/.

"GMO Facts." The NonGMO Project RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/.

"Genetic Testing." Genetics Home Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/testing?show=all.

"Joe Davis: Genetics and Culture." Joe Davis: Genetics and Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. http://www.viewingspace.com/genetics_culture/pages_genetics_culture/gc_w03/davis_joe.htm.

"Seed Magazineabout." This Is Your Brain on Food § SEEDMAGAZINE.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/this_is_your_brain_on_food/.

Vesna, Victoria. “Biotechnology and Art: Part 1.” Lecture.. Youtube, 18 Sep. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg.

"What Is Genetic Testing? Facts About Genetics and Neuromuscular Diseases." Muscular Dystrophy Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. http://mda.org/publications/facts-about-genetics-and-NMDs/genetic-testing.