21.04.2022; godz. 16:30

This lecture addresses two related themes of gene patenting and race and genomics during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The rise of private funding in molecular biology over the past 50 years has made us rethink notions of ownership, privacy, and knowledge sharing. How has gene patenting shaped the content and conduct of molecular biology? In the US, genes have also played a role in recent debates about the notion of race. Is there a molecular biological equivalent of race? Indeed, how does one define ‘race’? Many personal genomics companies use race as an important marketing tool. What are the ethical ramifications of the answers to all of these questions? I shall answer them historically, by speaking about my role in the US Supreme Court decision of 2013 on the patent eligibility of genes as well as the role of a historian in debates about human classification.

Link to access the meeting can be found here