These slides were included in a workshop on teaching students about the important ethical questions associated with the use of biological and chemical weapons.
The session was led by Prof Alastair Hay (Leeds). He modelled an approach to teaching ethics. Earlier in the day he had also given a presentation on the same theme (available here: http://www.slideshare.net/cjrw2/alastair-haypresentation2013).
The conference (on teaching about Ethics and Risk) was held at the University of Northampton, UK, in March 2013
4. 4
Error Misconduct Criminal
Wrong observations
Wrong analysis
Undeclared conflict of interest
Curiosity
Can (suspect) chemical be made?
Suppress knowledge
Make it again
Sell some
Large scale manf.
With apologies to M. Nylenna & S. Simansen
Lancet 2006; 367: 1882-4
Non-
intentional
Intentional
6. Necessary Dangerous
Unquestionable
Questionable?
Disease eradication
Finding transmission routes
Identifying agents responsible
Infection control
Understanding disease mechanisms
Developing vaccines for disease control eg polio
Determine virus RNA genome
Synthesise polio virus using available nucleotides
Concern
Synthesise smallpox virus?
Reconstructing 1918 flu virus
Recreation of human endogenous retroviruses
7. Necessary Dangerous
Justifiable
Questionable
Controlling pests
Developing contraceptives
Producing contraceptives to control mice
Investigating mutations in DNA
Changing DNA sequences to understand disease mechanisms
Increasing immune responses
Inserting IL-4 gene into mousepox virus to increase
antibody production
Inserting immune response gene into smallpox virus
8. Necessary Riskier
Routine
Innovative
Treating disease
Produce drugs
Improving drug delivery
Develop injectable drugs
Understanding particle deposition in the lungs
Develop aerosol inhalable drugs
Bypass lung clearance mechanisms
Develop better porous inhalable drug uptake
9. 9
Lawful
business
Taking
advantage
Illegal?
Ethical
Unethical?
Supplier of fluorine
Large order – country in a troubled region
Company makes HF and uses chloroform
Is it just business?
Chloroform/HF used in manufacture of
tetrafluorethylene - PFIB a by-product
Is it still just business?
Don’t inform authorities
Fulfil order
Agree future large supply
Fulfil this too
10. 10
Control Manage
Closed
Open
SME manufacturer of solvents
Contracts worldwide
Use microreactors – you are chemist in charge
Owner asks ‘How quick can production
be changed?’
Can new product be produced and lines
cleaned to leave no traces?
Do you provide answer/ask ?’s
Just your job / not your business
Ask other authorities?
11. 11
Lawful
business
Taking
advantage
Illegal
Ethical
Unethical?
Produce phosphate for export
Contracts worldwide
Large order – Middle East country
It is just business?
Phosphate initial feedstock for pesticides,
also for nerve agents
Is it still just business?
Don’t inform authorities
Fulfil order
Agree future large supply
Fulfil this too