SAS 90E   Sec. 001   (2 units)   CRN 88631  W 3:10-5:00 pm   1338 Meyer
Biotechnology - A New Era, A New Struggle?

Instructor: Jim Murray, Department of Animal Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Description: To familiarize the student with the field of biotechnology and the policy and ethics debate currently surrounding biotechnology and its use. This course will examine the development of animal biotechnology. Particular attention will be given to discussion of the potential societal impact of the various technologies, factors shaping public opinion, and the ethical and moral questions being raised regarding the application of new biotechnologies.

Format: This course will meet weekly for two hours of discussion. Readings from the press, trade journals, and scholarly journals will be assigned reading. To expose the student directly to the diversity of views on the subject, guest speakers or panelists representing the industry, consumer activist groups, and/or the Cooperative Extension Service will be invited to participate. Grading: Grading will be based on class participation (20%), a short term paper (15%), a term paper (40%), and a class presentation (25%).

About the Instructor: Jim Murray is broadly trained in genetics and evolutionary biology, having taken a Ph.D. at Macquarie University in Australia where he studied chromosome evolution in marsupial mammals. Following a brief stay at the Australian National University's School of Medical Research, he moved to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization's Division of Animal Production, where he spent over eight years working on the development of transgenic mice and sheep. Since moving to UC Davis in 1989, Dr. Murray has continued his work with genetically engineering mice and livestock.