Topic > A Look at Bioinformatics - 672

Bioinformatics is the use of biology, mathematics, and computer science to answer biological questions. Through the use of biological databases, researchers are able to manage genetic information (Hodgman, French, & Westhead, 2010). A part of bioinformatics is the lack of ethics implemented in their studies. Bioethics, defined as the potential influence of the life sciences in our society, using ethics, philosophy, and social observations (Bioethics, n.d.). Relevant ethical issues, as well as the approach to education and teaching, are the bioethical concerns of bioinformatics. Ethics in the curriculum of bioinformatics programs is minimal. More emphasis could be placed on legal and social issues in bioinformatics research and the exploration of future technologies. Many programs do not believe in topics such as "reproductive cloning, genetically modified foods, gene therapy and clinical trials, experimentation on human stem cells, experiments on aborted embryos or fetal tissues, patenting of molecules, transgenic technologies, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, assisted reproduction”. ” because it is not a high priority concern in the field of bioinformatics compared to other biological fields. Therefore, the blame could be placed on the professors and their curriculum for the right cause on this problematic issue. The following figure was a random study of programs undergraduate and graduate courses in bioinformatics were tested for courses such as “ethics seminars, short courses, required courses, or related electives” (Taneri, 2011). bio)ethics in the curriculum.Another cause of ethical problems that bioinformatics faces is government and bioinfo publications...... middle of paper...... cal questions related to bioinformatics raising awareness can, in the long run, solve the problems. The lack of ethics embedded in bioinformatics programs in the United States and Europe is also a concern. Yale University recently required students to attend a seminar on ethics research and Stanford University introduced medical information science, which focuses on the ethical, legal and social implications. If more top-tier universities integrated bio(ethics) into their curricula, this could cause a domino effect with other institutions. Also, other things that could be helpful in solving this problem are students expressing their opinion. Student voice can influence a new perspective on learning and teaching. These significant advances will ultimately lead to advances in the field and solve the problem of ethical courses in bioinformatics.