Governing synthetic biology for global health through responsible research and innovation

Synthetic biology (SynBio) is a global endeavour with research and development programs in many countries, and due (in part) to its multi-use characteristics it has potential to improve global health in the area of vaccine development, diagnostics, drug synthesis, and the detection and remediation of environmental toxins. However, SynBio will also concurrently require global governance. Here we present what we have learnt from the articles in this Special Issue, and the workshop we hosted in The Hague in February of 2012 on SynBio, global health, and global governance that generated many of the papers appearing here. Importantly we take the notion of ‘responsible research and innovation’ as a guiding perspective. In doing so our understanding of governance is one that shifts its focus from preventing risks and other potential negative implications, and instead is concerned with institutions and practices involved in the inclusive steering of science and technology towards socially desirable outcomes. We first provide a brief overview of the notion of global health, and SynBio’s relation to global health issues. The core of the paper explores some of the dynamics involved in fostering SynBio’s global health pursuits; paying particular attention to of intellectual property, incentives, and commercialization regimes. We then examines how DIYbio, Interactive Learning and Action, and road-mapping activities can be seen as positive and productive forms of governance that can lead to more inclusive SynBio global health research programs.     

Cisgenics as emerging bio-objects: bio-objectification and bio-identification in agrobiotech innovation

Cisgenesis is a genetic modification of a recipient organism with genetic material from a crossable organism. Trying to free cisgenics from the regulatory guidelines of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), some scientists have suggested to classify the genetically modified products by the origin of transferred genes. Aiming at exploring how scientists frame cisgenics in relation to current legal frameworks, we have sent an extensive survey to the totality of researchers working on cisgenics. Trying to provide cisgenics with a new, uncontroversial identity, the respondents present cisgenics as a method of obtaining “natural,” environmentally friendly and economically sustainable crops. However, such strategy is challenged by GMO corporations opposing a segmentation of the sector, and by the opponents of GMOs, who fear that deregulation on cisgenics leads to the deregulation of GMOs. Drawing from the concepts of bio-objectification and bio-identification, we show how the status of this bio-object is likely to remain contested and contestable.     

持续城镇化对中国推进实施联合国可持续发展目标的作用

中国过去40年城镇化发展迅速,从数字指标上看,不仅走过了一条迅速提升工业化水平的道路,也走过了一条快速城镇化道路。然而,中国城镇化发展重"量"而轻"质",偏重于城镇数量增多和城镇化速度的提升,而对城镇化的质量和效益的提升、人民生活水平和文明程度的共同提高、资源生态环境的保护、城镇就业、第三产业发展等城镇化的本质问题关注不够。2015年,联合国通过的2030年全球可持续发展目标(SDGs)明确要求建设包容、安全、有抵御灾害能力和可持续的城市和人类住区,中国新型城镇化应以可持续发展目标为导向,如何将SDGs的具体要求用于中国新型城镇化的发展显得尤为重要。为此需要构建城市可持续发展水平评估机制,测评中国城市可持续发展目标实施状况;通过推进城市绿色创新实践,拓宽中国城市可持续发展目标践行路径。     

全英文“环境工程微生物学”的国家线下一流本科课程成长之路

国家一流本科课程的评审认定是教育部全面深化教育教学改革的重要举措,也是提升本科教学质量的重要一环,极大地促进了任课教师对标评价量规进行教研教改。为促进环境工程专业核心基础课的教改,“环境工程微生物学”全英课程组在先进的教育思想、方法和教育心理学的指导下,对教学理念、课程内容、教学组织和实施等多方面进行了大胆的改革和创新,注重课程思政和因材施教,增加课堂教学的师生互动和生生互动;针对工科类学生的培养目标,引入实际工程的应用案例,在课内外补充环境微生物工程领域研究的最新进展和教师的科研成果,注重提升课程的高阶性、创新性和挑战度,从多方面强化知识、能力、素质的有机融合,学生学习效果明显提高。申报并获认定为首批国家线下一流本科课程和广东省一流本科课程。     

以“环境微生物学”为载体的环境生态工程专业本科生科创能力培养

环境生态工程是一个设立较晚的新专业,其基本的教学体系和专业课程设计还有待摸索和完善。"环境微生物学"作为环境生态工程专业普遍设置的专业必修课,其授课内容和形式如何适应专业整体的培养需求是一个值得探讨的问题。我们结合所在学校、学院的特点和优势,提出将融入海洋特色和生态学思想的"环境微生物学"作为载体,结合课上理论教学、学生课堂报告、课下专题培训和实验技能培养等形式,培养环境生态工程专业本科生的科创能力。这可为同专业开设"环境微生物学"课程的教师提供教学参考,也可以为其他院校环境生态工程专业本科生科创能力的培养提供借鉴。     

Historical review of clinical vaccine studies at Oswaldo Cruz Institute and Oswaldo Cruz Foundation - technological development issues

This paper presents, from the perspective of technological development and production, the results of an investigation examining 61 clinical studies with vaccines conducted in Brazil between 1938-2013, with the participation of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC) and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). These studies have been identified and reviewed according to criteria, such as the kind of vaccine (viral, bacterial, parasitic), their rationale, design and methodological strategies. The results indicate that IOC and Fiocruz have accumulated along this time significant knowledge and experience for the performance of studies in all clinical phases and are prepared for the development of new vaccines products and processes. We recommend national policy strategies to overcome existing regulatory and financing constraints.     

ICU护士工作压力与创新行为的相关性分析

目的 了解医院ICU护士工作压力和创新行为现状及二者之间的关系。方法 抽取哈尔滨市三所大型综合医院的10个ICU病区的289名护士为研究对象,采用一般资料、护士工作压力源量表和创新行为量表对护理人员进行调查。结果 ICU护士工作压力平均分为2.63±0.64分,创新行为平均分为4.21±0.92分。工作压力各维度中,管理及人际关系、护理专业及工作和工作环境及仪器设备三个维度为创新行为的主要影响因素（P＜0.05）。结论 临床护理管理者应想方设法减轻ICU护士的工作压力,才有利于促进临床护理工作者的创新行为,提高护理工作质量。     

Genome diversification within a clonal population of pandemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus seems to depend on the life circumstances of each individual bacteria

Background

New strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus that cause diarrhea in humans by seafood ingestion periodically emerge through continuous evolution in the ocean. Influx and expansion in the Southern Chilean ocean of a highly clonal V. parahaemolyticus (serotype O3:K6) population from South East Asia caused one of the largest seafood-related diarrhea outbreaks in the world. Here, genomics analyses of isolates from this rapidly expanding clonal population offered an opportunity to observe the molecular evolutionary changes often obscured in more diverse populations.

Results

Whole genome sequence comparison of eight independent isolates of this population from mussels or clinical cases (from different years) was performed. Differences of 1366 to 217,729 bp genome length and 13 to 164 bp single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were found. Most genomic differences corresponded to the presence of regions unique to only one or two isolates, and were probably acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Some DNA gain was chromosomal but most was in plasmids. One isolate had a large region (8,644 bp) missing, which was probably caused by excision of a prophage. Genome innovation by the presence of unique DNA, attributable to HGT from related bacteria, varied greatly among the isolates, with values of 1,366 (ten times the number of highest number of SNVs) to 217,729 (a thousand times more than the number of highest number of SNVs).

Conclusions

The evolutionary forces (SNVs, HGT) acting on each isolate of the same population were found to differ to an extent that probably depended on the ecological scenario and life circumstances of each bacterium.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1385-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

新时期大型综合医院创新文化建设平台的实践与思考

创新医院文化建设平台是新时期医疗服务的客观需要。以北京大学第一医院近年来创新文化建设平台的具体实践为例,通过分析新型平台在实际应用过程中的效果和意义,探讨新时期大型综合医院创新文化建设平台的必要性与可行性,研究文化建设促进大型综合医院全面、协调、可持续发展的新思路,阐述了创新医院文化建设平台的效果和意义。     

遗传学实验显微图像采集与演示系统设计

利用 Microsoft® Visual Basic 6.0 设计开发了“遗传学实验显微图像采集与演示系统”,该系统主要包括图像采集和编辑、文本输入和编辑,实验指导和图像演示、图像检索和数据库管理、系统维护及帮助等功能,各部分都以窗口形式设计,既可采用视频图像采集卡实时捕获图像,又可通过扫描仪、数码相机、剪贴板或文件输入已有的图像,并经压缩技术处理后与文字说明、实验指导一同存入数据库,方便、快捷、灵活地实现了对图像的输入和编辑、查询和演示,无论是对教师的遗传学实验教学,还是对学生的遗传学实验的自学,都起到了良好的辅助作用。Abstract: A system for capturing and showing micrographs of genetics was designed with Microsoft® Visual Basic 6.0. The system includes many functions such as capturing and editing images, typing and editing text, teaching experiments, showing images, image retrieval, database management, system maintenance and help, all of them were developed with the form of windows. The system could collect images not only from image-grabber card in real-time but also from scanner, digital camera, clipboard and files. After utilizing the image compression technology, the images will be saved in database along with experiment instruction. With all the features referred above, the system can used as a wonderful assistant both for the teaching of genetics experiment and for the students’ learning by themselves.