 Email from Dr. Susan Woodrow
Email from Dr. Susan Woodrow
By now, you should have read the email from the committee with the questions they have on GM animals. I'd like you to start putting information together so you can build the presentation, using their questions to help guide what material you include. I've included more specific instructions below as to how to do that.
In addition to the questions they sent, I would like you to address the following points as well:
- Allergies: Why might people want cats genetically modified to be hypoallergenic?
- Genetics: How are genes related to allergies? What would need to be done in order to make a cat genetically hypoallergenic? Because there may be different ways to achieve this, be sure to include what would need to happen conceptually (the goal) as well as an example or two of genetic engineering techniques that could accomplish this to make the point clear.
- Ethics: What are the major ethical perspectives? What ethical questions does the modification of animals bring up? How would the ethical perspective an individual endorse affect their answer to the ethical questions?
Your Tasks
- Please do some research as needed so you’re able to answer both the questions they posed and the points I’ve asked you to cover here. Make sure to keep track of what information you find as well as where you found it so you can properly reference the material in the presentation as well as the final report. Although you won’t need to write the final report yet, keeping track of things as you go will make the task much easier once you get to it.
- I would also like you to begin preparations to conduct a focus group with 4-6 people in order to get a better feel about how people really react to these topics. You’ll need to do some research before you start actually conducting the focus group, but there are preparations you’ll need to begin now -- finding participants and a place to hold the focus group -- so that you’re prepared to execute once the time comes.
- Please send me a status report regarding your initial research and preparations for the focus group.
- Finally, send me a rough presentation outline of the information you want to include based on your findings so I can make sure you’re on the right track.
Although your primary tasks at this point are beginning research and preparing for the focus group, don’t forget about all the primary projects involved in this assignment. The presentation, debates, and final report all require slightly different approaches. For example, the debates will focus more on positions, arguments and rebuttals than the other two. If you keep track of all the information as you collect it with all the different ways you may use it in mind, it may lead to a more effective use of your time. Use the file I sent you previously to guide your work.
I've attached some information on the members of the committee who will be at the hearings. Some of their background can be informative in where they stand on different topics, and what types of questions they might have about each presentation. Use the information in your research and in preparing your work.
Thanks,
Dr. Susan Woodrow
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