Theme and objective
Ten years ago
On 26 June 2000, Bill Clinton, Francis Collins and Craig Venter announced, during a highly visible press conference, that the effort to sequence the human genome was rapidly approaching its completion. On that occasion, the human genome was compared to a landscape, the Human Genome Project (HGP) to a map-making expedition, and the genome sequence to a map, - a map of human life, revealing and making visible previously unknown territories in terms of their detailed genetic features. Thus the HGP was presented as a large-scale mapping endeavour, funded and coordinated by governmental bodies, supported by heads of states, and directed towards charting (and, as a consequence, claiming and annexing) new territories. Mapping the Human Genome was presented as a first step towards development, exploitation and habitation.
Map and assess the emerging societal landscape of genomics
Ten years after this event, we want to address the question how the genomics landscape has become cultivated and inhabited since then, not only in human genomics but also in other genomics areas. Whereas the HGP resulted in a “physical” map of protein-coding genes, our focus is rather on the “social geographical” dimensions. We intend to analyse and assess how genomics information is becoming embedded and used in a broad range of societal contexts, how genomics is affecting health care, agriculture, education, research innovation, nature conservation and other areas of activity. Thus, we intend to indicate how the landscape has been developed and could (or even should) be further developed in terms of policies and infrastructures. In short, the basic objective of the conference is to map and assess the emerging societal landscape of genomics.
Four zones
Four zones will be distinguished to guide us through the emerging landscape: the urban, the industrial, the rural and the environmental zone. Within these zones, a range of topics (dealing with innovation, governance, infrastructures and emerging issues) will be addressed in the form of parallel sessions. Our deliberations will converge into a “societal map” of genomics as the outcome of the conference.
Zones | Urban | Industrial | Rural | Environmental |
Possible themes | Health care, food, education, health management and prevention, personalised health, bio banks | Industry, bio-based economy, viral genomics, biomaterials | Agriculture, plant genomics, bio-fuels, animal husbandry genomics | Wild life conservation, eco-genomics, bioremediation |
Objective
The conference aims to provide input for ongoing debates around current and future developments in genomics and post-genomics life sciences, involving a broad range of social science and humanities disciplines, in order to understand how the societal landscape of genomics is evolving.