Genomics opens up a universe of new possibilities, but also raises many ethical issues. For example, how can ethical judgements be made on genomic knowledge and applications when there is no single accepted ethical theory to determine right and wrong? How can claims about the economic, environmental, social or health effects of genomics be evaluated against competing claims and alternatives? These are important issues, given Canada’s cultural and regional diversity, and the way new genomic knowledge and applications tend to move societal debates to new territory.

GE3LS Arc will focus in three primary areas of genome research: food (salmon genomics); Human health (privacy and the use of data banks and blood or tissue sample biobanks); and non-food (forestry genomics).

Building on a previously funded project, Democracy, Ethics and Genomics: Consultation, Deliberation and Modelling, GE3LS Arc will use consultation methods and computer-mediated technologies to develop an understanding of how people make decisions and their perspectives related to genomics research and biotechnology related to human health, food and the environment. The project will address three questions: What social norms do Canadians use to make judgements about genome research and applications (how do Canadians make moral decisions about a policy)? What are the leading moral perspectives on genomics (and what makes different judgements understandable)? And finally, what is the relevance for policy development and implementation (how are worldviews and norms incorporated into policy)?

The ultimate goal of the project is to support dialogue among scientists, policy makers and the public so that public concerns are truly reflected in policies related to genomics.

Principal Investigators

• Dr. Michael M. Burgess holds the Chair in Biomedical Ethics at the University of British Columbia’s W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics
• Dr. Peter Danielson is Mary and Maurice Young Professor of Applied Ethics and the Director of the Centre for Applied Ethics.

Co-Applicants

• Dr. Edwin Levy is an Adjunct Professor, Ethics and Science, at the Centre for Applied Ethics.
• Dr. Daniel Weary is NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Animal Welfare and Professor, Agroecology, UBC's Faculty of Land and Food Systems and the Centre for Applied Ethics.

Scientific Advisory Board

For information on our SAB members, please click here.

GE3LS Arch Working Paper Series

Research papers from the Genome Canada funded project, Building a GE3LS Architecture.  Please click here to read the papers.