BIOSAFETY, BIOETHICS AND BIOPOLICY,
Course Code: BBT3503
Course Credit: 4 CU
Brief course description
This course will consist of definitions of biosafety, bioethics and biopolicy, good
laboratory procedure and practices, standard operating procedures for biotechnology
research, legal and institutional framework for biosafety in Uganda, international
agreements and protocols for biosafety.
Specific learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. define Biosafety and bioethics in the context of modern biotechnology,
2. demonstrate good laboratory procedures and practices,
3. describe the standard operating procedures for biotechnology research and
assign Biosafety levels,
4. justify the design of confinement facilities at different Biosafety levels,
5. discuss the social and ethical issues related to plant and animal biotechnology,
6. discuss the relevance of intellectual property rights to modern biotechnological
innovations,
7. explain the legal and institutional framework for Biosafety in Uganda,
8. discuss the relevance of different international agreements and protocols for
Biosafety.
Detailed course description:
Principles of Biosafety (1 hour); procedures and good laboratory practices (GLPs) (2
hours); Biotechnology: benefits and concerns/risks (2 hours); Standard operating
procedures for research involving microbes and recombinant DNA (2 hours); Designing
of containment facilities: laboratories (1 hour), Biosafety cabinets (1 hour), and
greenhouses (1 hour); Ethical theories; ethical principles (2 hours); Ethical issues
surrounding GMOs and recombinant DNA research (2 hours); national policies for
biotechnology products and research (2 hours); Principles of Risk assessment and
management (2 hours); Biosafety procedures: Assigning of Biosafety levels (1 hour); The
concept of Biosecurity (1 hour); International conventions and treaties of relevance to
Biosafety (1 hour); National guidelines for research with GMOs and microbes (3 hours);
Bioethics and social issues: Theories of bioethics (3 hours), challenges facing modern
biotechnology research and application (2 hours); Management of intellectual
property: patenting (1 hour), copyrights and trademarks (1 hour); intellectual property
rights as applied to biotechnology (2 hours): Intellectual Property key policy issues in the
research setting (2 hours); Protection of traditional knowledge for biotechnology
innovation (3 hours); national and international and legal and regulatory framework for
Intellectual property and relevance to biotechnology (3 hours); Challenges of
Biotechnology policy development and implementation (2 hours); Features of the
Uganda biotechnology and Biosafety policy and its linkage to other national and
global policies (2 hours).
Practicals (30 hours)
Mode of delivery:
The course will consist of lectures, practicals and tutorials
Assessment method:
This will be done through examinations (60%) and coursework (practicals, tests and
assignments) (40%)
REFERENCE LIST
1. DUTFIELD, G. (1997). Can TRIPS Agreement Protect Biological and Cultural Diversity?
Biopolicy International.
2. HENDRIX, F., KOESTER, V and PRIP, C. (1994). Access to Genetic Resources. In
Biodiplomacy: Genetic Resources and International Relations. Edited by V. Sanchez,
ans Juma, C, Nairobi, Act Press.
3. KLEMM, C. De. (1990). Wild Plant Conservation and the Law. IUCN Environmental
Policy and Law Paper Number 24. ICN
4. MUGABE, J, BARBER, C.V, HENNE, G, GLOWKA, L and LA VINA, A. (1996). Managing
Access to Genetic Resources : Towards Strategies for Benefit-Sharing.
5. NELSON, D.L and COX, M.M. (2008). Principles of Biochemistry. Fifth Edition.
W.H. Freeman and Company. New York
6. TANUI, W.K. (2007). Laboratory Safety Handbook. 1st Edition. King’s Script Publishers.