Team:UCL/Practice/Documentary

EXPLANATORY VIDEO

GEM Cells In Plasticine Stop-Motion

Communicating ideas in synthetic biology is often difficult, not only because public understanding of the field is limited but because the field is necessarily cross-disciplinary since it tries to apply genetic engineering techniques as new solutions to diverse array of different problems. When making an explanatory video, it is important to be aware of the public perception. For example, genetic engineering is often seen unfavorably with its reputation in genetically modified foodstuffs and fears over eugenics. Neuroscience can cause unease because brain tampering, even for medical purposes, sounds dangerous especially if the method in question seems opaque and amoral to the layman. Our aim in making this short video was to convey our project, in which we fuse these two controversial fields, in a simple and engaging way that does not skimp on the science to make it as translucent and informative as possible. We chose plasticine stop animation because of its simplistic, unassuming, fun feel.

DOCUMENTARY

Interviewing Top Scientists

We are in the process of putting together a documentary on 'neuro-genethics' which will appear on this website later this month. The narrator's script for our documentary can be found here. We also conducted three interviews as a part of our filming process, which have proved invaluable into informing and improving our project work. This documentary explores the views of both science-related professionals and non scientists on the neuroethics and feasibility of neuro-genetic engineering. We prepared a series of questions that targeted the ethical side of brain cell modification for t various purposes, focusing on Alzheimer’s disease, specifically, whether the alteration of native brain cells will prompt a change of ‘self hood’, and how much this kind of new technology can be trusted outside of science. We also examine the economics feasibility of distributing the treatment, looking at resource allocation, the cost of research for Alzheimer's and the cost-benefit of spending on the ageing population.

Professor John Powell - a Professor in Genetics in the Department of Neuroscience and Psychological Medicine at Kings College London. His research interests are in the application of human genetics to the study of neurological and psychiatric disorders; in schizophrenia and autism.