Synthetic Biology: A Sociology Of Changing Practices
by A. Balmer /
2016 / English / PDF
2.6 MB Download
This book explores the emergence of a new scientific field,
synthetic biology, and the many bold promises its proponents have
made to change the future of science, industry, humanity and the
global environment. It explores how people, including academics,
students, industrialists and governance actors, tried to change
their practices to bring engineering and biology together, and to
realise such promises from within their everyday lives. It focuses
on an ethnographic case study of an academic project that aimed to
demonstrate the field's promise for solving water industry
problems, from leaky pipes to climate change. In doing so, the book
weaves together stories of barriers, bacteria and bodies, examining
how they were entangled as people tried to make connections between
academia and industry. It also reflects on the authors' attempts to
work collaboratively with natural scientists and engineers,
reflecting on current debates about the role of sociology in such
interdisciplinary projects. The book contributes to contemporary
studies of science and technology by highlighting issues such as
ontology, practices, failure and time.
This book explores the emergence of a new scientific field,
synthetic biology, and the many bold promises its proponents have
made to change the future of science, industry, humanity and the
global environment. It explores how people, including academics,
students, industrialists and governance actors, tried to change
their practices to bring engineering and biology together, and to
realise such promises from within their everyday lives. It focuses
on an ethnographic case study of an academic project that aimed to
demonstrate the field's promise for solving water industry
problems, from leaky pipes to climate change. In doing so, the book
weaves together stories of barriers, bacteria and bodies, examining
how they were entangled as people tried to make connections between
academia and industry. It also reflects on the authors' attempts to
work collaboratively with natural scientists and engineers,
reflecting on current debates about the role of sociology in such
interdisciplinary projects. The book contributes to contemporary
studies of science and technology by highlighting issues such as
ontology, practices, failure and time.
