Biotechnology Law
About This Course
By the end of the course, participants will be able to :
(i) critically analyze the legal, policy, economic, social, and ethical issues associated with the application of biotechnology techniques and their impact across sectors;
(ii) demonstrate a thorough understanding of intellectual property and patent issues related to biotechnology, specifically regarding genetic, medical, and pharmaceutical technology;
(iii) compare and assess international regulatory frameworks for controversial biotechnology techniques, incorporating multidisciplinary perspectives on ethics, sustainability, and biodiversity; and
(iv) engage in discussions on recent advancements in bioinformatics, big data analysis, and AI as applied to biotechnology, gaining insights into computational experimentation and intellectual property issues across various jurisdictions.
What You'll Learn
The main focus will be on intellectual property and patent issues, particularly in respect of genetic, medical and pharmaceutical technology which are key sectors in Singapore and other countries. Some specific issues that will be analysed include patentability of biological materials, gene sequences, stem cells, plants, animals, humans, medical treatments, and the most recent issue of the role of intellectual property in the COVID-19 pandemic.
More generally, in an international and comparative perspective, different regulatory systems for research and development using controversial biotechnology techniques, including human genetic modification and cloning, GMOs, CRISPR, etc., will be analysed, also in light of a multidisciplinary approach which will take into account aspects like ethics of interventions on human life, access to genetic resources, sustainability, biodiversity and food sovereignty.
Finally, according to a Socratic model of teaching, specific insights and discussions will take place, with the active participation of the students, regarding the latest developments of bioinformatics and computational experimentation, especially through the most recent advances in big data analysis, machine learning and artificial intelligence (including generative AI). Apart from Singapore law, an analysis of the approaches in Europe, US, China, India, Japan and Australia will be explored.
This course will be of interest to all who wish to gain greater insights into the important and rapidly developing field of biotechnology. Prior knowledge of biology or intellectual property law will be useful but is not necessary, as all students will be introduced to the fundamentals of biology, genetics, intellectual property and patent law.
Entry Requirements
A good Bachelor's or Juris Doctor degree in Law