2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Life Science and Technology Undergraduate major in Life Science and Technology
Bioethics and Law
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Life Science and Technology
- Instructor(s)
- Junji Hirota / Shinji Masuda / Hiroshi Ichinose / Takehiko Itoh / Yoh-Ichi Tagawa / Akira Kato / Hiroshi Kimura / Hideya Yuasa / Takeshi Hata / Hiroyuki Nakamura / Yutaka Miura
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Mon / 5-6 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- LST.A354
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Rapid progessses in the lifesciences and biotechnology have arised matters related to envioronment, health, and bioethics. This course, Bioethics and Law is the systematic study of the legal and ethical aspects of developments in the life sciences and biotechnology as well as responsibility for proper research conduct as scientists．This course is designed to take prior to start a researh project in each laboratory, and to help students to establish a solid base of safety and risk assesments during the laboratory works.
In the first class, the overall scope of the bioethics and the related laws and regulations is outlined. Following classes are specified to each subjectd as described in the course schedule, including "regulations related to environment, health and safety in laboratory workds", "radio isotope experiments" , "biodiversity, biosafety and living modified organisms in genetic recombinat experiments", "Humane treatment in animal experiments", "regenerative medicine research and bioethics". Finally, in addition to these ethics and law, students will learn about "research integrity and resposibility to conduct proper research".
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Establish a solid base of bioethics and risk assesment in life science research.
2) Understand regulations related to environment, health and safety.
3) Understand the radiation hazard prevention act.
4) Understand basic act on biodiversity and ivasive alien species act.
5) Establish a base of aplication of biosafety principles and biological risk assessment.
6) Understand the Cartagene Protocol and establish a base for safetyin genetic recombination experiments.
7) Understand 3Rs principles in animal experiments.
8) Understand a basis of rengenerative medicine and bioethics.
9) Understant what is a responsible research activity.
Keywords
Bioethics, Industrial safety and health, Environmental Problem, Radiation Hazard, Biodiversity, Biosafety Level, Biological risk, Living modifeid organisms, Animal experiments, Regenerative medicine, Epidemiologic study, Research integrity.
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Each class starts from a brief overview of each subject of matter, and then moves to main contents. Towards the end of class, students are given exercise problems related to the lecture given that day to solve.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction of Bioethics and the related Laws | Understand aims of this couse. Student will be introduced to bioethics and the related laws and regulations in life science research. |
| Class 2 | Chemical Explosion and Ignition and Their Extinguishing | Understand and explain explosions and ignitions caused by chemicals and how to extinguish them. |
| Class 3 | Chemical Toxicity and Asphyxiation | Understand and explain toxicity and asphyxiation in chemicals. |
| Class 4 | Cautions for conducting research facilities and potential dangers | Understand and explain how to use gas cylinder, pressure equipment, and alcohol lamps, which are prone to cause accidents. |
| Class 5 | Isotope & genetic recombination experiments | Understand basis of isotope experiments and genetic recombination experiments. |
| Class 6 | The Cartagena Protocol on biosafety 1. | Understand the definition of living modified organisms and the international regulations. |
| Class 7 | The Cartagena Protocol on biosafety 2. | Students will be introduced to genetic recombination experiments. The lecture will establishes a solid base for safety in genetic recombination experiments. |
| Class 8 | Introduction of Epidemiologic Study | Understand regulations of epidemiologic study. |
| Class 9 | How not to get involved in Research Misconduct. | Students will learn a basis of Research Misconduct (FFP). |
| Class 10 | The Convention on Biological Diversity, Invasive Alien Species Act, and the Nagoya Protocol on Biological Diversity. | Understand the convention on biological diversity and invasive alien species act, and the Nagoya protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization to the convention on biological diversity. |
| Class 11 | Regenerative Medicine and Bioethis. | Students will learn a basis of rengenerative medicine and bioethics. |
| Class 12 | Biosafety Level & Laboratory Biosafety Manual. | Understand biosafety level and laboratory biosafety manual. The lecture establishes a solid base of aplication of biosafety principles and biological risk assessment. |
| Class 13 | Law of Humane Treatment and Management of Animals & 3Rs principles. | Students will be introduced to humane treatment and management of animals.In addition, students understand 3Rs principles in animal experiments. |
| Class 14 | Research Integrity and Responsibility for Proper Research Conduct. | Understant what is a responsible research activity. Students will be introduced essential points on how scientists should conduct their reseach and communicate results to society. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
No textbook is set.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
For the Sound Development of Science - The Attitude of a Conscientious Scientist / Japan Scoiety for the Promotion of Science.
All materials used in the class will be found on T2SCHOLA.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Learning achievement is evaluated by final exam. Short tests and/or reports in some classes will be used for the evaluation.
Related courses
- 学士特定課題研究
Prerequisites
Recommended to take this course prior to start the graduation thesis project.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
Junji Hirota: jhirota[at]bio.titech.ac.jp
Shinji Masuda: smasuda[at]bio.titech.ac.jp
Yoh-ichi Tagawa: ytagawa[at]bio.titech.ac.jp
Takehiko Itoh: takehiko[at]bio.titech.ac.jp
Hiroshi Ichinose: hichinos[at]bio.titech.ac.jp
Akira Kato: akirkato[at]bio.titech.ac.jp
Hiroshi Kimura: hkimura[at]bio.titech.ac.jp
Hideya Yuasa: hyuasa[at]bio.titech.ac.jp
Hiroyuki Nakamura: hiro[at]res.titech.ac.jp
Takeshi Hata: thata[at]bio.titech.ac.jp
Yutaka Miura: miura.y.ai[at]m.titech.ac.jp
Office hours
Contact in advance to schedule an appointment.
Other
The course registration may be limited to the students belonging to School of Life Science and Technology.