First, describe a biological engineering application or tool you want to develop and why.
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(I translate some of my texts from thai to english and refine it’s grammar with Google Gemini and ChatGPT)
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I want to create a tool that allows us to perceive more information from the environment with synthetic biology.
The tool I'm interested in is a wearable, low-cost air pollution monitor. The problem of PM 2.5 in my country and many others is getting worse. Even though people can access information about the weather through their phones, but this information is obtained from very limited area in the city. In addition, although dust causes irritation, but some people are not sensitive to dust, making it difficult to determine how harmful the dust around them. I want to create a small wearable device that performs better than our noses to raise our awareness about the dust around us.
About its mechanics, It may measure the dust level from the surrounding and display the result with a color produced from a biological substance, or measure from the wearer’s biological data using biosensors.
Other tools that I am interested in include: Hearing aids that improved with biosensors. I found that people with hearing impairments who use hearing aids have different experiences listening to music. I wonder if using biosensors will allow hearing aids to have a more detailed and smoother signal range.
The last tool is computer input device that using biosensors as a stress detection, to enhance the experience of playing games, listening to music, or creating an atmosphere that suits the mood, such as changing the color of the room with light.
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Next, describe one or more governance/policy goals related to ensuring that this application or tool contributes to an "ethical" future, like ensuring non-malfeasance (preventing harm). Break big goals down into two or more specific sub-goals.
- Biosecurity
- The use of the device must not cause any harm to the user, and any leakage of substances must not pose a danger to them.
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- Protect the Environment
- The production of the device must not generate excessive pollution, and its disposal must be done in an environmentally friendly manner.
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- Easy to use and Accessibility
- The device must have compact size to make it easy to be used in real life scenario.
- The device can be created using low-cost materials and low-cost manufacture process.
Next, describe at least three different potential governance "actions" by considering the four aspects below (Purpose, Design, Assumptions, Risks of Failure & “Success”).
Purpose:Â What is done now and what changes are you proposing?
Design: What is needed to make it “work”? (including the actor(s) involved - who must opt-in, fund, approve, or implement, etc)
Assumptions:Â What could you have wrong (incorrect assumptions, uncertainties)?
Risks of Failure & “Success”: How might this fail, including any unintended consequences of the “success” of your proposed actions?
- Quality Control
- Purpose: prevent mutations and harmful substances
- Design: we need well-automated process controlled by engineers and QA.
- Assumption: human error can occurs in quality control process
- Risks of Failure & Success: if we find a way to efficiently monitor machines during the creation process, then it might greatly reduce the chances of human error.
- Proper disposal
- Purpose: To prevent the devices from causing harm to the environment.
- Design: A process to seperate the biological and electronic parts, then destroy the biological parts using heat.
- Assumption: There might be many ways to properly dispose this tool without harming the environment.
- Risks of Failure & Success: The biological substances may contaminates the non-biological parts
- Use low cost materials
- Purpose: There are many research studies on low-cost biosensors for detecting various diseases, and we might have the way to applied those knowledge.
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- Design: We need knowledge and research on the production of biosensors using low-cost materials and simple processes.
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- Assumption: There may not yet be a discovered method for producing low-cost sensors.
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- Risk of Failure & Success:
- Success: When there is existing research on producing sensors using low-cost materials and low-cost manufacturing.
- Failure: When production requires a complex process and a high budget.
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- Purpose: There are many research studies on low-cost biosensors for detecting various diseases, and we might have the way to applied those knowledge.
Next, score (from 1-3 with, 1 as the best, or n/a) each of your governance actions against your rubric of policy goals. The following is one framework but feel free to make your own:
Last, drawing upon this scoring, describe which governance option, or combination of options, you would prioritize, and why. Outline any trade-offs you considered as well as assumptions and uncertainties.
- From the table, Quality Control and Proper Disposal are crucial for biosecurity and to protect the environment, preventing harm from the tool’s mulfuction and substances. Out of the three goals, biosecurity: not cause any harm to the user, is my top priority.