Anticipatory Workshop on Nano-Biosensors in the Agrifood Sector

生物传感器是纳米技术潜在的革命性应用之一。其中一个有前景的应用领域是农业食品部门，生物传感器可用于跟踪和监测潜在患病动物。本提案旨在召开研讨会，召集多个关键利益相关者调查在该领域部署生物传感器所涉及的伦理和社会问题。研讨会被认为是一个网络过程，将在研讨会活动之前、期间和之后产生和融合新的互动和想法。在这样做的过程中，该项目为围绕社会和道德问题的讨论建立预期的实践社区创造了一些可能的条件。这样一个社区目前还不存在，以响应纳米生物传感器的农业食品应用。更广泛的影响：一个关键的结果将是供应链网络地图的开始，纳米生物传感器将在其中集成。这些信息将用于发展规模更大的利益相关者讲习班，最多可容纳20-30名参与者，并可产生有关社会和道德问题的数据。这些信息还将进一步改善面向非专家公民的预期治理活动，如科学咖啡馆和共识会议，不仅是关于农业食品，而且更广泛地涉及纳米技术。例如，关于社会和伦理问题的一些想法可以被这些活动的组织者用作公民和专家之间讨论的基础，以及作为准备参与者讨论纳米技术的背景材料。

Biosensors are one of the potentially transformative applications of nanotechnology. One of the promising application areas is in the agrifood sector, where biosensors could be used for the tracking and monitoring of potentially diseased animals. This proposal is for a workshop to convene multiple critical stakeholders to investigate the ethical and social issues involved in the deployment of biosensors in this domain.The workshop is conceived as a networking process that will generate and incorporate new interactions and ideas before, during, and after the workshop event. In so doing, the project creates some of the possible conditions for an anticipatory community of practice that is built around discussions of social and ethical issues. Such a community does not presently exist in responnse to the agrifood applications of nano-biosensors.Broader Impacts: A key outcome will be the beginning of a network map of the supply-chain within which nano-biosensors will be integrated. The information will be used for the development of larger stakeholder workshops that include up to 20-30 participants, and that can generate data on the social and ethical issues. The information will also improve further anticipatory governance activities for non-expert citizens like science cafes and consensus conferences, not just on agrifood, but nanotechnology more generally. For example, some of the ideas on social and ethical issues could be used by rganizers of these activities as the basis for discussion between citizens and experts, and as background material for preparing participants to discuss nanotechnology.