Bryan D. White Various topics designed to respond to faculty and
student interests and needs. Stem cells are heralded as holding
the key to curing many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease,
and the pathology following spinal cord injury. Despite the hope
of potential health benefits, human embryonic stem cell research
is controversial. Some people view stem cell research as crucial
to saving lives in the future, whereas other people view the
destruction of human embryos in stem cell research as equal to
the killing of human beings. This interdisciplinary course will
combine studies of the biology of stem cells with a discussion
of the bioethics underlying the debate on stem cell research. We
will experience science first-hand and observe the properties of
stem cells through experiments with planaria and zebrafish. We
will look at how stem cells are portrayed in the media and
critically examine claims made by biotech companies. We will
create and administer a survey on the ethics of stem cells. We
will int