[bioundgrd] 7.105/7.1051 Ethics for Biologists and Engineers - Spring 2026

[Joshua Stone]

Hi Everyone,

Please see the below email from Professor Lenny Guarente regarding 7.105 and 7.1051 for Spring 2026.

***​**

Dear Course 7, 5-7, and 6-7 Students,

I encourage you to take 7.105/7.1051 Ethics for Biologists and Engineers this spring. You will confront a range of ethically challenging topics in biology and medicine, and learn ethical frameworks to assist in evaluating them. The course features lively discussions, and the sections are small enough for you to get to know your instructors and classmates. It will be taught again this spring by myself and Dr. Peter Hansen. The assignments combine short ethical readings from foundational thinkers (from Aristotle to Martin Luther King) with real world case studies involving biologists and biological engineers.

7.105 is 6 units, and 7.1051 is 9 units with an additional paper requirement. They meet together once a week, Tuesdays 3-5 pm.

The overall course rating is 6.6.

Please contact me directly if you have any questions.

Best wishes and Happy Thanksgiving,

Prof. Lenny Guarente

“I thoroughly enjoyed this class. The insightful perspectives and engaging discussions made it a highlight of my week, and I learned so much!”
 --Neatina May

“Ethics for Biologists is the kind of course everyone who wants to practice science should take! This class helped me connect ancient ethical theories to the real-world dilemmas we face today. What made this class so special was how the readings and discussions came together as everyone’s perspective added something new and meaningful.”
--Clare Gibson

7.105 Ethics for Biologists and Engineers
[______]
[Undergrad] ([Spring])
(Subject meets with 7.1051<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m7a.html#7.1051>)
Prereq: None
Units: 2-0-4
Credit cannot also be received for 1.082<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m1a.html#1.082>, 2.900<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m2c.html#2.900>, 6.9320<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m6e.html#6.9320>, 7.1051<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m7a.html#7.1051>, 10.01<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m10a.html#10.01>, 16.676<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m16b.html#16.676>, 20.005<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m20a.html#20.005>
[______]
Explores how to apply an ethical framework to working with living systems. Students examine case studies related to biological research and bioengineering alongside readings by foundational ethical thinkers from Aristotle to Martin Luther King, Jr. Topics for consideration include justice, rights, research integrity and bias, human clinical trials, genetic engineering in human diseases and aging, creating human-animal hybrids, and the promise and peril of AI. Discussion-based, with the aim of introducing students to new ways of thinking. Meets with 20.005, a 9-unit version of this subject, which includes a final project.
L. Guarente, P. Hansen

7.1051 Ethics for Biologists and Engineers - Independent Inquiry
(New)
[______]
[Undergrad] ([Spring])
(Subject meets with 7.105<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m7a.html#7.105>)
Prereq: None
Units: 2-0-7
Credit cannot also be received for 1.082<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m1a.html#1.082>, 2.900<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m2c.html#2.900>, 6.9320<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m6e.html#6.9320>, 7.105<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m7a.html#7.105>, 10.01<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m10a.html#10.01>, 16.676<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m16b.html#16.676>, 20.005<https://student.mit.edu/catalog/m20a.html#20.005>
[______]
Explores how to apply an ethical framework to working with living systems. Students examine case studies related to biological research and bioengineering alongside readings by foundational ethical thinkers from Aristotle to Martin Luther King, Jr. Topics for consideration include justice, rights, research integrity and bias, human clinical trials, genetic engineering in human diseases and aging, creating human-animal hybrids, and the promise and peril of AI. Discussion-based, with the aim of introducing students to new ways of thinking. Students in 7.1051 will additionally write a paper on a biological or medical topic of their choosing. Meets with 20.005.
L. Guarente, P. Hansen


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