[Sci-tech-public] Fwd: symposium on bioprospecting

[Rosalind H. Williams]

This event should be of interest to many of you.

RHW




>Hello,
>I am a student in environmental sciences at MIT. I am organizing this 
>symposium
>on bioprospecting and I think it could of interest to students and faculty of
>the STS program. It would be wonderful if you could forward this to
>the departmental mailing lists. Let me know if you have any questions.
>Sincerely,
>Marion Dumas
>
>Stealing Shamanic Knowledge or Sharing Biodiversity?
>
>Symposium on the Bioprospecting of Tropical Medicinal Plants and Drug
>Development
>
>January 31, 5 pm
>MIT  Room 10-250
>
>with Katy Moran - Healing Forest Conservancy
>      Steven King PhD - Napo Pharmaceuticals
>      Christopher Herndon - Amazon Conservation Team
>Presented by the MIT Western Hemisphere Project
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Bioprospecting is the exploration of biodiversity and indigenous knowledge for
>commercially valuable genetic and biochemical compounds. The patenting and
>commercialization of drugs developed by pharmaceutical companies from
>bioprospecting in many cases contradict the sovereignty of nations over their
>bioresources and contributes to the erosion of biological and cultural
>diversity. The panel of speakers will tell us how partnerships can be 
>developed
>to conserve, develop and respect biocultural diversity while exploring its
>medicinal potential.
>
>For any questions contact mariond at mit.edu

---------------------------------------
Robert M. Metcalfe Professor of Writing
Director, Program in Science, Technology, and Society
President, Society for the History of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room E51-185
Cambridge, MA 02139

phone: (617) 253-4062
FAX: (617) 258-8118

email: rhwill at mit.edu