How to Assess Peoples Views of Biotechnology: Lessons from Japan Masakazu Inaba and Darryl Macer Institute of Biological Sciences University of Tsukuba, Japan

Outline Trends of Japanese attitudes towards specific applications from survey in 2000 and 2003 Interviews in 2000 to explore deeper reasons behind peoples attitudes Mapping of ideas from an interview

2000 and 2003 Survey in Japan Data: Self evaluation attitudes and open comments on applications of biotech from the 2000* and 2003 survey over Japan Respondents: 297 public, 370 scientists in 2000, 357 public in 2003 Method: Scoring evaluation scales, categorized open comments Statistical test: Chi-square test *Reference Nature Biotechnology 18 (2000), Comments categories groups

Questions on Agricultural Applications 1. Modern biotechnology in the production of foods and drinks biotech food 2. Gene insertion into a crop from other species to obtain pest resistance to insect pests pest-resistant crops

1. Bacteria inserted human genes to produce medicines (GM medicines) 2. Transgenic mouse with cancer genes for research use (transgenic cancer mouse) 3. Transgenic pig with human heart for xenotransplantation (xenotransplantation) 4. Genetic testing using embryos for diseases such as cystic fibrosis (genetic testing) Questions on Medical Applications

Public awareness of biotech is increasing FoodCancer mouseMedicinesPest-resistantXenotransplantGenetic testing

Scoring Algorithm Cases of Definitely Agree Def. agree Agree Disagree Def. disagree Usefulness Risk Encouragement Total

Scoring Algorithm Cases of Definitely Disagree Def. agree Agree Disagree Def. disagree Usefulness Risk Encouragement Total

Scoring Algorithm Cases of Conditional Agree/Disagree Def. agree Agree Disagree Def. disagree Usefulness Risk Encouragement Total

Scoring Result of 2000 Survey Usefulness – Risk + Encouragement

Trends of Japanese Attitudes towards Biotech FoodMedicinesXenotransplantGenetic Testing

Grouped Categories Human Benefits Balanced View Risky Ethical Issues No Need Unnatural Personal Choice categories groups

Summary of Reasons for Utility

Summary of Reasons for Risk

Summary of Reasons for Moral acceptability We dont need

Summary of Reasons for Overall encouragement

Interviews: Discourse Analysis I think we need to respect freedom of a human to bear children and bring them up. So, it means, whether it is possible to establish such a consensus in a society. For example, it is embarrassing if people in the society discriminate handicapped babies as a social consensus, or if there is a policy to discriminate them, towards decision that such people, when people give births to handicapped babies. I agree with the use as far as such a personal will is guaranteed to be respected. Then, such a social consensus, if social consensus cannot be established in the light of social system, such like a system not to discriminate, it is not allowable to use it, I think. As long as such a thinking as a common sense can be established in individuals, I think it is good

An Example of Mapping Ideas Freedom of reproduction Social acceptance needed discrimination Consensus about freedom of reproduction Conditional approval Individual Society

–How people balance the benefits and risks of new technologies can be measured. –There are different ways to conceptualize peoples ideas, e.g. discourse analysis and research is needed on how to map ideas. Conclusions