TATuP on “Next generation sequencing”

Today, DNA sequencing is part of the standard repertoire of biological and medical research. However, the abundance and quality of the data obtained pose challenges for society and science. These are topics of the new TATuP issue.
Cover TATuP 2/2021 "Next generation sequencing. Challenges for science and society"
TATuP 2/2021 "Next generation sequencing. Challenges for science and society"

Since their development in the mid-2000s, next generation sequencing methods have led to major gains in knowledge – for example in evolutionary research and epigenetics, in the development of drugs and cancer therapies, or in reproductive medicine. Currently, they enable mass sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen and its variants.

Transformation in science and society

The historians Elsbeth Bösl and Stefanie Samida – editors of the current TATuP issue “Next generation sequencing. Challenges for science and society” – observe a technology-driven dynamic in many fields. According to them, the new possibilities of sequencing would not only lead to transformation processes in science, where new fields of research are emerging, but also in society itself, as identity is increasingly negotiated on the basis of genetic analyses. The authors of the new issue discuss ways of dealing with these challenges.

Interview “We can only change the world together”

In the TATuP interview, Patrizia Nanz talks about the importance of a culture of participation in science and politics. The vice president of the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) and co-director of the Franco-German Forum for the Future argues for enabling citizens to take on more responsibility. After all, expert knowledge alone is not enough to meet future challenges.

Also in the current TATuP issue: an article in the Research section on “technology trust,” conference reports, among others from the ninth conference of the Netzwerk TA (Technology Assessment Network), reviews and news from the TA scene, and a graphic review of key figures from 30 years of TATuP. (27.07.2021)

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