Editorial - Culture of responsibility
Berkelman RL and Le Duc JW.
Science. 2014 Sep 5;345(6201):1101. doi: 10.1126/science.1260424.url
This one page editorial is packed with lucid sentences. A must.
“Achieving a “culture of safety,” so often alluded to after recent lapses in biosafety procedures, demands adopting a “culture of responsibility” as well.”
“No single meeting or organization is likely to grapple successfully with the conundrum of weighing the risks and benefits of certain lines of research.”
“Why are scientists required to understand the individual risks to participants in a clinical trial but not required to have ethical training related to the potential risks of research to the public? This is a fundamental disconnect in the ethics education of scientists and in the review process of protocols.”
“Scientists conduct work for the benefit of humanity. When the balance is unclear as to risks and benefits, as it currently is, should we not adhere to the principle of “first do no harm?”
Le Duc was recently appointed to the NSABB.
