First Night Questions
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First Night Questions
August 27, 2009

 

20 minutes: 10 questions from tonight's material - work with someone else (introduce yourself - where did you do your undergraduate work, plans after this year...) and spend ~1-2 minutes on each question

 

1. Compare the various definitions of Biotechnology. Think of three examples of human needs that are met by applications of biotechnology?

 

 

 

    Are there any applications you can list that are not related to meeting human needs?

 

    

 

2. List three things which you think might be potential risks of biotechnology and genetic engineering.

 

 

 

 

3. Two states in the US top the chart in terms of numbers of Biotech Companies (420 and 193, respectively; Florida, in comparison, has 33). What two states top this list, and why do you think this is?

 

 

 

   

4. What drugs come to mind (if any) when you hear the terms "Recombinant DNA Drugs" or "Monoclonal Antibody-based drugs". List THREE here (Don't know any? Pull out your laptop or Blackberry!)

    

 

 

 

    

5. How much money (in Millions) do you estimate it takes for a biotech company to get 1 drug to market?

 

 

 

6. How much time (in years) do you estimate it takes for a biotech company to get 1 drug to market??

 

 

 

7. In the readings for tonight, Eli Lilly recently announced that the FDA had granted approval for the use of Humatrope (human growth hormone) in children who are healthy, but short in stature. Discuss some of the realities of this treatment (bullet points), and whether the benefits of this treatment justify its use in children

 

8. Biotech 54000 Trivial Pursuit: Just for fun! Here's your opportunity to be a smarty-pants:

 

 

 

a. Who ARE these good-lookin' scientists, and why will we be talking about them in class?? Take a wild guess if you have never seen them before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. What are these mysterious icons of bench science? Make something up if you don't know.

                                

 


The NASDAQ's screaming nosedive: Code red for Biotech stocks. Describe what you see in the graph (left). What do you think happened on this fateful day?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

c. The innocent tomato (right) has been genetically modified (GM, transgenic). For what (legitimate!) reason would anyone want to genetically modify a tomato? Take a guess.

 

 

 

 

Does anyone remember the fatally flawed name(s) given to this little beauty that may have been, in part, responsible for its tragically early demise? (Make up a name if you think it's so easy!)

 

 

10. In the readings for tonight: Costly Drugs Known as Biologics Prompt Exclusivity Debate:

 

What is a Biologic?

 

What is Market Exclusivity?

 

What terms of exclusivity are Biotech companies requesting - and what are consumers requesting?

 

Who makes this decision, and what does President Obama have to say about this matter?

 

What is a better term than a "generic" for a Biologic Drug - and why is this a more accurate term?