DE LASALLE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

BY: JAMES CHANNON KYLE C. NANGIT
PT 1-3

TABLE OF CONTENTS o Digital Age

TOPIC 1: INFORMATION AGE o New Media Age
• An era brought about a time period in which people
A. WHAT IS INFORMATION AGE?
could easily access information and knowledge.
B. THEORY OF INFORMATION AGE (1982)
C. USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA B. THEORY OF INFORMATION AGE (1982)
D. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
E. SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPUTER AGE

TOPIC 2: BIODIVERSITY AND HEALTHY SOCIETY

A. WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY
B. TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY
C. BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY
D. HEALTHY AND MEDICINE
E. FOOD
F. ENERGY
JAMES R. MESSENGER
G. WATER SHORTAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL
H. AIR AND WATER TREATMENT • The information age is a true new age based upon the
I. WATER AND FLOOD CONTROL interconnection of computers via telecommunications,
J. BIODIVERSITY PROTOCOL with these information systems operating on both a
real-time and as needed basis.
TOPIC 3: GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS • Furthermore, the primary factors driving this new age
(GMOs) AND GENE THERAPY forward are convenience and user-friendliness which,
in turn, will create user dependence.
A. GENE
B. GENOME
A. PRINTING PRESS
C. GENETIC ENGINEERING
D. GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
(GMOs)
E. WHO DEVELOP GMOs
F. GEGE THERAPY
G. ETHICAL ISSUES IN GENETIC ENGINEERING

TOPIC 4: NANOTECHNOLOGY
• It was invented Johanne Gutenberg
A. WHAT IS NANOTECHNLOGY (German goldsmith) in 1440.
B. HOW NANOTECHNOLOGY WORKS • A device that applies pressure to an inked
C. APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY surface lying on a print medium (cloth or
D. CHALLENGE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY paper), to transfer ink.
E. CHALLENGE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY – • Improves the manual and tedious printing
NANOCONTAMINANTS methods.
F. ETHICAL DILEMMAS • The Gutenberg’s hand would printing press
led the creation of its metal movable type.

TOPIC 1: INFORMATION AGE

A. WHAT IS INFORMATION AGE?

• It began in 1970’s and is still going today.

• Also known as:
o Computer Age

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 DE LASALLE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
BY: JAMES CHANNON KYLE C. NANGIT
PT 1-3

B. Hand Mould Printing Press D. Enigma M4 Cypher Machine

• It is the beginning of mass • Alan Turing (1936 - English mathematician)

communication that widens hired by British top-secret Government Code
the circulation of and Cipher school (Bletchley Park).
information which • It is used by Britain to crack the German Navy's
tremendously brought Enigma code (Enigma – it is an enciphering
social change. machine that German armed forces used to
• However, political and securely send messages.)
religious authority were • The code-breaking methods (industrial
threatened due to the rise of processes) have 12,000 people working 24/7.
literacy among people. • However, Nazis created a more complicated
• It made the mass Enigma having approximately 10^114 possible
production of books where permutations of every encrypted message.
it is not just accessible only
to the upper-class.
E. Bombe over German’s Enigma 10^114
C. Harvard Mark I – (IBM Automatic Sequence
Controlled Calculator)

• It was created by Alan Turing.

• An electromechanical machine enabled the
British to decipher encrypted messages of
• It was created by the United States, member German Enigma machine.
of the Allies (Canada, Britain, France, USSR, • The creation of Enigma and Bombe along with
Australia) during WWII to address the cryptologists shortened the WWII by two
serious shortage of human computers for years (Munro, 2012).
military calculations.
• It is a general-purpose electromechanical F. Turning Machine
computer
• Description: 50 ft long; can calculate in
seconds (against people to compute for an
hour).

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 DE LASALLE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
BY: JAMES CHANNON KYLE C. NANGIT
PT 1-3

• A theoretical machine presented by Turing • Created by Steve Wozniak in 1976

in his paper entitled “On computable
Numbers, with an Application to the
Entscheidungsproblem” in 1937.
• It can solve problem from simple
instructions encoded on a paper tape.
• It was used to construct a single Universal
machine (demonstrated through
simulation).
• It is the foundation of computer science and
the invention of a machine called computer
(which can solve problem by performing
any task from a written program – DeHaan,
2012).
• He designed the operating system, hardware,
and circuit board by himself.
• The Apple 1 was suggested to be sold by Steve
Jobs (friend of Wozniak) as a fully assembled
printed circuit board.
• It jumpstarted Jobs and Wozniak careers as
founders of Apple, Inc.
I. THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

G. 1970’s – The Generation of “electronic brains”

• It is the most technological advancement of

• It is the dawn of computer age.
• Personal computers were first introduced.
• Homebrew Computer Club (an early
computer hobbyist group) traded parts of
computer, hardware, and plan how to make
computers more accessible to everyone.
• The members of the club became high-
profile entrepreneurs that includes the
founder of Apple, Inc.
the new millennium.
• It is designed to facilitate the creation and
exchange of information in a virtual space.
• People can easily access to any type of
information through computers and mobile
phones.
C. USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA

• Institutions and government organizations used it for

H. Apple I / Apple-1 / Apple Computer 1
various purposes.
• It plays a big role in advertising industry.
• It engages people in political matters.
• It creates a virtual world where people can express
themselves freely and share experiences.

• t is a mean for leisure and connects with family, friends,

and loved ones.

D. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

• it was introduced from 1973 onwards which enables

information exchange at its most efficient level.

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 DE LASALLE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
BY: JAMES CHANNON KYLE C. NANGIT
PT 1-3

o Multi-user chat rooms

o Instant-messaging applications (Yahoo
messenger, MSN messenger, Windows B. TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY
messenger)
o Bulletin-board forum systems
o Game-based social networking sites
(Facebook, Friendster, Myspace) and
business-oriented social networking websites
(Xing)
o Messaging, video, and voice calling services
(Viber, Skype)
o Blogging platform, image and video hosting
websites (Flicker)
o Discovery and dating-oriented websites
(Tagged, Tinder)
o Video sharing services (YouTube) • refers to variations among organisms of the same
species.
o Real-time social media feed aggregator
(FriendFeed) • variations are passed down from parents to offsprings
o Live-streaming (eJustin.tv, Twitch.tv • difference of genes between organisms, or within or
o Photo-video sharing websites (Pinterest, between species attribute to a species' survival by
Instagram, Snapchat, Keek, Vine) providing favorable genes
o Question-and-answer platforms (Quora)

E. SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPUTER AGE

• It progressed the invention of the printing press to the

development of numerous social media platforms.
• It immensely influenced the lives of the people.
• It can be advantageous or disadvantageous depending
on its use.
• refers to the variety of species within a particular region
TOPIC 2: BIODIVERSITY AND HEALTHY SOCIETY • influenced by the environmental conditions in the
region.
A. WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY • species are grouped together in families based on
shared characteristics

• The variety of life present in an ecosystem

• life on Earth and refers to the variety found in biota
from the genetic makeup of plants and animals to
cultural diversity (WHO)
o richness depends on:
▪ climatic condition
▪ altitudinal conditions
▪ varied ecological habitats

• refers to the network of different species in an

ecosystem and the interaction of these species
• includes the different types of habitats, ecological
processes, and biological communities in an
ecosystem

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 DE LASALLE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
BY: JAMES CHANNON KYLE C. NANGIT
PT 1-3

o Norcadicins, carbapenem, monobactams

C. BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY TO SOCIETY

• Humans can source from nature biological resources

such as food, medicine, energy.
• Biodiversity in natural ecosystems also regulate
processes such as climate, floods, pollination, water
and air quality, water storage, decomposition among
others
• Fungi and microorganisms are used in drug discovery
research.
• Pilocarpine (1994)
D. HEALTH AND MEDICINE o dry mouth (xerostomia)
• 1998 = Sjogren’s Syndrome (autoimmune disease)
o lacrimal and salivary glands
• Quinine (2004)
• Herbal medicine = 2600 BC o Malaria
o Cupressus sempervirens (cypress), o Cinchona succirubra Pav. ex Klotzch
Commiphora myrrha (myrrh)
• Ancient Egypt and China
o plant based drugs
• 100 BC – 300BC E. FOOD
o Greeks = medical herbs • Basic need = survival
• Dark and Middle Ages o Stone Age = hunting and foraging
o preserved western knowledge on treating • Agriculture
illnesses o Increasing demands of food led development
• Herbal medicine = diversity of plants in a region of more lands for agriculture.
o Salvia apiana (California sage) - aids in o Birds and pollinators are important for crop
childbirth; protect immune system from propagation.
respiratory diseases ▪ 39 of 57 global crops depend on
o Alhagi maurorum (camel thorn) – secretes them.
Manna (melizitose and sucrose) with diuretic, • Agrobiodiversity
laxative, expectorant, gastroprotective, anti- o diversity of living organisms consciously
o managed by the farmer.
diarrhea
o Ligosticum scoticum (Scottish lovage) – F. ENERGY
treats hysterical and uterine disorders; seeds
relieve flatulence and stimulate senses
• Medicinal products = plants (natural products)
o Salicylic acid - anti-inflammatory in aspirin
(from bark of willow tree)
o Morphine – widely used painkiller (from
Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy
(1800s)
o Digitoxin – in management of congestive
heart failure (form Digitalis purpurea,
foxglove (1700s)
• Penicillin
o 1938 = 1st clinical trial
o 1941= reports of indicating drug resistance
• 1970 = β lactams

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 DE LASALLE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
BY: JAMES CHANNON KYLE C. NANGIT
PT 1-3

▪ utilization of floodways
▪ building pf aqueducts by Romans
and Greeks.
• Biodiversity in forest (filtration, storage, water cycle)

H. AIR AND WATER TREATMENT

• 1973
o Environmental organizations were alarmed
on the potential harm to the environment
• 1979
o nuclear reactor accident at Three Mile Island
• 1980
o the biggest oil spill (Exxon Valdex Oil Spill) in
Alaska.
• 2000’s
o Coal ash spill (Tennessee)
o Oil spill (Gulf of Mexico)
o Nuclear crisis (Fukushima nuclear crisis in
Japan)
• Nathan Jones, Liba Pejchar, & Joseph
Keisecker(2015)
o reported the repercussions of society’s
demand for clean and abundant energy on
biodiversity and human well-being.
o demand for energy created ways of producing
energy but with adverse effects on
biodiversity
▪ Wildlife mortality
▪ Habitat loss
▪ Fragmentation
▪ Noise and light pollution
▪ Invasive species
▪ Changes in carbon stock and water
resources
• Air
o Nitrogen and Nitrogen Oxide
o small mount
o promotes healthy ecosystem
o balances biodiversity
o large amount
o diminishes the resilience and cleaning
capacity of ecosystem overtime
o stimulates nitrogen-loving plants
o reduces the occurrence of place with low
tolerance to N.
o reduces resilience of the forest to
environmental stresses.
o drought, frost, pest and diseases
• Ozone (O3)
o Stratospheric Ozone
▪ protects life from UV radiation
o Ground level Ozone
▪ known as bad ozone
▪ results from the reaction of NOx and
VOC under the presence of sunlight
▪ high level promotes early flowering
affecting synchronization of
pollinators and flowers, damages
leaves of salad crops reducing their
market value, reduces crop yield.
• negative impacts on vegetation reduces the sink
capacity of CO2 and ozone increasing atmospheric
which affects global water cycle.
• Water Treatment
o pollutants on soil affects water purification,
affects soil functioning and processes.
I. WATER AND FLOOD CONTROL

G. WATER SHORTAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL

• Early civilization
o Depended on bodies of water for
▪ survival
▪ livelihood
▪ Irrigation
o Increasing demand for water led to
▪ discovery of groundwater 2000
years ago.
▪ use of wells
J. BIODIVERSITY PROTOCOL
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 DE LASALLE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
BY: JAMES CHANNON KYLE C. NANGIT
PT 1-3
• Cartagena Protocol
• was adopted on June 29, 2000, and enforced
on September 11, 2003
• Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauri, Niue,
Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon
Islands, Tonga
• aims to ensure the transport, handling, and
use Living Modified Organisms (LMOs)
• linked to Convention on Biological
Biodiversity
▪ protects Pacific communities from
the consequences of LMOs
TOPIC 3: GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs)
AND GENE THERAPY
A. GENE
• considered as the basic unit of inheritance
• segment of DNA strand that may or may not code for
specific proteins, which have different functions within
the body
B. GENOME
• ALL of the genetic material contained in the
chromosome of an organism
C. GENETIC ENGINEERING
• artificial manipulation and alteration of a species’
genetic material in a laboratory.
• usually associated with recombinant DNA technology.
• produces genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
D. GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs)
• Plant, animal, bacteria, and virus genes may be
combined or crossbred to produce another kind of
species that do not naturally occur in the environment
E. WHO DEVELOP GMOs
• Genetically modified seeds
• one of the most controversial issues in S&T
• increased crop yield
• resistance to browning and pests
• 1953
• discovery of DNA by James Watson and
Francis Crick opened possibilities of genetic
engineering
• 1973
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY - FINALS
• Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen → first to
genetically modify an organism: genes of two
different E. coli were combined
• 1982
• US Supreme Court allowed the patenting of
GMOs
• FDA approved the first GMO → Humulin
(inslin from GM E. coli); available in the market
• 1993
• FDA approved bovine somatotropin(bST) –
metabolic hormone for ↑ milk in dairy cows
• 1994
• FDA approved Flavr Savr tomato – GMO with
delayed ripening.
• 1995
• Bt potatoes and corn, and Roundup Ready
Soybeans –approved safe by EPA
• 1996
• Weeds resistant to glyphosate (herbicide
used for many GMO crops) → super weeds
• 7 to 11 times more resistant to glyphosate
than the standard population.
• 1996
• The first cloned animal Dolly was born
• 1997
• European Union favored mandatory labeling
on all GMO foods and feeds
• 1998
• GM Papaya in Hawaii →resistant to Ring spot
virus; produced Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
toxin (insecticide safe to humans)
• 1999
• over 100 million acres worldwide are planted
with genetically engineered seeds.
• 2000
• Philippines: golden rice → to address vitamin
A deficiency in Asian countries
• 2003
• Bt toxin-resistant catterpillar-cum moth
Helicoverpa zea – found feasting on Bt cotton
crops (southern USA)
• 2006
• Yorkshire pigsto produce offspring producing
the salivary enzyme phytase → digests plant
phosphorus.
• 2011
• research in Eastern Quebec found Bttoxins in
the blood of pregnant women and the toxin
could be passed on to babies
• 2012
• French farmer Paul Francois won the case
against Monsanto for chemical poisoning
caused by the pesticide Lasso (Roundup
Ready product)
• 2013
• GM corn and poplars→ biofuel production as
efficient substitute for petroleum products.
• 2014
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 DE LASALLE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
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PT 1-3

• patent on Roundup Ready line of genetically • 1972

engineered seeds ended ▪ Theodore Friedman and Richard
• In the Philippines Roblin →proposed that people with
• Golden Rice genetic disorders can be treated by
replacing defective DNA with good
DNA
• 1985
▪ Dr. W. French Anderson and Dr.
Michael Blasse showed that cells of
patients with adenosine deaminase
(ADA) deficiency can be corrected in
• variety of Oryza sativa
tissue culture.
• modified to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a
• 1990
precursor of vitamin A.
▪ First approved gene therapy clinical
• additional three β-carotene-synthesized
research at the National Institutes of
genes
Health under the team of Dr.
• its introduction was opposed → thought to Anderson; conducted to a four-year-
compromise food production, nutrition, and
old girl with ADA deficiency
financial security.
• 1993
▪ First somatic treatment producing a
• Bt talong & Bt Corn
permanent genetic change.
• 2003
▪ First commercial gene therapy
product Gendicine approved in
China for the treatment of certain
cancers
• 2006
▪ gene therapy gained greater
attention from researchers but was
still considered an experimental
• Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin – insecticide
technique.
• 2016
• Mayr (2007)
▪ Committee for Medicinal Products
▪ Majority of attempted mutations
for Human Use (CHMP) of the
have the probability to fail miserably,
European Medicines Agency (EMA)
and the individual plant/animal may
endorsed the gene therapy
not survive.
treatment: Strimvelis→ treats severe
combined immunodeficiency due to
• To date, production and consumption of
ADA deficiency.
GMOs are being argued upon due to their
• JUNE 2018
safety alongside the right of humans to modify
▪ Strimvelis as gene therapy treatment
naturally occuring organisms.
was approved by the European
Commission
• long-term effects of genetic engineering to
the environment is uncertain.
• FUTURE PROSPECT AREAS FOR GENE
THERAPY (CANCER TREATMENT)
• GMOs may cause imbalance in the ecology of
▪ gene transplant to speed up cancer
a region.
cell destruction.
▪ delivery of genetic information to a
• accident in genetically engineering a virus or
tumor to facilitate production of
bacteria may result to antimicrobial
therapeutic proteins.
resistance.

F. ETHICAL ISSUES IN GENETIC

F. GENE THERAPY
ENGINEERING
• method of inserting genes or nucleic acid into • Unethical for humans to genetically alter and
cells as drug treatment for genetic diseases. engineer organisms

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 DE LASALLE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
BY: JAMES CHANNON KYLE C. NANGIT
PT 1-3
• Cloning is still unacceptable. Only a higher
being should be responsible for existence of
organisms.
• Stem cell therapy makes use of stem cells
from human embryos and thus destroys them.
• Applications of genetic engineering to
agricultural production systems.
• Agroecology – field of study that presents
novel management approaches on farming
systems that may address concerns about the
effect of GMOs on biodiversity and health of
consumers.
▪ To acquire future perspectives in genetic engineering
and gene therapy.
• Functional mechanisms
• Predictive approaches
• Patient-related studies
• Upcoming challenges
TOPIC 4: NANOTECHNOLOGY
A. WHAT IS NANOTECHNOLOGY
▪ It is a branch of technology that deals with the
manipulation and study of matter (at nanoscale level).
▪ It covers all types of research and technologies that
deal with special properties of matter on an atomic
molecular and supramolecular shape.
▪ It brings together various fields of science (convergent)
through its innovations (DNA, silicon chips, converging
between semiconductor science (inorganic chemistry)
and biology, with applications in the medical industry.
▪ It involves design, characterization, production, and
application of structures, devices, and systems by
controlling shapes and sizes at the nanometer scale.
▪ The technology is enabling that it provides the platform
and the tools to produce innovations.
B. HOW NANOTECHNOLOGY
▪ FIRST DIMENSION WORKS?
• Tangible objects such as materials, devices,
and systems.
▪ SECOND DIMENSION
• Passive and static objects such as
nanoparticles, active devices, and
nanofacture (atomically precise
manufacturing, APM)
▪ THIRD DIMENSION
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY - FINALS
• Direct nanotechnology such as materials
structured as nanoscale components which
can also extend to indirect nanotechnology.
C. APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
MEDICINE
• Development of more effective drugs.
o Biological mechanism simulation (destructing
a cancer cell while it is treated by drug-
bearing nanoparticles).
o Nanobots (molecular scale workers) which
can employ molecular processes within cells
that delivers drugs to specific molecular sites
or even carry out surgery (Biercuk, 2011).
o It also possible to diagnose prevalent
contagious diseases (HIV/AIDS, malaria,
tuberculosis, etc.) with the use of screening
devices (Maclurcan, 2005).
HYDRATION TECHNOLOGIES
• Water purification systems (nanomaterials) and utilizing
new membranes technologies containing variable
pore-sized filters (the forward osmosis membrane
technology of hydration).
• Nanoparticles used to prepare Heat resistance and
self-cleaning surfaces (floors and benchtops).
• Surface repel water (nanoparticles of SO2 and TiO2) to
prevent stain.
• Detergent molecules that forms micelle allowing
detergents to trap oils and fats aids in washing
surfaces.
• Zeolites (SiO and Al2O3) which have specific
nanoporous cage-like structures used in molecular
sieves.
AGRICULTURE
• It is used to breed crops with higher levels of
micronutrients to detect pests and to control food
processing.
• Development of Ultra-small probes on earth surfaces
that control soil, air, and water contamination.
• TiO2 is used to remove effectively arsenic in soil and
water (simple and cheap).
• Nanotechnology-inspired detector from Washington
used to sense the smallest amount of radiation
(Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant).
• Reduction of Chlorinated compounds (chlorinated
solvents and pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCB’s) and brominated compounds using nanoscale
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
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PT 1-3

metals (FeO, Fe-Ni in conjunction with iron fillings electronic devices, and thermal transferring
[Fe(0)]. nanomaterials to diminish environmental hazards

• The antimicrobial properties of Silver (Ag) is enhanced • Some studies also found microorganisms can
with the discovery of its bactericidal properties of Ag decompose graphene to make it less toxic for the
nanoparticles (1-100 nm) are dependent on both their environment.
size and shape • b CHALLENGE NANO TECHNOLOGY

• Bionanotechnology supports cleaner production y drug-bearing

methods and provide alternative and renewable energy nanoparticles).
sources to enhance the sustainability of factories.

• It helps in energy consumption using graphene into a

coating material.

• Nanoscale chemical reagents or catalysts (smaller)

increases the rate of chemical reactions which lessens
the input of raw materials.

D. CHALLENGES IN NANO TECHNOLOGY

• The environmental effect of mineral-based
nanoparticles found in cosmetics, paints, clothing, and
other products due to their undetectable size which can
be carried down by fine silts or microplastics with both
inorganic and organic pollutants.

E. CHALLENGES IN NANO TECHNOLOGY -

NANOCONTAMINANTS
• Carbon nanotube used in the manufacture of memory
storage, electronics, batteries, etc. have unknown
harmful impacts through inhalation into lungs like
asbestos fiber 11. The carbon nanotube is more toxic
than carbon black and quartz.

• Due to its size, it is difficult to analyze. Lack of

information and methods of characterizing theme is a
challenge to detect its concentration in air or in any
matrix of the environment.

• The toxicity of nanomaterials which relies on its

chemical structure and a minor change in its structure
could drastically change its properties.

• Point-to-point risk assessment at all ages should be

conducted to ensure safety to human health and
environment

• Risk assessment should include the exposure risk,

persistence risk, transformation risk and ability to
recycle.

F. ETHICAL DILEMMAS
• Nanotechnology should be further studied, and its
methods should be modified e.i. altering the
composition of graphene (advance material for
structural improvement that replaces silicon in

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