Animal Genomics in Science, Social Science and Culture

Abstract

Animals are commonplace in genomic research, yet to date there has been little direct interrogation of the position, role and construction of animals in the otherwise flourishing social science of genomics. Following a brief discussion of this omission, I go on to suggest that there is much of interest for the social sciences and the humanities in this field of science. I show that animal genomics not only updates and extends established debates about the use of animals in science and society, but also raises novel issues and promotes new ways of thinking about what animals are, and the social and biological relationships between animals and humans. Organising the science of interest into six themes (sameness, difference and classification; crossing boundaries; the maintenance of borders; farmyard supermodels; laboratory supermodels; knowing, relating and looking at animals), for each I review some of the science that is being done, some of the conceptual issues that are raised, and some of the social science that is or could be done. I conclude by briefly considering the development of socially responsive policies for animal genomics.

Constructing the Biotech Nonhuman Animal: Instrumentalism and Ambivalence

“…Markus Manz and colleagues describe the reconstitution of a functional human immune system in immunodeficient newborn mice transplanted with CD34+ human cord blood cells. (Research Notes,5/04:533) Humanized animals are also products of design modeling and the next gen eration of animal models, and can be referred to as laboratory and farmyard supermodels (Harvey, 2007). It is possible that the development and use of humanized animal models serves to strengthen the role of animals as human models.…”

“…There has been a gradual growth in the social-scientific interest in ani mal genomics and biotechnology (Harvey, 2007;Hobson-West, 2007;Twine, 2010). Biotechnologies present us with novel technologies that can be used to transgress traditional species boundaries, to create unseen mixtures of d n a and new animal varieties, and to explore new ways of utilizing animals.…”

A Feeling for the Animal: On Becoming an Experimentalist

“…Mice and rats, the key models for humans, are often highly invisible, not just in biomedical texts where they are represented by statistics or other literary inscriptions but also in the genre of science and technology studies (Harvey, 2006). In the process of becoming a model for humans, the animal becomes de-naturalized and abstract (Birke, 2003, p. 218).…”

From Utopia to Science: Challenges of Personalised Genomics Information for Health Management and Health Enhancement

“…1 Here, genomic sequencing information is used to tailor food and housing regimes to the genomes of the livestock involved in order to achieve an optimal fit between genome and environment as well as for identification, monitoring and surveillance of farm animals or herds. Animal corporeality is “translated” into bioinformation (Harvey 2007 ). This information may be used to enhance selection and reproduction policies.…”

“…This information may be used to enhance selection and reproduction policies. This may further the production of top performers and “farmyard supermodels” (Harvey 2007 , p. 15), but genome information may also be used to reduce phosphate excretion by tailoring food regimes to genomic profiles. As is indicated in Plato’s simile, the difference between human and non-human domesticated animals is that, whereas the fettered animals are merely the passive objects and targets of such technologies, human beings (released from their chains) may decide to use this type of information for performance enhancement on their own accord, although, as Plato explains, an element of coercion is bound to be present in the early stages of this process.…”