[interphen] Conference announcement: The Ethics of In-Vitro Flesh and Enhanced Animals (sponsored by the Wellcome Trust)

From: Jan Deckers <jan.deckers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "interphen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <interphen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 13:54:34 +0000

Conference announcement: The Ethics of In-Vitro Flesh and Enhanced Animals
(sponsored by the Wellcome Trust)

Please disseminate entirely through appropriate channels.

When will this conference take place?
18-19 September 2014

Where will the conference be held?
Rothbury, Northumberland, England

The conference will take place at the Rothbury Golf Club, starting at 9.00 hrs
on Thursday and finishing at 17.00 hrs on Friday. For details, see
http://www.rothburygolfclub.com/

Who is organising this conference?
The academic organiser is Jan Deckers (Senior Lecturer in Health Care Ethics,
School of Medical Education, Newcastle University), who will be helped in the
practical organisation by Jacqueline McAloon (Ethics secretary, School of
Medical Education, Newcastle University). The School's Learning Technologies
for Medical Sciences team is responsible for the audio-visual recordings of the
event, which will be made publicly available after the event, in a similar
fashion to a similar conference on animal ethics, held at Newcastle University
in 2011 (see http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/).

How do I register?
Registration is made by paying the fee of £ 30, using the following link:
http://webstore.ncl.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=2&catid=36&prodid=301
Registration includes the conference dinner on Thursday night, as well as
lunches and refreshments on Thursday and Friday. Lunches will comprise a main
course, with an option to purchase dessert. For any specific dietary or access
requirements, please email Jacqueline.McAloon@xxxxxxxxx. Please note that, for
administrative reasons, it is not possible to register for part of the
conference. Please also email Jacqueline to inform her whether you would be
interested in participating in an informal, pre-conference meeting for drinks
and/or dinner on Wednesday evening.

What is this conference about?
The consumption of animal products has received increasing bioethical scrutiny
for a number of reasons. These include rising levels of obesity, environmental
degradation, climate change, zoonotic disease, and moral concerns with the
treatment of animals.
A novel technology that is being developed, partly to address some of these
concerns, is the production of 'in vitro flesh' or 'cultured flesh', which
relies on the isolation of animals' stem cells and their stimulation into
growth in laboratories. This project has already led to the creation of the
world's first in vitro burger, eaten in London on 5 August 2013.
Other methods to reduce some of these concerns rely on the modification of
farmed animals, either by means of conventional or new (genetic) breeding
technologies. For example, some animals have been created with reduced
capacities to experience pain, including blind chickens, and various novel
technologies are being used to create animals with particular benefits, for
example reduced levels of saturated fats, that could be beneficial for the
human beings who consume them.
What the creation of animals with reduced sentience and the production of
lab-grown flesh have in common is that they may reduce a range of animal
welfare concerns associated with the consumption of animal products. However,
not all moral concerns may be resolved with these developments. This conference
will bring together a number of scholars working on the ethical and legal
dimensions of these new developments.

What are the key questions?
1. What are the ethical issues associated with the creation of 'cultured flesh'
and flesh from animals with 'enhanced' properties, including reduced capacities
for sentience and increased nutritional benefits?
2. How do we assess the costs and benefits of these technological developments?
3. Are there any alternatives that could be developed to provide the benefits
that may be associated with these biomedical technologies, and if so, might
these be preferable?

What is the programme?
The full programme is yet to be finalised and will be announced in due course.
Speakers include:
Bernice Bovenkerk, Ethics Institute, Utrecht University.
Amanda Cawston, Faculty of Philosophy and Downing College, University of
Cambridge.
Jan Deckers, School of Medical Sciences Education Development, Newcastle
University.
Clemens Driessen, Department of Communication, Philosophy and Technology,
Wageningen University.
Clare McCausland, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, University
of Melbourne.
Cor van der Weele, Department of Communication, Philosophy and Technology,
Wageningen University.

How do I get there?
Air
The nearest airport is Newcastle International (50 km). Edinburgh Airport is
116 km away. There is a regular metro service from the airport to Newcastle
city centre. You could either take the metro to the Regent Centre or to the
Haymarket Bus station (the latter takes you to the city centre).
The bus to Rothbury is the 14 service (heading for Thropton) or X14 service
(heading for Morpeth). Buses from the Haymarket depart at the following times
on Monday to Friday: 8.13; 9.18 (and then hourly until 16.18); 17.23; 18.28
(last bus). Please add 10 mins if you meet the bus at the Regent Centre. Travel
times are just over one hour. The bus normally leaves from stand Q at the
Haymarket Bus station, but may leave from one of the adjacent stands.
Please note that there are no buses on Sundays. On Saturday, the earliest bus
leaves Rothbury at 7.26, to arrive in Newcastle Haymarket station at 8.41, and
there are hourly buses from 8.56 to 16.56.

Train
The nearest train stations are Morpeth and Alnmouth. The former has bus
connections to Rothbury from Morpeth Bus Station (travel times as above with
addition of min. 37 mins from departure times at the Haymarket bus station).

Car
Please note that the main road into Rothbury (B6344) heading north on the A697
is closed.
Alternative routes:
1/ if you come from Scots Gap, head for Rothbury. Upon entering the village do
not cross the bridge but continue on the road along the river. Turn right to
the Golf Club immediately after seeing the cemetery on your right -as you are
starting to drive yourself round the bend going left (nothing sinister
intended).
2/ if you come from the A697 heading north, look out for a dead monkey puzzle
tree on your right a couple of miles beyond the village of Longframlington.
Turn left at the monkey puzzle tree junction, where a signpost reads: National
Park, Coquetdale, Rothbury (road number B6341). Upon arrival in Rothbury, turn
left at the first junction, cross the bridge and turn right immediately after.
Turn right to the Golf Club immediately after seeing the cemetery on your right
-as you are starting to drive yourself round the bend going left (again,
nothing sinister intended).
3/ if you come from the A697 heading south from bonny Scotland, turn right at a
signpost which reads: National Park, Coquetdale, Rothbury (road number B6341).
Then follow instructions as under 2.

Where do I stay?
Whilst all delegates should arrange their own accommodation, the following
website may be helpful: http://www.theheartofnorthumberland.co.uk/Index.html

* The following suggestions are all within ca. 700 yards (630 m) of the venue:

Hotels and B&Bs:
The Orchard House, http://www.orchardhouserothbury.com/, email:
info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, tel. 0044 1669 620684
The Queens Head, http://www.queensheadrothbury.com, email:
enqs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, tel. 0044 1669 620470
Springfield Guest House, http://www.springfieldguesthouse.co.uk/index.htm,
email: enquiries@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, tel. 0044 1669 621277
The Coquetvale Hotel, www.coquetvale.co.uk, email: stay@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, tel.
0044 1669 622900
The Turks Head, http://www.turksheadrothbury.co.uk/, tel. 0044 1669 620434
Katerina's Guest House, http://www.katerinasguesthouse.co.uk/, email:
cath@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or cathmillsrothbury@xxxxxxxxxxx

Self-catering accommodation:
Percy Boynton Cottage,
http://www.northumbrian-cottages.info/northumberland-country/rothbury-coquetdale-area/percy-boynton-cottage;
email: lizzyholden@xxxxxxxxxxx
Tomlinson's Café and Bunkhouse, www.tomlinsonsrothbury.co.uk, email:
info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, tel. 0044 1669 621979
Sandyford House, http://www.sandyfordhouserothbury.co.uk/, email:
info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, tel. 0044 1669 621979
The Acorns, East Oaktree House, https://www.facebook.com/theacornsrothbury,
email: the_acorns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, tel. 0044 1669 620593 or 620574
Garden Cottage, http://www.northumbria-cottages.co.uk/property/garden-cottage#,
email: rogerdnewman@xxxxxxxxxxx
Carterside Cottages, http://www.cartersidecottages.co.uk, email:
stay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

* The following options are slightly further away from the venue, and located
close to the following landmarks:
Old Rothbury Hillfort: Cairn Rigg, Pennystane Lane, email:
grahamlockwood@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cragside: see http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cragside/places-to-stay/
Simonside Hills: Tosson Tower Farm Holidays, http://www.tossontowerfarm.com/

* For more detailed advice you are most welcome to contact jan.deckers@xxxxxxxxx

When do I leave?
Please note that, whilst the conference ends on Friday, there is a social
programme on Saturday for those who wish to extend their stay for fun and
informal discussion. Options for activities include: walking (e.g. ascent of
Simonside Hills via Lordenshaws); tennis at the Rothbury Lawn Tennis Club;
coffee at various coffee shops or art galleries. Feel free to contact Jan to
discuss.

[interphen] Conference announcement: The Ethics of In-Vitro Flesh and Enhanced Animals (sponsored by the Wellcome Trust)

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