Ethics in Science: The Unique Consequences of Chemistry
This article discusses the ethical issues unique to the science and practice of chemistry. These issues arise from chemistry’s position in the middle between the theoretical and the practical, a science concerned with molecules that are of the right size to directly affect human life. Many of the issues are raised by the central activity of chemistry––synthesis. Chemists make thousands of new substances each year. Many are beneficial, but others are threats. Since the development of the chemical industry in the nineteenth century, chemistry has contributed to the deterioration of the environment but has also helped to reduce pollution. Finally, we discuss the role of codes of ethics and whether the current codes of conduct for chemists are adequate for the challenges of today’s world.
Ethics of Chemical Synthesis
Unlike other branches of science, the scientific products of synthetic chemistry are not only ideas but also new substances that change our material world, for the benefit or harm of living beings. This paper provides for the first time a systematical analysis of moral issues arising from chemical synthesis, based on concepts of responsibility and general morality. Topics include the questioning of moral neutrality of chemical synthesis as an end in itself, chemical weapons research, moral objections against improving material conditions of life by chemical means, and freedom of research. The paper aims at providing both a sound basis for moral judgements of chemistry in a public discourse and a framework for chemists to reflect on the moral relevance of their activity.
Essential Oil Profiles of 168 Perilla Cultivars by Head Space Solid Phase Micro-extraction Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry
Abstract In order to comprehensively elucidate the chemical biosynthesis in Perillla (commonly used in traditional herbal medicine), an untargeted analysis based on Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry was done to reveal the metabolites from 168 different species of Perilla, with 73 components were identified. The results based on the 168 samples, which can be classified into five chemotypes, reveals that different genetic background have a significant influence on the metabolic synthesis of Perilla. The results of heat map for the components of different species and the principal component analysis are implying that the Perilla chemotypes are clustered for characteristic compounds. This study, which used optimized solid-phase microextraction conditions to investigate volatile oil composition, expanded our knowledge of metabolic pathways in Perilla. The differences between chemotypes provide a scientific basis for distinguishing between Perilla species, which not only can improve the testing standards for essential oils from Perilla herbs, but also can be beneficial to Perilla breeding.