Berris Charnley (Egenis, University of Exeter)
My first degree was an International BSc in Genetics at the Universities of Leeds and South Carolina. In 2005 I completed an MA in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Leeds; my research dissertation focused on the historical construction of British food safety regulations in the 19th century. I have worked as a tutor and lecturer, constructing and delivering a range of modules including history and philosophy of psychology, philosophy of science and, of course, history of genetics and biology.
My PhD thesis, "Agricultural Science and the Emergence of a Mendelian System in Britain 1880-1930", focused on the emergence of a technological system created by a small group of early geneticists (known as Mendelians in the period) such as William Bateson and Rowland Biffen. Biffen and Bateson, like many other Mendelians, worked within agricultural research settings in the south east of England in the early years of the 20th century. The thesis follows their efforts to create new useful agricultural organisms which would, they hoped, revolutionise farming practice. Following this aspect of early Mendelian work reveals quite clearly that genetics, right from the discipline’s emergence, has always been partly conceptualised as a tool for effecting change in the human-built world. Furthermore, despite a lack of formal intellectual property, the new geneticists were kkenly aware of the need to establish the value of their new varieties and sought to evidence this through systems of display and award established by previous generations of plant breeders.
In 2008 I helped establish the IPBio Network. This is an international group of scholars with a shared research interest in the history of intellectual property in the biosciences and its relevance to current policy. The network's participants hail from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds including law, philosophy, history, sociology and science studies. The network seeks to encourage an interdisciplinary and intersectoral conversation on the past, present and future of IP in the biosciences. To date several public events (including an international symposium and public seminar) have been organised and videos of these events made available through the Network's homepage.
At Egenis, University of Exeter, I am working closely with John Duprè and Sabina Leonelli, establishing new research projects investigating contemporary developments in post-genomic bioscience, plant science and the use of model organisms in knowledge production. I am also developing my research interests in the history of genetics, food safety and intellectual property.
A brief CV (including a publication list) can be found here. My institutional homepage can be found here.
A selection of working papers are available below, all feedback is welcomed.