Molecular Feminisms: Biology, Becomings, and Life in the Lab

283 Pages·2018·2.114 MB·English

by  Deboleena Roy

Feminist Technosciences
Rebecca Herzig and Banu Subramaniam, Series Editors

Molecular
Feminisms
BIOLOGY,
BECOMINGS, AND
LIFE IN THE LAB
DEBOLEENA ROY
University of Washington Press
Seattle
Publication of this open monograph was the result of Emory University’s participa-
tion in TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem), a collaboration of the
Association of American Universities, the Association of University Presses, and the
Association of Research Libraries. TOME aims to expand the reach of long-form
humanities and social science scholarship including digital scholarship. Additionally,
the program looks to ensure the sustainability of university press monograph pub-
lishing by supporting the highest quality scholarship and promoting a new ecology
of scholarly publishing in which authors’ institutions bear the publication costs.
Funding from Emory University and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation made it
possible to open this publication to the world.
www.openmonographs.org
Copyright © 2018 by Deboleena Roy
Printed and bound in the United States of America
Interior design by Thomas Eykemans
Composed in Chaparral, typeface designed by Carol Twombly
Cover design by Katrina Noble
Cover photograph by Kheyal Roy-Meighoo and Koan Roy-Meighoo
22 21 20 19 18 5 4 3 2 1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording,
or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publisher.
University of Washington Press
www .washington.edu/uwpress
library of congress cataloging-in-publication data
lc record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018010432
ISBN 978-0-295-74409-4 (hardcover), ISBN 978-0-295-74410-0 (pbk),
ISBN 978-0-295-74411-7 (ebook)
The text of this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non
Commercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0):
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0.
To my parents, Ila and Manick Roy, for inspiring me to work hard
To my sister, Madhumeeta Roy, for encouraging me to dream big
To my partner, Sean Meighoo, and our children, Koan and Kheyal
Roy-Meighoo, for reminding me to laugh and play every day

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Stolonic Strategies 3
1 Biophilosophies of Becoming 33
2 Microphysiologies of Desire 57
3 Bacterial Lives: Sex, Gender, and the Lust for Writing 90
4 Should Feminists Clone? And If So, How? 128
5 In Vitro Incubations 160
Conclusion: Science in Our Backyards 202
Glossary 207
Notes 213
Bibliography 231
Index 255

Acknowledgments
I have been torn between the natural sciences and humanities for a long
time. In fact, this book has probably been in the works since the day I sent
in my acceptance to pursue a doctoral degree in molecular biology and
reproductive neuroendocrinology. By accepting that admissions offer
and extremely rewarding academic path, I declined an offer from an envi-
ron mental studies program where my plan was to study bioethics, environ-
mental justice, and women’s reproductive health movements. At my side
while I made this difficult decision about my academic trajectory was a
cadre of feminists who encouraged me to stay in the “hard” sciences, to
become a feminist scientist, to learn the science that was being used to
dev elop new reproductive and genetic technologies, and to participate
in the creation of scientific knowledge. A long time coming, this book is a
direct result of that encouragement.
At any given point in my intellectual journey, I have been unbelievably
fortunate to have many generous feminist mentors at my side. Several of
them welcomed me into their midst while I was just an undergraduate
student studying microbiology. Laura Sky introduced me to some of the
most fierce and eloquent scholar-activists I have ever come across, includ-
ing Shree Mulay, Karen Messing, Sunera Thobani, and Elizabeth Abergel.
As a master’s student studying in a cancer biology lab at McMaster Uni-
versity, my supervisor Andrew Rainbow supported my interdisciplinary
tendencies; when I had finished required course work in genetics and
radiobiology, he encouraged me to take a directed reading course in the
philosophy department. For this opportunity, I am forever grateful.
Through this course, Elizabeth Boetzkes introduced me to the work of
Sandra Harding, Helen Longino, Nancy Tuana, Alison Wylie, and Joseph
Ix