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Chapter 1. Will genetic engineering benefit society? -- Yes : genetic engineering will benefit society. Biotechnology will benefit society / Gregory Stock -- Genetic engineering will improve human health / William Haseltine -- Genetic enhancement can improve humanity / World Transhumanist Association -- No : genetic engineering will not benefit society. Biotechnology has failed to live up to expectations / Stephen Leahy -- Genetic engineering diminishes respect for human life / Erwin W. Lutzer -- Genetic engineering will lead to greater inequality / Maxwell J. Mehlman -- Chapter 2. Will genetic engineering improve food and farming? -- Yes : genetic engineering will improve food and farming. Genetically engineered crops can end world hunger / C.S. Prakash, Gregory Conko -- The risks of genetically modified foods have been exaggerated / Dick Taverne -- Genetically engineered crops protect the environment / Jonathan Rauch -- No : genetic engineering will not improve food and farming. Genetically engineered crops will not end world hunger / Craig Holdrege -- Genetically modified foods are unsafe to eat / Institute for Responsible Technology -- Genetically engineered crops are a danger to the environment / Genetically Engineered Food Alert -- Chapter 3. Is

Cover Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Foreword -- Introduction: A Scientific Revolution -- Chapter 1: Pharming: The Disease or the Cure? -- Chapter 2: Genetically Engineered Foods: Whose Appetite Do They Satisfy? -- Chapter 3: From Fabric to Fuel -- Chapter 4: Designer Babies -- Chapter 5: Extreme Genetic Engineering: The Future -- Notes -- Discussion Questions -- Organizations to Contact -- For More Information -- Index -- Picture Credits -- About the Author -- Back Cover

A complete market research guide to the business of biotech, genetics, proteomics and related services--a tool for strategic planning, competitive intelligence, employment searches, or financial research. Complete profiles of nearly 400 leading biotech companies, in-depth chapters on trends. Includes glossary thorough indexes, statistics, research and development, emerging technology--as well a addresses, phone numbers, and executive names

Describes Feb. 1975 international scientific conference held at Asilomar Conference Center in California, during which molecular biologists discussed benefits and potential hazards for society of the then-new field, sought public support, and proposed restrictions on research in exchange for self-regulation. Argues that the Asilomar scientists were motivated by self-interest rather than concern for society and that they failed to use their prestige and authority to address key social issues.

There has been a constant surge of interest on impact of Genetically Modified Food (GM) on humans, so as to compare its harmful effects with a diet without GM foods. Governments, all over the world, are attempting to assess the risks associated with the release of genetically modified organisms and the marketing of genetically modified food. Though there is now broad scientific consensus that GE crops on the market are safe enough to eat, yet some scientists and advocacy groups such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund have concerns that GM food may not be safe enough and that contemporary testing regimes are not adequate to ensure sufficient safety. There is also a widespread sense that social and technological change is speeding up and people feel powerless to affect this change.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS short note is to update readers on recent developments in, and political implications of, genetic engineering, a critical tool in the expanding field of biotechnology. Based on new understanding of the mechanisms of DNA, molecular biologists are now able to chemically cut genes or sets of genes from one organism and splice them into the DNA of another. This is called recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology. Although these techniques were first applied to bacteria and yeasts, in the last decade researchers have made remarkable strides in putting foreign genes into more complex plants and animals.

A discussion of problems related to the biotechnology revolution led by Genome Projects contends that holistic-ecological forms of relating to nature are a better bet for achieving an ecologically sustainable society. Genetic engineering is examined as a form of biocolonization. It is maintained that the relative predictability of genetic engineering within the closed ecosystem of the laboratory cannot extend to the behavior of genes transferred horizontally or to recipient systems, casting doubt on the likelihood that Genome Projects will live up to the extravagant promises. Other issues discussed include the rhetoric used by proponents of genetic engineering to gain converts; the political economy & potential for abuse of gene splicing; & the high risks accompanying premature commercial releases of transgenic organisms. The rationale underlying the refusal of bioscientists to acknowledge increasing scientific & public dissent is seen as part of the overall trend by the bio-elite to keep the public in the dark as much as possible to minimize policy obstructions to the rapid progress of biotechnology & its commercialization. J. Lindroth