Genetic Technology A New Frontier

First published in 1982 . This report examines the application of classical and molecular genetic technologies to micro-organisms, plants, and animals. This book is one of the first comprehensive documents on emerging genetic technologies and their implications for society. The authors discuss the opportunities and problems involved, describe current techniques, and attempt to project some of the economic, environmental, and institutional impacts of those techniques. The issues they raise go beyond those of technology, utility, and economic feasibility. As we gain the ability to manipulate life, we must face basic questions of just what life means and how far we can reasonably-and safely-allow ourselves to go.

Examines the application of classical and molecular genetic technologies to micro-organisms, plants, and animals.

Examines the application of classical and molecular genetic technologies to micro-organisms, plants, and animals.

A philosopher and a biologist offer a textbook to be used alone or with other texts in an ethical theory course that focuses on issues raised by genetic engineering. Students are expected to have at least some familiarity with both biology and philosophy.

The Innovative Uses of Genetic Science in Human Medicine and health promotion are now provoking new ethical and religious concerns as well as raising hopes. As the public becomes increasingly aware of the scientific discoveries in the field of genetics - discoveries that appear at once promising and problematic - people are also beginning to ask important fundamental questions: What does this biological revolution have to do with religious beliefs and ethics? How should Christians interpret its significance? Drawing from the work of 260 scientific, medical, and religious professionals who met to discuss genetic research under the auspices of the nation's Human Genome Project in 1990 and 1992, J. Robert Nelson fairly and expertly probes such pressing topics as genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis, the treatment of inherited diseases, and the temptation to seek eugenic improvements of human nature and capabilities. Religious critiques by leading experts from Jewish, Christian, and other traditions also help to explain the two sides of human genetic science: the possibilities for good and the dangers of abuse.

A sharp-eyed exploration of the promise and peril of having children in an age of genetic tests and interventions Is screening for disease in an embryo a humane form of family planning or a slippery slope toward eugenics? Should doctors tell you that your infant daughter is genetically predisposed to breast cancer? If tests revealed that your toddler has a genetic mutation whose significance isn’t clear, would you want to know? In The Gene Machine, the award-winning journalist Bonnie Rochman deftly explores these hot-button questions, guiding us through the new frontier of gene technology and how it is transforming medicine, bioethics, health care, and the factors that shape a family. Rochman tells the stories of scientists working to unlock the secrets of the human genome; genetic counselors and spiritual advisers guiding mothers and fathers through life-changing choices; and, of course, parents (including Rochman herself) grappling with revelations that are sometimes joyous, sometimes heartbreaking, but always profound. She navigates the dizzying and constantly expanding array of prenatal and postnatal tests, from carrier screening to genome sequencing, while considering how access to more tests is altering perceptions of disability and changing the conversation about what sort of life is worth living and who draws the line. Along the way, she highlights the most urgent ethical quandary: Is this technology a triumph of modern medicine or a Pandora’s box of possibilities? Propelled by human narratives and meticulously reported, The Gene Machine is both a scientific road map and a meditation on our power to shape the future. It is a book that gets to the very core of what it means to be human.

In 2018, the first genetically modified children were born. Now we have the tools to reshape the future of our species. With a pair of genetic scissors known as CRISPR, we can select the traits of our children, avoid ageing, or cure disease. With that ability comes new risks, forcing us to face hard ethical questions. Torill Kornfeldt has travelled the world to meet the people driving this research forward. She has visited fertility clinics in South Korea, oncologists in China who are experimenting on sick patients, and biohackers in the US who want to make the new technology available to everyone. In The Unnatural Selection of Our Species, she asks: How can we handle these new tools that could change our genetic material? 'Well written, knowledgeable, and engaging – exactly how really good popular science is supposed to be' Gustav Källstrand, Nobel Centre Torill Kornfeldt is a Swedish science journalist with a background in biology. She has worked in the science department of Sweden's leading morning newspaper Dagens Nyheter and at the science branch of the Swedish public radio. There she created the successful radio show Tekniksafari (Tech Safari) on new technology changing society. Her main focus is on how emerging bioengineering and technology will shape our future.

Examines the application of classical and molecular genetic technologies to micro-organisms, plants, and animals.

Genetically engineered (GE) crops were first introduced commercially in the 1990s. After two decades of production, some groups and individuals remain critical of the technology based on their concerns about possible adverse effects on human health, the environment, and ethical considerations. At the same time, others are concerned that the technology is not reaching its potential to improve human health and the environment because of stringent regulations and reduced public funding to develop products offering more benefits to society. While the debate about these and other questions related to the genetic engineering techniques of the first 20 years goes on, emerging genetic-engineering technologies are adding new complexities to the conversation. Genetically Engineered Crops builds on previous related Academies reports published between 1987 and 2010 by undertaking a retrospective examination of the purported positive and adverse effects of GE crops and to anticipate what emerging genetic-engineering technologies hold for the future. This report indicates where there are uncertainties about the economic, agronomic, health, safety, or other impacts of GE crops and food, and makes recommendations to fill gaps in safety assessments, increase regulatory clarity, and improve innovations in and access to GE technology.