Scientists should spend more time talking to the media, and engaging the public in their work, according to Colin Blakemore, the new chief executive of the UK's Medical Research Council (MRC). He said that it is vital for people to know about the legal and ethical safeguards surrounding research areas...
UN delegates taking part in a debate on a global treaty to ban human reproductive cloning failed to reach an agreement last week. Countries were divided over two proposals: one that sought to ban all forms of cloning, and another that would immediately ban human reproductive cloning, but not so-called...
US researchers have managed to cram fragments of every human gene onto a single glass chip the size of a thumbnail, a development described as another step towards personalised medicine. The 'microarray', unveiled by biotech firm Affymetrix last week, will help scientists study the activity of the estimated 35,000 different...
Last week, the High Court ruled against two women seeking to use their frozen embryos against their ex-partners' wishes. One of them, Lorraine Hadley, said in a subsequent BBC interview that she may request her ex-husband to consent to donating their two embryos to another woman, so that the embryos...
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Comment
Three cases show parenthood rules need revising
by Professor Kirsty Horsey
While one might have sympathy for Natallie Evans and Lorraine Hadley because the UK's High Court has ruled they cannot use the embryos they have in frozen storage, it is hard to criticise the legal decision in this case. Mr Justice Wall followed the letter of the law on consent...