The DNA of up to four million newborn babies is being stored in UK hospitals without proper parental consent....
Dr Wesley Whitten, whose pioneering work in the field of reproductive physiology, which made the study of pre-implantation embryos possible, passed away on 24th May 2010....
For the first time scientists have regenerated a biological tooth within the oral cavity using stem cell development, suggesting a possible cheaper alternative to dentures or implants for adults who have lost some or all of their teeth....
A new research project, which will use human stem cells to artificially create the diseased brain cells affected in Motor Neurone Disease (MND) could pave the way for a cure for sufferers....
The UK's 'Genetic Interest Group' (GIG), a national charity representing individuals with genetic conditions, today became the 'Genetic Alliance UK'...
The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has announced its upcoming release of a new fertility treatment reference and information guide, entitled 'Getting started: Your guide to fertility treatment', aimed to assist people at the outset of considering fertility treatment options....
In response to claims that assisted reproductive technology (ART) suffers from a lack of oversight, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has said that: 'ART is already one of the most regulated medical procedures in the United States'....
Delaying the clamping of the umbilical cord after birth by several minutes could bring future health benefits to newborns, according to new research....
Scientists have announced an ambitious plan to identify the function of every gene in the mouse genome....
Following the general election in the UK and the formation of the new coalition government, Anne Milton MP has become the new Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and so is the Government Minister responsible for fertility and embryology. She is the Conservative MP for Guildford - a seat which she won from the Liberal Democrats in 2005....
Our knowledge of biology has enabled us to move away from understanding to manipulating and influencing. As the authors of 'Contested Categories' write, we could be on the cusp of 'a bio-age, a posthuman future or an era of genetic programming'. But how does life science research translate into society? This is broadly the book's focus...
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Comment
Synthesising a DNA genome is a major feat but is it creating new life?
by Professor Marilyn Monk
Craig Venter and colleagues recently published their work on a synthesised life form. Once again scientists are charged with playing God and the associated hype and scaremongering promise cures and treatments for all sorts of human and planetary ailments, threaten a future of unknown dangers from genetically manipulated life forms, and demand a re-analysis of the meaning of life and God....
Saying 'no' to the funding of assisted reproduction services in Québec
by Professor Abby Lippman
On 24 March 2010, the Québec Minister of Health and Social Services published two sets of regulations related to assisted reproduction. One specified how the government will supervise clinical and research activities (e.g. IVF); the other laid out the terms for publicly funding these activities...