ABSTRACT
Some forms of research are controversial. Sometimes, it is because the risks associated with it are difficult to bear or it violates a particular set of values. Genetic engineering research is something that often elicits a very strong response, especially, it seems, from those who oppose it. The multitude of rules on this type of research is virtually impossible to cover in a volume of this size. An agricultural engineer develops a new grass that suppresses the growth of the pest weeds wild parsnip and giant hogweed. A company offers to patients the option to store stem cells from the umbilical cord for future medical needs. Stem cells are a particularly hot topic in genetic research, especially embryonic stem cells. The debate regarding when life starts, which shows no signs of letting up, may have impacted the progress of US-based researchers. Illnesses like the cold or the flu typically “spread like wildfire.”
