bioethics.net News Update - Biotechnology

Venter: we're creating microbes that will turn CO2 into fuel

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:46:51 EST

Venter says his team is re-engineering already-existing organisms for the task, not creating one from scratch.

Biotech food: good or bad?

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:12:34 EST

It depends on which report you read. According to one, biotech crops are leading an agricultural revolution. But according to another, they're putting global food security at risk.

On the brink of new forms of life

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:05:38 EST

Synthetic DNA is already being used in organisms for a number of industrial processes. And a fully synthetic organism may be no more than a year away. Scientists and philosophers say the arrival of that yet to be created organism will be a watershed event.

Second Attempt for Biotech Beets

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:52:24 EST

Next Spring farmers in the US will be planting beet seeds that have been modified to resist the herbicide Roundup. The seeds had been held back for seven years because of potential consumer backlash, but processors say they're no longer worried about that.

Scientists More Concerned About Nanotech Than General Public

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 04:55:08 EST

A Nature Nanotechnology report published today indicates that scientists and the technologically knowledgeable are more concerned about the possible health and environmental impact of nanotechnology than the general public.

Why the Long Wait for Gene-Specific Drugs?

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 06:04:45 EDT

Personalized medicine has been a long time coming, and now researchers are wising up to the realities.

Designing Medical Devices Requires a Pound of Flesh

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:16:16 EDT

Most product designers work in studios, using wood and plastic to perfect their creations. But medical-device designers toil in laboratories, working with human tissue and the surgeons who manipulate it.

Scientists Create Device to Detect Bird Flu Rapidly

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 04:44:43 EDT

Researchers have created a handheld device that can detect the H5N1 bird flu virus from throat swab samples in under 30 minutes, raising hopes it will lead to rapid detection and containment of the virus.

Cancer Fighting Transplant Hope

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 06:53:12 EDT

Immune cells taken from one person may be able to join the battle against cancer in another.

FDA Approves FluMist For Children Ages 2 to 5

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 06:52:19 EDT

MedImmune clears a significant hurdle to revive its long-troubled nasal flu vaccine, an alternative to vaccines delivered via needle.

Britain OK's Hybrid Embryos

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 01:30:42 EDT

Not unexpectedly, Britain has authorized the creation of hybrid human/animal embyros for medical research.

Vaccines and Their Promise Are Roaring Back

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 03:52:36 EDT

As wealthy countries spend more on health care, and as poorer countries put new emphasis on prevention, many companies are jumping into vaccine innovation.

MS Vaccine Handed Safety Boost

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:22:00 EDT

A vaccine designed to tackle MS has passed its initial set of safety tests, scientists in Canada say.

Setback for Novartis in India Over Drug Patent

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 06:00:54 EDT

Drug companies can continue to make less expensive generic drugs, much of which flow to the developing world, after an Indian court Monday rejected a patent law challenge.

The Ultimate Diagnostic Device (By the Way, You've Got Drug-Resistant TB!)

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:35:42 EDT

There is a crop of diagnostic tools on the horizon, portable devices that can detect infectious disease with a degree of accuracy that measures up to that of lab-based cultures.