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Now That's Encouraging: Genetics as the Cautionary Example

Sep 24, 2008

This BBC news story reports that a nonprofit group says studies have shown that "life-saving scientific research is being stifled by a 'broken' patent system." The Innovation Partnership, based in Canada, says patent issues are delaying advances in cancer treatment, synthetic biology, agbio, and nanotechnology. Lead author of the study Richard Gold offers an alternative approach to IP and says, "We do not want to end up in the same situation with nanotechnology that we are in with genetics."

 

Breaking News
The Scan

Pig Organ Transplants Considered

The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Food and Drug Administration may soon allow clinical trials that involve transplanting pig organs into humans.

'Poo-Bank' Proposal

Harvard Medical School researchers suggest people should bank stool samples when they are young to transplant when they later develop age-related diseases.

Spurred to Develop Again

New Scientist reports that researchers may have uncovered why about 60 percent of in vitro fertilization embryos stop developing.

Science Papers Examine Breast Milk Cell Populations, Cerebral Cortex Cellular Diversity, Micronesia Population History

In Science this week: unique cell populations found within breast milk, 100 transcriptionally distinct cell populations uncovered in the cerebral cortex, and more.