Good advice of the week: no coke on job for doctors
Don’t snort cocaine on the job, Italian hospital director says The director of a hospital in Italy sent a memo to doctors and nurses asking...
WikiLeaks: are Chinese spies stealing Iceland’s genetic database?
WikiLeaks docs point at spies Another bioethics angle has emerged in Wikileaks. Chinese spies are investigating genetic research companies in Iceland, according to cables written...
Test for baby’s DNA in the womb
Maternal blood reveals foetal DNA A Hong Kong scientist has discovered a technique for analysing the entire DNA profile of an unborn child by testing...
Is GLBT reproduction one step closer?
Complicated study with iPS cells in mice “Look, Dad – no Mum!” was the headline in one of Nature’s blogs. Reproductive scientists in a Texas...
Paralyzed monkeys walk with iPS cells, say Japanese scientists
Step closer to success with humans The latest good news on the stem cell front involves induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. A team of Japanese...
British couple flouts surrogacy law, and keeps baby too
Judge believes rules on payments are “unclear” A senior family court judge permitted a British couple to keep their newborn child despite their technically breaking...
In search of a gene for naïveté
Scientists claim to have discovered a gene for infidelity The blog Biopolitical Times has an intriguing occasional feature called “gene of the week” – announcements...
At least it’s better than prostitution
Surrogacy in India The Confederation of Indian Industry has predicted that surrogacy will be a gigantic US$2.3 billion industry by 2012. This is becoming an...
Commercialising IVF
Hi there, I have to get something off my chest. What really annoys me about the IVF industry is the commoditization of human reproduction. The...
India seeks to increase organ donors
Lagging far behind the world leader India is trying to increase the number of local organ donors. Spain, the world leader, has 35.1 organ donors...
Commission on assisted suicide slammed for lack of independence
Demos think tank teams up with Dignity in Dying A stalwart supporter of assisted suicide in the UK, Lord Falconer, the former lord chancellor, will...