Patenting a life-form

[Bravo]

heard this story on NPR this morning:

Hailed as the biggest, most controversial genetics breakthrough since the cloning of Dolly the sheep, Dr. Craig Venter - the scientist who led the private-sector race to map the human genome - says his research team has figured out which genes provide the bare essentials for life. Now he wants the commercial rights to their use.

http://www.checkbiotech.org/green_News_Genetics.aspx?infoId=14882

does this bother anyone else?

[William Haskins]

does this bother anyone else?

only if they've read shelley's "frankenstein" correctly.

[Bravo]

did frankentstein patent that monster?

he shouldve.

[Joe270]

Bravo, I'm agreeing with you on this one. Our genes belong to all of us, not just those who sequence them. Plus, we all provided tax dollars funding the earlier science which enables them to advance it (a wee smidge in some cases) to the point where they isolate a particular gene or sequence.

Screw them, our genetic make up is ours, all of ours, and they can take their patent and stuff it.

[billythrilly7th]

Venter plans to cobble together synthetic versions of these genes to create the world's first artificial living being, a bacterium called mycoplasma laboratorium

Pfffh.

Mattel did this back in 1977.

It was called Slime.

Duh.

[Jersey Chick]

Pfffh.

Mattel did this back in 1977.

It was called Slime.

Duh.

:ROFL:

I had that - went to open it one day and the trash can blew up - slime everywhere.

Dog never knew what hit him.

It was the end of the slime

[DamaNegra]

No one's touching MY genes!