The British government found itself treading on thin ice last week. In a bid to reduce public distrust of genetically modified (GM) food, it announced that consumer and ethics representatives will be appointed to two new "over-arching" bodies responsible for monitoring developments in human genetics and the agricultural use of biotechnology, respectively (see page 287). At the same time, it has resisted demands for broadening the membership of technical advisory committees to include non-scientist members.
展开▼