Few scientific developments have been more vigorously debated than current advances in biotechnology. While gene modification promises dramatic opportunities for enhancing healthcare and agricultural production and offers new possibilities for the chemical and manufacturing industries, these same developments have provoked intense public concern. Advances in biotechnology have raised fears about the power of scientists to “play God” and have prompted calls for controls on the scientific community.

This session will convene scientists, legislators, policy-makers, public opinion leaders, and representatives from the private sector for an in-depth examination of the appropriate regulatory framework to enable scientific knowledge to be translated into new products for human health and wealth while protecting and fostering the public good. Discussions will address how different cultures respond to advances in biotechnology and what international implications these differing responses might have; how the public can gain access to adequate and impartial information about biotechnological developments; and to what degree the private sector, the scientific community, and the public sector can work together to assure the responsible advancement of biotechnology.