Publisher's Synopsis
New drugs, new fertilizers, new crops, new animals and new reproductive techniques in humans all demonstrate the extraordinary progress of biotechnology and genetic engineering.
The achievement of this book is to provide the specialist and non–specialist reader with a comprehensive overview of these powerful and unpredictable emergent technologies. Over the last few years tens of billions of pounds and dollars have been thrown at scientists pursuing the future in this area, and the results are now becoming apparent to investors and on–lookers alike.
Based on original pieces and seminal articles from leading scientists and commentators in the field, this book looks at the whole range of key issues, including:
- the technologies themselves and their futures
- their application in industry
- the diffusion of technologies across institutions and borders
- the impact of key technologies on individuals and society
Parallelled in importance only by the impact of the information technology revolution, biotechnology must be understood by both scientists and non–scientists if it is to be harnessed safely. This book is designed to illuminate the whole subject for both groups, as well as for the general reader, students, academics and those with a role in policy–making in the area.
