Biomaterial Database

Potential hazards of biotechnology: the viewpoint from the United Kingdom. 1988

P N Campbell

Department of Biochemistry, University College, London, United Kingdom.

(1) There is a danger that our science may be severely restricted in the future if we do not as scientists take action to inform the public. (2) Scientists are agreed that some governmental controls are essential, but there is an urgent need that these should be applied uniformly worldwide. (3) The situation has changed rapidly now that the scientists are poised to demonstrate that genetic engineering has advanced to the stage where it can be applied to the field. Only in that way can we, as scientists, demonstrate that biotechnology can help humanity to overcome the problems of health, disease, and decent living which threaten to get progressively worse.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D005818	Genetic Engineering	Directed modification of the gene complement of a living organism by such techniques as altering the DNA, substituting genetic material by means of a virus, transplanting whole nuclei, transplanting cell hybrids, etc.	Genetic Intervention,Engineering, Genetic,Intervention, Genetic,Genetic Interventions,Interventions, Genetic
D006113	United Kingdom	Country in northwestern Europe including Great Britain and the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland, located between the North Sea and north Atlantic Ocean. The capital is London.	Great Britain,Isle of Man
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000056	Accident Prevention	Efforts and designs to reduce the incidence of unexpected undesirable events in various environments and situations.	Prevention, Accident,Accident Preventions,Preventions, Accident
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001709	Biotechnology	Body of knowledge related to the use of organisms, cells or cell-derived constituents for the purpose of developing products which are technically, scientifically and clinically useful. Alteration of biologic function at the molecular level (i.e., GENETIC ENGINEERING) is a central focus; laboratory methods used include TRANSFECTION and CLONING technologies, sequence and structure analysis algorithms, computer databases, and gene and protein structure function analysis and prediction.	Biotechnologies
D012306	Risk	The probability that an event will occur. It encompasses a variety of measures of the probability of a generally unfavorable outcome.	Relative Risk,Relative Risks,Risk, Relative,Risks,Risks, Relative
D012449	Safety	Freedom from exposure to danger and protection from the occurrence or risk of injury or loss. It suggests optimal precautions in the workplace, on the street, in the home, etc., and includes personal safety as well as the safety of property.	Safeties
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D014491	United States Office of Technology Assessment	An office established to help Congress participate and plan for the consequences of uses of technology. It provided information on both the beneficial and adverse effects of technological applications. The Office of Technology Assessment closed on September 29, 1995.	Office of Technology Assessment (U.S.),United States Congress Office of Technology Assessment