Genetically Modified Organisms: A Guide to Biosafety

Genetically Modified Organisms: A Guide to Biosafety (Cabi Publishing)
by George T. Tzotzos (Editor)

Product Details
* Hardcover: 224 pages
* Publisher: CABI (April 6, 1995)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0851989721

Book Description
For a number of years the promise of biotechnology has been dimmed by concerns over the intrinsic safety of transgenic organisms. Although considerable knowledge of the properties of recombinant systems and a vast volume of data gathered from different applications of biotechnology are now available, these concerns are still evident. In the developing world, there are also fears that such countries might be used as testing grounds for recombinant products. Considerations of this nature have often overshadowed the benefits these countries might derive from the application of genetic engineering. In response to these concerns, UNIDO, together with the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Health Organization, formed in 1985 the Informal Working Group on Biosafety. In 1991 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations also joined the Group. The present volume was commissioned by the Group and is intended to help scientists and regulators to conceptualize the major issues underlying biological safety as well as to understand how these affect policies to regulate biotechnology.

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HIV/AIDS: A Very Short Introduction

HIV/AIDS: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By Alan Whiteside

Product Details
* Paperback: 144 pages
* Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1st edition (February 25, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0192806920

Book Description
HIV/AIDS is without doubt the worst epidemic to hit humankind since the Black Death. As of 2004 an estimated 40 million people were living with the disease, and about 20 million had died. Despite rapid scientific advances there is still no cure and the drugs are expensive and toxic. In the developing world, especially in parts of Africa, life expectancy has plummeted to below 35 years, causing a serious decline in economic growth, a sharp increase in orphans, and the imminent collapse of health care systems. The news is not all bleak though. There have been unprecedented breakthroughs in understanding diseases and developing drugs. Because the disease is so closely linked to sexual activity and drug use, the need to understand and change behavior has caused us to reassess what it means to be human and how we should operate in the globalizing world. This Very Short Introduction tackles the science, the international and local politics, the fascinating demographics, and the devastating consequences of the disease, and suggests how we must respond.

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