Biotechnological patents and morality: A critical view from a developing country
Biotechnology has now become an important factor for the increasing rate of scientific and technological development, particularly in the fields of medicine and agriculture. A great deal of modern pharmaceuticals have been directly and indirectly developed from biotech inventions. For example, it is estimated that nearly 30 per cent of the present world drug market is accounted for by biotechnological products such as antibiotics, steroids, vitamins, and vaccines. The significance of biotechnology may stem from the fact that some modern drugs developed from biotechnology are able to target traditional diseases more precisely than conventional drugs, and biotech medicines provide more precise cures with fewer side effects (Business Week, 1992, pp. 52-53). In agriculture, plant breeding was once restricted to sexually compatible plants, and generations of offspring were selectively bred to create unique varieties. Currently, genetically modified (GM) crops have the fastest adoption rate of any new technology in global agriculture simply because of their claimed benefits from higher yields and lowered production costs. It is estimated that over 9,000 permits have been issued to field-test GM crops by United States Animal and Plant Health ABsTrACT
Benefits Associated with Nutrigenomics Research and Their Reporting in the Scientific Literature: Researchers' Perspectives
Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics (NGx) are fields of research that have raised significant expectations about their potential benefits. This article presents empirical data from an online survey seeking the opinions of NGx researchers (n = 126) regarding the achievability of the potential benefits of NGx, the time envisioned for their realization, the motives that may lead to their explicit mention in scientific peer-reviewed articles and the audience(s) targeted by NGx researchers when reporting their results in such articles. Results show that caution should be taken to avoid the risks associated with biohype and the premature dissemination of the potential benefits of NGx among various audiences.
A rapid on-filter immunoassay screen for dexamethasone in equine urine
A simple on-filter immunoassay screen has been developed for the detection and semi-quantification of dexamethasone in equine urine samples. The assay consists of an indirect competitive ELISA in which dexamethasone in standards or samples competes with an immobilised dexamethasone–protein conjugate for binding to a complex of sheep anti-dexamethasone antibodies complexed with alkaline phosphatase-labelled second antibody. The drug–protein conjugate is immobilised as a spot on the surface of a cellulose nitrate filter and the assay is performed with the filter retained within a filtration port. The assay involves two incubation steps, firstly a ten minute competitive step and secondly a five minute step to generate via an enzyme-catalysed reaction an insoluble coloured dye as a spot on the filter at the site of the immobilised drug–protein conjugate. Rapid washing is achieved through use of the filtration system. The assay has a limit of detection of 10–6 M (390 ng ml–1) for a visual end point in which the colour intensity of spots developed in the presence of samples is compared with those of standards. Twelve filters can be processed in a single batch consisting of two standards and ten samples. The assay has been optimised for equine samples and dexamethasone in the urine of a race horse following injection of 20 mg of drug has been detected for 23 h post administration.