General News

"Gene Blocks Monkey Business," ABC News.com, August 12, 2004. Scientists based in the U.S. have located a gene that is involved in "reward learning." By suppressing this gene, it made primates into workaholics with relatively low errors in their work, which is unusual for these monkeys. Full article.

Helen Pearson, "Mouse created without father," Nature Online, April 22, 2004. Scientists make a female mouse egg, containing two sets of chromosomes from the mother, grow into an adult without fertilizing the egg with sperm. The phenomenon, called parthenogenesis, never occurs naturally in mammals, and scientists believe the procedure may be applied to stem cell research. Full article (may need to register on website).

Kristen Philipkoski, "Damaging Drug Study? Bury It," Wired News Online, April 22, 2004. According to research published in the April issue of the British medical journal The Lancet, pharmaceutical companies failed to disclose data showing that the risks may outweigh the benefits for children taking some antidepressants. Full article

"First IVF embryo research licenses issued in Australia," News-Medical.net, April 17, 2004. Australia's Embryo Research Licensing Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council issues first licenses to allow research on excess human embryos. The Licensing Committee prohibits research on embryos unless they are no longer required for in vitro fertilization procedures and couples have given their informed consent. Full article