The biological wealth of our planet is represented by the biodiversity that surrounds us. Our future wellbeing depends on the care and conservation that we practice to protect and enhance that biodiversity, which resides mostly in developing countries. Yet, the holders of traditional knowledge remain poor, while those exploiting it commercially become prosperous. As we utilize recombinant DNA technology to achieve food security and other goals, serious apprehension has arisen in the public mind with regard to the impact of genetically modified crops on our environment and health. Similarly, the long-term impact of gene therapy is not known either. These dilemmas and their ethical implications are examined in this book in the context of intellectual property rights and international cooperation.

Contents:

• Rights Over Biological Wealth
• Patenting in Agriculture and Medicine
• Drug Development and Intellectual Property
• Global Economy and Genomics
• Persistence of GMOs in the Environment
• GMOs and Politics
• Culture and Biodiversity
• Sacred Groves and Biodiversity
• Who Owns the DNA?
• DNA Research, Gene Therapy and Cloning
• Ethics and Genetic Engineering
• Haldane's Dilemma and Its Relevance Today
• Stem Cell Research: Which Way to Go?
• Race and Human Dignity
• The Role of Science in Developing Countries
• Indian Tradition in Science
• The State of Science in India
• My Tryst with Chandra
• Understanding Violence
• The Hunger Project
• and other articles