Biotechnologies and Reproductive Agency


Book Description

As artificial reproductive technologies become available to populations that have previously not had access to them, this book asks how reproduction is being transformed by technologies and individuals whose sexual and reproductive lives may defy sociocultural norms, religious codes and national laws. Seeking to develop a novel approach for studying the families of the 21st century, it examines the uptake of assisted reproductive technologies by women who opt for lone motherhood, exploring the circulation of reproductive technologies, bodily material, and ideas in two countries recognised as leaders in ART and sexual and reproductive health rights. Through ethnographic research in Spain and the UK, it considers the localisation of assisted reproductive technologies and the ways in which the socio-cultural, politico-legal and ideological intersections between non-normative families and ARTs shape the experiences of those who take them up. A multi-sited ethnography that explores the implementation, use and experience of assisted reproductive technologies, this volume will appeal to scholars of sociology, anthropology, gender studies and science and technology studies.




Reproductive Biotechnology in Finfish Aquaculture


Book Description

The successful reproduction of cultured brood stock is essential to the sustainable aquaculture of aquatic organisms. This book describes recent advances in the field of finfish reproductive biotechnology. The chapters in this volume are written by eminent scientists who review the progress and assess the status of biotechnology research that is applicable to the reproduction of finfish species for aquaculture. A wide range of topics is included starting with broodstock technologies such as broodstock genetics, broodstock nutrition, environmental control of maturation and impacts of stress on broodstock, gametes and progeny. The volume includes technologies for induction of ovulation and spermiation using synthetic hypothalamic peptides. Gamete technologies which are described include cryopreservation, chromosome set manipulation, disease prevention and control for gametes and embryos and the development of transgenic fish with enhanced production characteristics. Genetic and endocrine technologies for the production of monosex male and female fish stocks are also described.The closing chapter summarizes the discussion of each topic at the workshop, provides recommendations to industry and describes priorities of research and development. Researchers as well as teaching faculty in the aquaculture field will find this volume of great value.




Problems of Conception


Book Description

The Biotechnology Act in Norway, one of the most restrictive in Europe, forbids egg donation and surrogacy and has rescinded the anonymity clause with respect to donor insemination. Thus, it limits people's choice as to how they can procreate within the boundaries of the nation state. The author pursues this significant datum ethnographically and addresses the issues surrounding contemporary biopolitics in Norway. This involves investigating such fundamental questions as the relation between individual and society, meanings of kinship and relatedness, the moral status of the embryo and the role of science, religion and ethics in state policies. Even though the book takes reproductive technologies as its focus, it reveals much about vital processes that are central to contemporary Norwegian society.




Preparing for Future Products of Biotechnology


Book Description

Between 1973 and 2016, the ways to manipulate DNA to endow new characteristics in an organism (that is, biotechnology) have advanced, enabling the development of products that were not previously possible. What will the likely future products of biotechnology be over the next 5â€"10 years? What scientific capabilities, tools, and/or expertise may be needed by the regulatory agencies to ensure they make efficient and sound evaluations of the likely future products of biotechnology? Preparing for Future Products of Biotechnology analyzes the future landscape of biotechnology products and seeks to inform forthcoming policy making. This report identifies potential new risks and frameworks for risk assessment and areas in which the risks or lack of risks relating to the products of biotechnology are well understood.




Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance


Book Description

Offers a comprehensive guide to assisted reproductive technology surveillance, describing its history, global variations, and best practices.




Biologic Markers in Reproductive Toxicology


Book Description

Does exposure to environmental toxicants inhibit our ability to have healthy children who develop normally? Biologic markersâ€"indicators that can tell us when environmental factors have caused a change at the cellular or biochemical level that might affect reproductive abilityâ€"are a promising tool for research aimed at answering that important question. Biologic Markers in Reproductive Toxicology examines the potential of these markers in environmental health studies; clarifies definitions, underlying concepts, and possible applications; and shows the benefits to be gained from their use in reproductive and neurodevelopmental research.




Reproduction, Globalization, and the State


Book Description

Reproduction, Globalization, and the State conceptualizes and puts into practice a global anthropology of reproduction and reproductive health. Leading anthropologists offer new perspectives on how transnational migration and global flows of communications, commodities, and biotechnologies affect the reproductive lives of women and men in diverse societies throughout the world. Based on research in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Western Europe, their fascinating ethnographies provide insight into reproduction and reproductive health broadly conceived to encompass population control, HIV/AIDS, assisted reproductive technologies, paternity tests, sex work, and humanitarian assistance. The contributors address the methodological challenges of research on globalization, including ways of combining fine-grained ethnography with analyses of large-scale political, economic, and ideological forces. Their essays reveal complex interactions among global and state population policies and politics; public health, human rights, and feminist movements; diverse medical systems; various religious practices, doctrines, and institutions; and intimate relationships and individual aspirations. Contributors. Aditya Bharadwaj, Caroline H. Bledsoe, Carole H. Browner, Junjie Chen, Aimee R. Eden, Susan L. Erikson, Didier Fassin, Claudia Lee Williams Fonseca, Ellen Gruenbaum, Matthew Gutmann, Marcia C. Inhorn, Mark B. Padilla, Rayna Rapp, Lisa Ann Richey, Carolyn Sargent, Papa Sow, Cecilia Van Hollen, Linda Whiteford




Animal Biotechnology


Book Description

Genetic-based animal biotechnology has produced new food and pharmaceutical products and promises many more advances to benefit humankind. These exciting prospects are accompanied by considerable unease, however, about matters such as safety and ethics. This book identifies science-based and policy-related concerns about animal biotechnologyâ€"key issues that must be resolved before the new breakthroughs can reach their potential. The book includes a short history of the field and provides understandable definitions of terms like cloning. Looking at technologies on the near horizon, the authors discuss what we know and what we fear about their effectsâ€"the inadvertent release of dangerous microorganisms, the safety of products derived from biotechnology, the impact of genetically engineered animals on their environment. In addition to these concerns, the book explores animal welfare concerns, and our societal and institutional capacity to manage and regulate the technology and its products. This accessible volume will be important to everyone interested in the implications of the use of animal biotechnology.




Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods


Book Description

Assists policymakers in evaluating the appropriate scientific methods for detecting unintended changes in food and assessing the potential for adverse health effects from genetically modified products. In this book, the committee recommended that greater scrutiny should be given to foods containing new compounds or unusual amounts of naturally occurring substances, regardless of the method used to create them. The book offers a framework to guide federal agencies in selecting the route of safety assessment. It identifies and recommends several pre- and post-market approaches to guide the assessment of unintended compositional changes that could result from genetically modified foods and research avenues to fill the knowledge gaps.




Aquaculture Biotechnology


Book Description

This important book looks at a broad spectrum of biotech research efforts and their applications to the aquaculture industry. Aquaculture Biotechnology provides key reviews that look at the application of genetic, cellular, and molecular technologies to enable fish farmers to produce a more abundant, resilient, and healthier supply of seafood. Aquaculture Biotechnology is divided into seven sections and nineteen chapters that cover topics ranging from broodstock improvement to fish health and gene transfer. With chapters provided by leading researchers and skillfully edited by top scientists in the field, this will be a valuable tool to researchers, producers, and students interested in better understanding this dynamic field of aquaculture.