Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research has sparked incredible scientific and public excitement, as well as significant controversy. hESCs are pluripotent, which means, in theory, that they can be differentiated into any type of cell found in the human body. Thus, they evoke great enthusiasm about potential clinical applications. They are…

Two federal agencies proposed conflict-of-interest guidelines that would require scientists supported by government money to file financial-disclosure forms and universities to review those forms and eliminate conflicts of interest. The National Institutes of Health and the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration proposed the…

Changes in biomedical research are outlined including financial competition that forces investigators to spend more time developing proposals and creates pressures to produce quickly; obsolescence of equipment, facilities, people, and knowledge; demand for interdisciplinary approaches and greater accountability; joint ventures with profit making…