(August 2003) “Biodiversity, the planet’s most valuable resource, is on loan to us from our children.” – Edward O. Wilson As a recent addition to the English language, with roots in both ecology and evolution, the definition of the word ‘biodiversity’ is still evolving. Zoologists and botanists typically consider biodiversity to refer to the variation and frequency of organisms within a given area, whereas evolutionary biologists may prefer to include in this definition the genes that contribute to the variation within a species as well. In either case, biodiversity can generally be defined as the total composition of evolutionary units…

(August 2003) Although seen by many as a development of the 20th century, biotechnology was, in fact, one the first technologies developed, and the earliest examples of these technologies are still the most economically important. Early use primarily consisted of methods of fermentation, both for preserving foods, and for the production of alcoholic beverages. In spite of the length of time that has passed since biotechnology came into use, it is only in the past century that we have begun to understand how these innovations work and how they can be improved. Furthermore, great strides have been made in developing…

Advocates of biotechnology have consistently upheld the notion that the field contributes to human health care, environmental protection, and industrial-scale synthesis of complex chemicals. Despite the obvious importance of these areas, biotechnology also has much to offer to other fields. One of the oldest of these is the mining industry. The earliest use of microbial processes for mining occurred long before it was clear that microbes were responsible for the effects observed. At the Rio Tinto (Red River) mine in Seville, Spain, Roman era copper mine workings were rediscovered in 1556. Evidence suggests that the mine used water from the…

(August 2003) “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — George Santayana “In the realm of bioethics, the evils we face are intertwined with the goods we so keenly seek. Distinguishing good and bad thus intermixed is often extremely difficult.” — Leon R. Kass MD, PhD Chairman, The President’s Council on Bioethics Since the announcement that the entire human DNA genome had been sequenced in June 2000, newspapers around the world have been rife with proclamations describing how this information is being used for the prevention and treatment of genetic disorders. Among the most promising and…