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“Nanobionic spinach” to detect pollution and explosives
Scientists at MIT have incorporated sensors in "carbon nanotubes" and placed them in spinach leaves enabling the plant to detect a wide range of molecules. These "nanobionic spinach" have detected explosives in subterranean waters, "hydrogen peroxide", sarin gas and...
The vice-president of Exit attacked by legal system for “encouraging suicide”
Pierre Beck, Vice-President of Exit*[1] has been subject to a two-pronged attack by the legal system. Initially accused for "failing to provide assistance", today Beck faces an additional charge for "encouraging suicide". These legal proceedings have been...
United States: abortion levels at their lowest for over 10 years in certain states
In the United States, abortion levels are at their lowest for over ten years. This fact was highlighted in a recent report compiled by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which focused on 47 States. The report revealed that there were 664,435...
Death of a transplant patient who received a heart carrying the H1N1 virus – The family starts legal proceedings
In Nantes, the family of Clément Quenault, who died following a heart transplant, is claiming €100,000 in damages. The transplanted heart was infected with the H1N1 virus. The donor had been suffering from influenza just a few days before he died "according to a...
“Mater semper certa est”: motherhood shaken by medically assisted procreation and surrogacy
“The mother is always certain” [1], as says the adage used as a guideline for the symposium held in Lyon last 24th and 25th November. One observation: medically assisted procreation and gestational surrogacy have weakened the judicial notion of motherhood. ...
Zika: babies who are apparently “normal” at birth could develop microcephaly
According to a study conducted by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), babies who appear normal at birth but whose mothers were infected by the virus have subsequently developed growth problems. This study is the first to...
American farmers abandon GMO to return to traditional seeds
Some American farmers are wondering if GMO cultivation is still worthwhile. With the fall in cereal prices, GMOs cost up to twice as much to plant as traditional seeds. In the United States, the debate on GMOs does not focus on public health concerns or...
Stem cells could treat congenital deafness over the next decade
The journal entitled Stem Cell Reports have just published a study showing that scientists are on the verge of discovering a treatment for congenital deafness using stem cells. Professor Kazusaku Kamiya, a specialist in ear diseases, who is directing the research,...
Posthumous sperm sample: the Israeli legal system intervenes
A 50 year-old Israeli couple have fought for the legal system to authorise posthumous sperm retrieval from their son who died in a car accident at the age of 25. They want to "give him the chance" to father a child because he wanted "a family". "Keen to become...
Cambodia: swoop on the trafficking of surrogate mothers
Phnom Penh police arrested three people for their involvement in the trafficking of Cambodian surrogate mothers whilst the legal framework surrounding surrogacy remains uncertain in Cambodia. The police arrested Tammy Davis-Charles, an Australian national and...
Genetic changes to humans: China leads the way
Discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 tool is generating fears that teams of scientists are competing against each other to bring about genetic changes in humans. Although European and American public opinion is hostile to these changes, countries such as India and China are...
The Netherlands: delayed abortions redirected towards Belgium
In the Netherlands, delayed abortion, i.e. beyond 24 weeks and in the case of foetal anomalies as well as the euthanasia of disabled newborn babies, have been decriminalised by the "Directive for the non-prosecution of euthanasia cases without a request and late...