STANFORD, Calif. - Two government biologists heavily recruited by Stanford University have decided to work in Singapore instead, saying they will face fewer restrictions on stem cell research overseas.
Neal Copeland and Nancy Jenkins, geneticists for the
National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Md., said they were concerned about delays in the allocation of $3 billion set aside by a California ballot measure approved in 2004.
"If there were any way we could come to Stanford, we would do this in a heartbeat," the married couple wrote in an e-mail to the San Jose Mercury News.
Copeland and Jenkins are famous for discovering a way to accelerate the identification of cancer-causing genes in mice.
Scientists hope to advance this discovery by using embryonic stem-cell cultures to build models of leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers. If researchers can learn which genes are mutated in cancer, they could possibly develop drugs to block mutations.
At Singapore's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, any of the couple's discoveries would first be patented and used in Singapore.
"It is a loss for Stanford and a loss for America," said Irving Weissman, director of Stanford's Institute for Cancer and Stem Cell Biology and Medicine. "Without a doubt, they are the best people I know to find out which genes are altered to cause cancer."
Why should we waste potential lives on improving existing lives? Do you like making the Baby Jesus cry?
"There is at least as much need to curb the cruel greed and arrogance of part of the world of capital, to curb the cruel greed and violence of part of the world of labor, as to check a cruel and unhealthy militarism in international relationships." -Theodore Roosevelt
This is not the aborted fetus you are looking for....*waves hand*.
Nice trying to turn the fact that we are losing cutting edge research to other countries into another abortion is bad thread. Seriously we get it conservatives don't like abortion.
The point being made is that it's a sad day in American when people have to leave it in order to do their work and try to advance our knowledge of ourselves and how the world works.
Crav Veladorn
Darkblade of Tunare
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
- Albert Einstein
This is the climate that ALL scientists are working under in the U.S. at the moment. The squeeze being placed upon folks is making moving overseas VERY financially attractive. Universities in China, for example, are offering top scientists the opportunity to come over, not have to worry about money for ~10-15 year guaranteed, and work on their projects. Only a few are taking them up on it right now, but I foresee a day when it becomes too difficult to ignore the problems here.
Hopefully we realize that such an approach to the future needs to change, or we'll be in dark times.
Crav wrote:This is not the aborted fetus you are looking for....*waves hand*.
Nice trying to turn the fact that we are losing cutting edge research to other countries into another abortion is bad thread. Seriously we get it conservatives don't like abortion.
Did you miss the sarcasm in my reply, or were you responding to the article? I'm not just pro-choice anymore, I'm pro-abortion. Too many stupid fucking people are breeding, and worse VOTING.
"There is at least as much need to curb the cruel greed and arrogance of part of the world of capital, to curb the cruel greed and violence of part of the world of labor, as to check a cruel and unhealthy militarism in international relationships." -Theodore Roosevelt
Sorry just thought you were an anti abortion person with a sense a humor, should have known there is no such thing. Oh well I'll use it in the spirit of the conservative approach to war and call it a pre-emptive strike on any anti-abortion posters!
I still stand by the thought that researchers leaving the U.S. is a bad thing since we also lose them as teachers for future generations as well.
Crav Veladorn
Darkblade of Tunare
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
- Albert Einstein
