From genome to genome in the quest to decipher life

The development of biotechnologies, as the contemporary technological progress in general, not always holds in due consideration the interaction between Man, Earth, Animals and Plants. It is necessary, in our opinion, to develop, codify and divulge new ethical conceptions exceeding the economic approach between Man and Nature. If the scientist does not want to reduce his part to that of a simple "technician", he cannot avoid asking questions of social, cultural and ethical nature : each aspect of the sciences (practical or theoretical), in fact, involves the problem of their use by society, of which the researcher is part. A new ethics which faces without dogmatism the problems related to the precarious equilibrium between Man and the other elements of Nature is urgently needed. Today, global bioethics may be able to mediate between opposing ideologies by providing a common ground in health care, earth care and long-term survival: we need a global bioethic that will help the future generations to survive. This book aims at implementing research and education on the ethical problems risen by the ongoing developments in the Life Sciences and Technologies. It is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary work resulting of fundamental and applied reflection on bioethical problems.