Library

     Ira Carmen seeks a fusion of experimental biological research and political science research as he explores the important and controversial realm of human genomics. Politics in the Laboratory takes a close look at the ethical, legal, social, constitutional, and political implications of modern biological research. It addresses both biopolicy issues and basic science - including cloning, embryonic stem cell investigations, and experimentation involving the human germline - from the perspective of a political scientist....
    

Carmen introduces the concept of sociogenomics, a study of how DNA influences our species's behavior. He constructs new paradigms for political science steeped in a biological understanding of the human species, and for genetic experimentation with checks and balances tempered by the wisdom and nuance of political science. Only in this climate can scientific progress continue the quest for understanding, while avoiding maladaptive consequences.
     Ira H. Carmen is professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From 1990 to 1994 he served as a member of the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee, the federal governmental agency that regulates genetic engineering experiments in the United States. He is the author of Cloning and the Constitution, also published by the University of Wisconsin Press, and of Movies, Censorship, and the Law.
     "Political scientist Ira Carmen also has a solid knowledge of genetics and makes good use of his experience on national committees on DNA manipulation and cell cloning. Carmen doesn't hesitate to take on the biggest questions and offer strong opinions on all of them. This is a book of controversial ideas, but that's what university presses are for." - James F. Crow, University of Wisconsin-Madison, author of Genetics Notes and editor of Perspectives on Genetics.
     "Carmen's Politics in the Laboratory is a thoughtful, intriguing, and provocative analysis that should be widely read by decision-makers, biopolicy analysts, biologists, and social scientists - especially political scientists." - Gary R. Johnson, former editor of Politics and the Life Sciences.

xi Preface
xv Abbreviations
3 Political Science, Constitutional Politics, Genomics
3 A. The Strange World of Political Science
10 B. Bioconstitutional Politics
16 C. From Genetics to Genomics
30 Conducting Genome Research
30 A. Watson at the Podium
47 B. The Battle of the Orchestras: Collins vs. Venter
64 C. The Constitution of the Competition:
An ELSPI Summing Up
72 Cloning
72 A. Disaggregating the Genomics 72 Paradigm
75 B. Sexual Reproduction and Genetic Ideology
81 C. Assisted Sexual Creation of Embryos
93 D. Dolly and Her ELSPI Progeny
127 E. The Constitution of Forbidden Biological Knowledge
130 Germline
130 A. Establishing a Regulatory Mentality
134 B. The Early RAC Years
138 C. Somatic Cell Gene Therapy
151 D. Enhancing the Genome
165 Sociogenomics
166 A. Disease Genes
177 B. Personality Genes
185 C. Cognition Genes
192 D. Criminality Genes
196 E. Political Genes?
208 Consilience
209 A. Sociobiology and Beyond
225 B. Biopolitics
243 C. A Teaching Constitution for Human Genomics

251 Notes
285 Bibliography
309 Notes