"Is Life an Invention?"

Thursday 16 April 1998, 7.30-9.30 p.m.

Senate Room, Edinburgh University Old College

According to a proposed EC directive, you can patent almost anything biological. For one biotechnology company, even a human gene becomes a patentable invention if it takes intellectual effort to discover it. For religious and environmental groups, such i deas turn nature into a commodity and infringe public ethical values. Who's right? Come and discuss one of today's sharpest controversies in biotechnology.

Tom Wilkie

Head of Bioethics for the Wellcome Trust
Former science correspondent of The Independent newspaper

chairs a debate about patenting biotechnological inventions

Speakers include
Dr Donald Bruce, Society, Religion and Technology Project,
Dr Graham Laurie, Edinburgh University Law department,
Dr Paul Whiting, Merck, Sharp and Dohme, pharmaceutcial industry

Further information from Society, Religion and Technology Project, 0131-240 2250

Tickets available ..... after March 2