Thanks for the link to the bio on the new Stowers researcher.

The Stowers, as I understand it, are both cancer survivors and are interested enough in this cutting edge medical research that they are putting their money where there mouths are. I read where they contributed $1 million to help pass the legislation that California adopted to facilitate stem cell research.

Here is a link to their site:

http://www.stowers-institute.org/default.asp

http://www.nature.com/gt/journal/v9/n11/pdf/3301744a.pdf

I plan to write my Representative and ask her to oppose anything that would marginalize Kansas.

Marginalize Landwehr, not Kansas! [new bumper sticker]

Again, I wonder the apparent conflict between the funding for a statewide bioscience initiative and these particular bills, which seemingly attempt to cut off one area of the scientific research determined by the legislature to be deserving of funding. While there is much which can be done with plants, cattle, etc. in the area of bioscience, it seems to me there is much more than that within the bioscience community which is of interest; and even though these other areas might well not be ESC research, the mere existence of any statutes as are contemplated by the bills introduced would seemingly inhibit the same. From my limited exposure to “pure scientific research”, it is often difficult if not impossible to predict where it leads.

I could spin some hypotheticals here, but I am of the opinion that “human cloning” or “cloning”, e.g., can be more narrowly defined than what these bills provide, as I believe most if not all of us are against human cloning as we, as lay folks, understand the term, viz., making a carbon copy of an individual through cellular manipulation.

I bet brenda is specifically targeting me in this nuttia bill.

hehehehehehehehhehehehehehehhehehee

PIG snort here just for sanford…..

Howling, really.

OF COURSE!!! That is the problem right there!!!

With bonbon gone, I bet brenda’s wingnuttia work has doubled.

She’s gotta carry the stew-pud load for both of them now.

OMG. I just should have known. If it is brenda law, it has about the same credibility as Burt Reynolds and the boys’ “manlaw”.

OF COURSE brenda would be the wingnut behind the wheel here.

Jesus wept…..

And as you know, I’m big on ESC research. Thanks for doing the reading, my state rep (a republican) has always voted in favor of this research, thank God.

If the president of the US is stupid enough to veto a bill that allows funding for research done ONLY with left-over embryos destined to be thrown away and then his bots are even more stupid and offer praise to this wondrous man for protecting life, it shouldn’t be any problem for the state of Kansas to go even further with their limitations. We have some easily fooled among us.

Forget about progress. We’re protecting life. Yeah, buddy.

I still like my nic, Tracy. Maybe I should just change it.

If the president of the US is stupid enough to veto a bill that allows funding for research done ONLY with left-over embryos destined to be thrown away and then his bots are even more stupid and offer praise to this wondrous man for protecting life, it shouldn’t be any problem for the state of Kansas to go even further with their limitations. We have some easily fooled among us.

Forget about progress. We’re protecting life. Yeah, buddy.

I still like my nic, Tracy. Maybe I should just change it.

The Stowers Institute in KC, MO has funded two young scientists (both originally from the plains states; one from right here in Wichita) to the tune of about $10 million for the next four years. Both men are at Harvard conducting embryonic stem cell research as Stowers Investigators. They hope to bring these two scientists to their facilities in KC by the end of those four years. And yes, they will need grad students, etc. (thus the KU connection). Of course Missouri just very narrowly passed a stem cell initiative last fall and opponents are going to fight it so the political atmosphere isn’t yet settled.

I just think legislators are crooked and corrupt enough to pass laws that have a different agenda than what is said out loud. Of course, they could also be dumb enough to think “Next” is a true story…

Here’s our Wichita guy:http://www.massgeneral.org/news/releases/062306stowers.html

For the Republicans I’m amazed I have to point this out. The Island of Dr. Moreau is a work of fiction, it isn’t real. Start doing something constructive. Is there something in the Republican party platform which requires them to make Kansas look moronic?

Wondering if there isn’t something antithetical to the biotech initiative for which funding is being furnished and some of the contents of the various bills SD has helpfully linked.

http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2008/2403.pdf

http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2008/2098.pdf

These two bills are related to human cloning:

http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2008/2252.pdf

http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2008/2255.pdf

LindainKS, I believe you have access to knowledge about stem cell research. I would be interested in knowing what your sources would say, if anything, about this proposed legislation.

“Clone wars continue

“Chairwoman Brenda Landwehr hopes to have the House Health and Human Services Committee vote this week on a bill setting out the legal definitions for 31 terms related to cloning and embryonic stem cell research.

“Landwehr, R-Wichita, supports the measure, as do critics of human cloning and embryonic stem cell research.

“The biosciences industry contends the measure would “marginalize Kansas” as it attempts to nurture companies and research.

“Some of the bill’s definitions are likely to inspire controversy. For example, it says a “cloned embryo” is created from a process known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, which some researchers don’t view as cloning.

“However, the measure wouldn’t impose any restrictions on research or limit what research state dollars can finance.

“Landwehr said the bill is about people using consistent definitions to avoid confusion if legislators debate such restrictions.

“Meanwhile, 39 House members, led by Rep. Forrest Knox, R-Altoona, introduced a bill that would make it a felony to create animal-human hybrids.”

I think this is a backdoor method of limiting stem cell research in Kansas as LindainKS wondered. This would be an unfortunate thing. There is a basic research company in Kansas City, MO (I am pretty sure) & I think KU had hopes of attracting such research business to our side of the state line. Maybe the city of Lawrence can pass an ordinance exmpting themselves from this state law…

Landwehr is a really out of step social conservative who was nearly defeated by an unknown, and somewhat strange, democratic opponent. I think redefining her legislative post makes more sense that these definitions she’s proposing.

I’ll see if I can find a link to the bill itself.

It would appear that none of you psuedo intellectuals picked up that little connection? Then again a good chunk of the posters here probably think that Chrichton’s “Jurrassic Park” was non fiction and detailed what happens when we start messing around with stem cells and DNA.

And yes, TRACY, there are ethical issues out there which should be addressed.