The governance of genomics

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Genomics is in the process of introducing a number of fundamental transformations in the practices of modern biology and medicine, in the pharmaceutical industry, and in society and culture. The transformative powers of genomics/post-genomics have created a significant number of interrelated policy challenges, such as in the fields of patenting, genetic testing and genetic information. Today a 'cultural vacuum' seems to exist, which tends to give room for a broad variety of speculations about the meaning and goals of genomics. So far, the new topics of genomics governance have not been taken up adequately in the already operating or emerging institutional structures of policy making. There exists a gap between policy challenges and institutional responses that might lead to growing social opposition against genomics.