Seeks to identify and explore important ethical, legal, and policy issues associated with the challenges resulting from developments in biotechnology and the life sciences. Considers the ways in which existing legal approaches and instruments dealing with such critical issues as genetic discrimination, intellectual property rights in biotechnology, regulating new reproductive technologies, drug development, informed consent, responsible conduct of research, forensic uses of DNA, and privacy have been thrown into question. Examines how these developments are reconstituting concepts of legal rights and obligations of people in relation to their governing institutions. Focuses particularly on human genetics.