Top 5 most controversial research projects by Chinese scientists
Scientific ethics is a relatively new issue in China. In the past, most Chinese researchers were merely following in the footsteps of their contemporaries overseas, but now they have caught up and, facing the frontier of the unknown, must make their own judgements on thorny ethical issues that are often further complicated by cultural, religious or commercial conflicts.
Listed below are some of the spikiest topics currently being discussed in research communities throughout mainland China. Individual teams are not singled out because the government has funded more than one institution for each of these areas, and many of the scientists involved would only speak on condition of anonymity.
Creating new viruses
Many laboratories in mainland China are using cutting edge technology to develop viral strains that do not exist in nature. These manmade mutants, hybrids or crossbreeds can help scientists to better understand the evolution of certain viruses and their deadliness. Consequences if such infectious agents made it out of the lab however could potentially be severe.