BIOTECNOLOGIE: PROSPETTIVE E INNOVAZIONI PER LA SALUTE DELL'UOMO

Abstract The advent of the modern biotechnologies represents the most recent scientific revolution, whose impact on the global sociallevel might striking improve the well-being of the world population. The actual potential of the biotechnologies to ameliorate life standards is strictly dependent on the development of a calibrate regulation, aiming at safety without slowing the production and commercialisation steps. In this study a pie- ture of the recent law directives on biotechnologies is presented, where beside the European model, the American one is pointed out. An overall view over some scientific aspects of the biotechnologies is followed by explo- ring the most prominent application fields. The regulation is acting mostly through rules underlying patents and intellectual property right (IPR). Of crucial importance is the continuos connection with the consumers opinion ad confidence. The identification of the risks associated to biotechnologies is the basis for ruIes con- cerning the containment of their products and controlling the introduction into the environment of genetic modified organisms (OMOs). In the last section of the study, the most relevap: differences among several national polities of regula- tion are highlighted. The European models are compared with the American one, in which the law is directed toward the products, instead of the way by which those products are obtained. The final expectancy for the biotechnologies is that, together with the new information and communica- tion technologies, they could drive a global social improvement, contributing to balance the quality of life among countries with different richness degree.