The Hybrid Vigor Institute is pleased to announce the publication of the first Hybrid Vigor Journal. This interdisciplinary monograph is an overview of current thinking about risk and governance in the context of developments in genomic biology. The Journal was written by Hybrid Vigor's founder and executive director, Denise Caruso.

" Risk As Continuum: A Redefinition Of Risk For Governing The Post-Genome World," was jointly published by the Institute's Health Determinants and Earth Systems program areas. The full text can be found in the Publications zone at hybridvigor.net. A brief excerpt from the executive summary is below:

"The scientific achievements of the past 30 years in molecular biology have produced an unprecedented volume of genetic material, information and experimental activity. The post-genome age began its gestation with the creation of recombinant DNA technology in 1972, which for the first time allowed genes from one organism to be inserted into another, and "officially" arrived in February 2001 with the completion of the historic sequencing of the human genome.

"During that 30-year period, the products of genomic biology writ large have gradually become an integral part of the Zeitgeist - genes themselves and their various components, genetically modified and engineered organisms in drugs and food, databases filled with the genetic identities of millions of people, ever-cheaper and more powerful technology to deconstruct and analyze these tiny, potent strands of identity. Not only do these stand to permanently alter our notions of human autonomy, the natural environment and health but, perhaps most fundamentally, they force us to reconsider our definition and perception of public risk.

"Protecting the public from undue risk is the job of governance. The degree to which the scientific risks posed by the products of genomic biology are still largely unknown - and the social and cultural risks mostly unacknowledged - has magnified many of the shortcomings of present-day government oversight, laws and regulations in areas where science and technology meet public interest. At the heart of these shortcomings is the fact that the post-genome world lacks a transparent framework for risk and its regulation that includes the input of all knowledgeable stakeholders affected by these decisions, while simultaneously encouraging responsible technological and economic development."

Caruso is the former technology columnist for The New York Times.