Ignorance of genetics 'extensive'

(First Edition)

PEOPLE feel ignorant about genetic engineering and are worried about the ethics of swapping genes between animals, plants and microbes, according to a three-year survey of 1,500 men and women, writes Steve Connor.

Most people questioned by scientists at the Institute of Food Research in Reading investigating public attitudes to new developments in genetics said that they knew next to nothing about the technology and, despite their ethical worries, felt they have little control over its use in society.

The public is most concerned about the use of genetic engineering on animals, with nearly 6 out of 10 expressing fears about the health and welfare of the animals.

A parallel Birmingham University survey of 188 pupils aged 14 to 15 at six Midlands schools found the level of knowledge about genetic engineering patchy, inaccurate and non-existent in some cases.