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Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Xenotransplantation of Human Stem Cells into the Chicken Embryo
Published on: July 11, 2010
Scientific and public imaginations of xenobiology
Sophie E J van der Vlugt1, Zoë H Robaey2, Jelke J Fros3
1Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 PB, The Netherlands; Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, 6708, PB, The Netherlands; Philosophy group, Wageningen University & Research, 6706 KN, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Increasingly complex biotechnology endeavours, such as creating 'unnatural' life, warrant societal discussions on their applications and embedding. We explore ways in which xenobiologists imagine their work and relate that to public views. Techno-optimist scientific perspectives contrast with more ambivalent societal ones, calling for broader, value-centred debates and collaborative engagement efforts.
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