In this comparative study of the development of regulatory policy for genetic engineering in the United States and the United Kingdom, the author analyzes government responses to the struggles among corporations, scientists, universities, trade unions and public-interest groups over regulating this new field. Drawing on archival materials, government records and interviews with industry executives, politicians, scientists, trade unionists and others on both sides of the Atlantic, this book provides an account of a crucial set of policy decisions and explores their implications for the political economy of science.