Introduction
Today, in laboratories all over the world, genetically engineered mice are being produced and used for biomedical research. In addition to the thousands of mouse models that mimic human diseases, biotechnologists have created mice that are smarter, stronger and live longer than ordinary mice. The question seems to be not if but rather when these technologies will be applied to human beings. Every form of human biotechnology, such as gene therapy or genetic enhancement, will be developed and tested first in mice. The mouse is the key actor in the biotech revolution. But, somehow, philosophers of technology and science seem to have overlooked this tiny creature.
In Biotech Pioneers, Ellen ter Gast explores the hopes and fears that underlie the biotech revolution by presenting its protagonist the mouse as a monster, a hero, a Messiah, a living artefact and, last but not least, a pitiful lab animal. Philosophically speaking, it is a highly ambiguous animal that happened to become ‘the right organism for the job’ because of its unique genetic properties.