Resistance to genetically modified foods, technical difficulties, legal and business obstacles and the ability to develop improved foods without genetic engineering have winnowed the pipeline.
But with genetic screening already happening -- including the ability to select a baby's sex -- the possibility of being able to "design" a baby has never been more real.
Groups such as Greenpeace frighten the public by arguing that genetic modification is dangerous and that companies have overestimated their ability to measure and manage the risks.
After several days, the ball of cells that results contains a blanket of embryonic stem cells endowed with the genetic material of the donor skin cell, which have the ability to generate every cell type from that donor.
Scientists have discovered the genetic secrets of a devastating disease that gradually robs healthy infant girls of their language, mental functioning and ability to interact with others.
Any individual who had a genetic mutation that lightened his or her skin (and eyes) would absorb more sunlight, boosting health and the ability to survive and breed.