Here’s the section (whole speech transcript), which also includes mentions of cloning and intellectual property:
On matters of life and science, we must trust in the innovative spirit of medical researchers and empower them to discover new treatments while respecting moral boundaries. In November, we witnessed a landmark achievement when scientists discovered a way to reprogram adult skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells. This breakthrough has the potential to move us beyond the divisive debates of the past by extending the frontiers of medicine without the destruction of human life. (Applause.)
So we’re expanding funding for this type of ethical medical research. And as we explore promising avenues of research, we must also ensure that all life is treated with the dignity it deserves. And so I call on Congress to pass legislation that bans unethical practices such as the buying, selling, patenting, or cloning of human life. (Applause.)
The president’s comments about expanding funding for research on induced pluripotent stem cells aren’t surprising. Back in November, an official from NIH’s Stem Cell Task Force was quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle saying that the agency would “be quite enthusiastic” about funding iPS cell research.
The president’s call to ban “the buying, selling, patenting, or cloning of human life” also isn’t too surprising, but the intellectual property part of that statement is a little vague. Was he referring to patenting the entire genome of an individual person? Because if he was just talking about parts of the human genome, we’re already pretty far down that road.
-Greg Dahlmann