Animals as Biotechnology

Richard Twine is a Senior Research Associate at Cesagen (ESRC Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics), Lancaster University, UK.

'Twine's Animals as Biotechnology adds a much needed perspective to debates surrounding animal life, ethics, capitalism, and emerging animal biotechnologies. Combining cutting-edge interdisciplinary frameworks from critical animal studies with in-depth analyses of the economics and science behind the increasing commodification and production of animals for human consumption, Twine makes a compelling case for the development of a more generous, less anthropocentric approach in our myriad relations with the other-than-human world.' – Dr. Matthew Calarco, Associate Professor of Philosophy, California State University at Fullerton, USA - Author of 'Zoographies: The Question of the Animal from Heidegger to Derrida''Richard Twine weaves deftly between 'molecularisation' of animals in biotechnology and growing sensibilities about human-animal relationships. Tensions between these opposing strands raise many questions about what animal science can promise, and - importantly - about implications for sustainability and how we treat other animals who share this earth. Rethinking relationships with other animals is critical for all our futures.' – Professor Lynda Birke, University of Chester, UK and author of 'Feminism, Animals and Science: The Naming of the Shrew' and 'Feminism and the Biological Body''Twine's book is an excellent addition to both bioethics and animal studies. He is able effectively to synthesize and constructively critique two complex disciplines, while at the same time keeping an emphasis on the living animals themselves. This book is essential for anyone working in the fields of animal studies, bioethics, and science and technology studies, as well as for graduate-level courses in these areas' – Dr. Julie Urbanik, Society & Animals'Its combination of breadth and proficiency with technical developments makes it a valuable resource for those seeking to stay abreast with developments in the field, both ethical and technological. (It) offers a sophisticated analysis of a range of complex technical issues and would be valuable to those teaching and studying bioethics, animal studies or environmental studies, as well as those interested in the intersection of agriculture and political economy' – Jay (Koby) Oppenheim, Food, Culture & Society'Impressively erudite and impeccably researched, the book marks a major contribution to debates on animal biotechnology, climate change, and critical animal studies. The book triumphantly addresses the critique of the humanities as irrelevant and isolated from practical matters by attending to the hard scientific issues so many scholars in the humanities lack the training to properly engage. Its success is double, then, because more than offering a critique of scientific practices from a posthumanist perspective, for scientists in these fields the book lucidly presents the full scope of the ethical issues that surround their work - and, perhaps more importantly, offers an ethical framework for the future' – Chris Washington, Miami University (Ohio), Journal for Critical Animal Studies 'Undoubtedly, Animals as Biotechnology is an impressive piece of research, the winner of the Institute for Critical Animal Studies 2011 book of the year and a stinging critique of meat production practices' – John Miller, Green Letters

• Introduction: From the Sciences of Meat to Critical Animal Studies Part I: The Animal and the Ethical1. Undomesticating the Ethical 2. Toward a Critical Bioethics 3. Thinking across Species in the Ethics of 'Enhancement' Part II: Capitalizing on Animals4. Animal Biotechnology and Regulation 5. Biopower and the Biotechnological Framing of the Animal Body 6. Capitalizing on the Molecular Animal: Beyond Limits? Part III: Capturing Sustainability in the Genome7. Mobilizing the Promise of Sustainability 8. Searching for the 'Win-Win'? Animal Genomics and 'Welfare'Conclusion: From the 'Livestock' 'Revolution' to a Revolution in Human/Animal Relations