From synthetic growth hormones to genetic therapies for inherited diseases, biotechnology offers not only tremendous opportunities but also incalculable risks. Nowhere are the challenges and impacts posed by this emerging science more keenly felt than in Latin America, where vast and varied genetic material has already drawn the attention of transnational corporations. This book examines this perilous situation, shedding light on how biotechnology can be made to serve developing nations rather than provide yet another route for exploitation by first-world industry.