It's not clear it's going to work in human embryos. And in order to determine that we'll have to actually do the research on human embryos and likely destroy some in the process.

The National Academy of Sciences guidelines for stem cell research prohibits payment to egg donors, and scientists in the U.S. have embraced those principles. There is a right way and a wrong way, and we must be sure to perform this vitally important medical research the right way.

I value the contributions Ron made to the Insurance Commission during his 25 year tenure. After he joined the Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association, he also did a fantastic job in that capacity.

This relies on generating an embryo and destroying the embryo to remove the stem cells. Some people in our society believe that would be wrong.

Is being driven by the realities of federal funding and the political climate in the United States.

A process that dooms an otherwise normal embryo to later demise.

I'm just getting killed about it. I'm the messenger, and I'm the one they shoot.

They demonstrate that you can isolate the equivalent embryonic stem cells by alternative methods that may not raise the ethical questions.

Jim Hood and I wish to help the people on the Coast. We're just going about it in different ways.

I would say they also raise more questions than answers.

California could become the global center for stem cell research with that kind of investment and the talent that's there. But within Harvard alone, we have as many outstanding scientists as arguably all of California. I think many of us are envious of the resources in California, but we're doing our best to organize and effort around somewhat more modest funding.

A huge chance to do pioneering high-risk research.