The ethics of creating chimeras and other admixed organisms

This paper examines examples of chimeras and other 'admixed organisms,' primarily in the context of biomedical research, and considers the distinctions that are needed in order to gain a clearer scientific, legal, and ethical understanding of what is a complex area. The creation of admixed organisms is proposed for a variety of reasons and raises a range of different ethical, legislative, and regulatory problems. This paper seeks to identify the diversity of issues that are at stake in relation to creating admixed creatures, from pragmatic concerns about safety to fundamental questions of human nature. The key challenge raised in the present paper is to acknowledge this range of concerns and to integrate the different ethical aspects into a coherent vision.