Yes, Heather, cows' milk with human proteins in it is a reality. I dug out my press clippings on Herman: New Scientist, 8 May 1993: ...In 1989 Gene Pharming was granted permission to try and create a cow wich carried a modified version of th ehuman gene for lactoferrin...the hopw was originally that the protein would prevent mastitis in cows. However, the company's best endeavours produced not a cow, but Herman. ....Last december, parliament (Dutch) decided to allow Herman to procreate after Gene harming said that its lactoferrin woudl be useful for treating fut infections common in people with cancer. ....Herman de Boer, the head of the company, says one fo the main uses of lactogerrin will be to enrich baby milk, which is clearly not lifesaving. A spokesman for Nutricia, the main Dutch manufacturer of baby milk, says it is not clear whether humgn lactoferrin can helpt to prevent gut infection in babies. It failed to show any benefit in an experiment in which it was added to baby milk powder. ************************ See also: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_600000/600551.stm So, not only is it possible that this could happen, it *is* happening, and it has been going on for a decade. Personally, I am waiting for the far east slave type factory economy to cotton on the the idea and institute 'factories' of virtual slave women who are taken in a few weeks after the births of their babies (the babies left to be bottle raised by relatives) and used to produce human milk with then forms the basis for dried human milk formula. If I thought I had the ability or time to write and SF story, this is the one I would choose. And just because science fiction would be the mode of choice for writing about it does not mean that I think it all that fictional a possiblity. Magda Sachs Breastfeeding Supporter, BfN , UK *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html