The issue is mapping and the studies are really related to human
activity and complex societies. And that will be a hard sell. Beyond
that is wishful thinking, because the money is not there to cut and
paste honeybees.

The same thing has been done with the fruit fly with little outcry. They
are used to find out what specific areas do what. Since most sequences
are common across most every living thing, it gives insight as to what
does what in our own genetic makeup.

There have been direct and beneficial results from the human gnome
project in identifying differences which lead to genetic "diseases". The
next project is mapping proteins since that is where all the real
benefits will accrue. And it is where all the research money is going.

You need genetic mapping to know what the proteins have to change. They
are the specs we need to understand how the system works. Now we are
developing the tools needed to change the system, for good or bad.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine