A crisis of trust: for science, scientists or for institutions?

Stem cell research, xenotransplantation and somatic and germ line gene therapy are examples of emerging technologies that, if successful will forever change the way we live. But how well does the pubic understand the benefits and risks of these technologies, and whose responsibility is it to communicate them? Here, Erik Millstone and Patrick van Zwanenberg of the University of Sussex, UK, discuss whether science is suffering because of a lack of transparence in presenting scientific information to its main consumer group-the general public.