Netherlands

THE NETHERLANDS HAS a long history of work in developmental biology, from the collection of embryonic material from a variety of species by Ambrosius Hubrecht, dating from the late 1800s, to the study of embryos by Peter Nieuwkoop and continuing with Christine Mummery's work in the 1980s of using mouse embryonic stem cells to study control of growth and differentiation in early development, and moving into human embryonic stem cells. Current stem cell research is able to progress because of government support, with appropriate legislation and funding, strong scientific research foundation, public support of biomédical research, and international cooperative relationships and partnerships.

The September 1, 2002, Embryo Act allows for research on fertilized eggs and provides rules for the creation and treatment of embryos related to ...