New genetic technologies cut across a range of public regulatory domains and private lifeworlds, often appearing to generate an institutional void in response to the complex challenges they pose. As a result, a number of new social formations are being developed to legitimate public engagement and avoid the perceived democratic deficit that may result. Papers in this volume discuss a variety of these novel manifestations including genetic data banks, committees of inquiry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and national research laboratories, in global context. These institutions, across...