" Some scientists fear that the opinion could also prompt European countries to tighten their legislation on such research, or ban it altogether. "

" The lengthy legal debate was sparked by Brüstle's 1991 patent of a technique to generate nerve cells from established human embryonic-stem-cell lines. The environmental group Greenpeace, based in Amsterdam, challenged the patent in 2004, arguing that the destruction of human embryos involved in deriving the cell lines was "contrary to public order" and breached guidelines set out in the European Patent Convention. "

" Judge Yves Bot, the case's adjudicator, concluded on 10 March that even if they do not involve the direct destruction of embryos, techniques involving human embryonic-stem-cell lines are not patentable because they are tantamount to making industrial use of human embryos, which "would be contrary to ethics and public policy". "

"Berlin is to increase the current allocation of 5 million euros to just under 10 million euros,... "Over the next few years Germany must be a motor in adult stem cell research so that we can expand on the results already obtained," [Schavan] added."

"In meetings in Berlin last week, representatives of the Hadassah Medical Organization and Charite University Hospital in Berlin set the stage for an academic exchange on stem cell research, as well as for a joint seminar on the subject,"