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Who Is My Donor? A New Bioeconomy of Blood and Its Changing Ontology

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Bioeconomies

Abstract

The Novosang project is developing a process for growing cultured red blood cells (cRBCs) in the laboratory from stem cells for the purpose of transfusion . King draws on interviews and focus groups to discuss public attitudes in relation to the changing bioeconomy around blood products, especially in light of the changing ontology of blood as it moves from an altruistic donation model to a commercialized one. The altruistic donation system in the UK appears to mask the true costs associated with procuring and delivering RBC transfusions. Participants desire cRBCs to retain the same ontology as donated RBCs in being distributed by the NHS or research funders rather than commercial producers; however, participants construct a commercial imperative for cRBCs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NMAHP-RU, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK

    Emma King

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  1. Emma King
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Public Goods and Policies (IPP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain

    Vincenzo Pavone

  2. Kukupa Research Ltd, Pigeon Bay, Germany

    Joanna Goven

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King, E. (2017). Who Is My Donor? A New Bioeconomy of Blood and Its Changing Ontology. In: Pavone, V., Goven, J. (eds) Bioeconomies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55651-2_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55651-2_13

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-55650-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-55651-2

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