The authors discuss the wider social and ethical consequences of recent developments in bioinformatics, ''DNA fingerprinting'', genetic screening, health and insurance and the patenting of life forms. They appraise the ethics of human genome research, including research conducted under the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP) - one type of human genome research which specifically addresses the concept of genetic variation, albeit in a form which conceives genetic difference as being of more significance between races than within them. They conclude that international law must address the new ''comparative advantages'', which are being created by the trade in genetic material and the recent developments in intellectual property rights over life forms.