Why is federal funding so important? Aren private companies allowed to do embryonic stem cell research?
Private companies are certainly doing research using embryonic stem cell lines that are not part of the restricted lines. The cost of doing basic research is significant, however. Historically in the United States the government (via the National Institutes of Health, for instance) takes on the task of doing basic research, and private industry tends to bring the results of basic research to fruition in the form of therapies for patients. Basic research is very expensive, time-consuming, and has no guaranteed payoff. It is more reasonably handled by government-funded activity. In addition, companies that currently want to perform embryonic stem cell research have become split as some research they do may involve federal funding and the restricted lines, while other research may involve private money and other stem cells. The labs and all associated activity have become fractured (with significant waste and duplication of equipment and activity) since the activities must remain complete
