New spaces of biological commodification: The dynamics of trade in genetic resources and 'bioinformation'

The genetic revolution is transforming agriculture and medicine, creating markets for genetic materials of both human and non-human origin that might form the basis of new proprietary products. In this paper I outline how these biological materials are combined with specialised scientific knowledge to create engineered artefacts - cell lines, tissue samples, sequenced DNA - that are now commodified and traded internationally as part of the new global resource economy in 'bioinformation'. In so doing I place particular emphasis on the role that spatial relations have played in shaping the organisation and operation of this new scientific and industrial enterprise.