The aim of genetic medicine is to help couples have healthy children.

The developing world of genetic medicine is glimpsed on "48 Hours" tonight through lives that have already been changed by it.

But some of the most dramatic advances in genetic medicine have also spawned controversy.

Federal R&D investment spending on genetic medicine and biotechnology has helped lead to the mapping of human genes.

With genetic medicine, Mr. Cetron said, a child born in 2010 could expect to live 120 years.

The Weills' donation will go toward three promising research areas: structural biology, genetic medicine and the neurosciences.

Lisa Belkin, a contributing writer, last wrote for the magazine about genetic medicine in the Amish community.

Each breakthrough in genetic medicine seems to erode a bit more of the tiny allotment of free will that we thought we had.

The setback helps explain why the biotechnology revolution has taken so long: the first waves of people who tried to develop genetic medicines were too research-oriented.

In recent decades, public attention has shifted to newer forms of scientific innovation, Dr. Miller said, including computers, satellite technology and genetic medicine.