I don't believe the fertilised egg can be equated with the sort of human life that you and I represent, or our children represent.

There needs to be clearer communication for the public avout how valuable it [animal testing] is

Nearly all inventions are not recognised for their positive side either when they're made. So, for example, scientists didn't go out to design a CD machine: they designed a laser. But we got all sorts of things from a laser which we never remotely imagined, and we're still finding things for a laser to do.

However pragmatic you are, it is very demanding being a new parent.

My father died when I was nine, but I came from a stable family environment, which I think does contribute to being well-behaved.

Now we have technology where we can modify the genomics of individuals by gene transfer and genetic meddling, we may find that people will want to modify their children, enhance their intelligence, their strength and their beauty and all the other so-called desirable characteristics.

My own field, the prevention of genetic disorders in babies, has been possible only because of humane work on animals.