This book charts the social and cultural history of the scientific technique known as 'tissue culture'. It shows how tissue culture was a regular public presence in twentieth-century Britain, and argues that history can contribute to current debates surrounding research on human and animal tissue.
"This is a widely significant and ambitious volume notwithstanding
its small size and seemingly esoteric subject matter...The book joins a small but
important literature that deals with the space shared
between laboratory scientists with their disciplinary
concerns and the wider public sphere." - Robert Budd, American Historical Review
its small size and seemingly esoteric subject matter...The book joins a small but
important literature that deals with the space shared
between laboratory scientists with their disciplinary
concerns and the wider public sphere." - Robert Budd, American Historical Review
'Duncan Wilson's monograph offers a fascinating insight into the cultural history of tissue culture...For all of us who are interested in today's controversies about the scientific and medical use of the human body, there is no doubt that Wilson's book is a must read.' -David Reubi, University of Sussex, Social History of Medicine '...Tissue Culture in Science and Society is a welcome addition to the critical-historical literature on life in vitro. Well crafter and a pleasure to read, it is accessible to non-specialists while placing itself clear within the scholarly literature. Above all, Wilson is to be congratulated for direct and sustained engagement with issues in current policy, while sensitively breaking new historical ground.' - Dmitriy Myelnikov, University of Cambridge, British Journal of Historical Science