SEPTEMBER 27, 2011 (ALEXANDRIA, VA) -- Filmakers Library, an imprint of Alexander Street Press, announces the addition of Body Corporate: Who Owns Your Genes? to its catalog of video titles.

In Body Corporate, Australian reporter Andrew Fowler takes a closer look at the controversy surrounding the rights to genes in both the United States and Australia, attempting to answer one question: should we allow individuals and corporations to patent genes?

Taking an investigative journalism approach, Fowler examines the current legal battles surrounding gene patents and introduces viewers to families affected by patents that are currently in place for genes linked to heath issues such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, epilepsy and long QT syndrome; a heart condition that, at its most devastating form, causes the heart to beat too quickly.

“This film is both informative and, at times, heart wrenching,” explains Linda Gottesman, Co-founder of Filmakers Library. “Scientific scholars will surely benefit from the information provided through interviews, but the stories told by families help to put everything in perspective no matter what side of the debate you are on.”

Featuring interviews with top genetics researchers, including Dr. Wendy K. Chung of Columbia University, Dr. Sean Grimmond of the University of Queensland and Dr. Mark Skolnick, founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Myriad Genetics, “the high stakes battle over who owns your genes” is played out in this film by ABC Australia.

Body Corporate is currently available for purchase on DVD. Starting in mid-October, this title will be available online in streaming video through Alexander Street’s Academic Video Online Store at http://academicvideostore.com, and as part of Alexander Street’s Filmakers Library Online collection.

A preview of this video can be found on the Alexander Street Press YouTube channel. For more information on Body Corporate: Who Owns Your Genes? or to order the DVD, visit http://www.alexanderstreet.com/filmakers.htm. Qualified faculty and library staff may request trial access and pricing information for Filmakers Library Online by emailing sales [at] alexanderstreet [dot] com ( sales [at] alexanderstreet [dot] com).

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About Alexander Street Press
Alexander Street Press is an electronic publisher of award-winning online collections for scholarly research, teaching, and learning. Our products are available to libraries and educational institutions worldwide via annual subscription or one-time purchase. Learn more at http://www.alexanderstreet.com/

Contact for Media Inquiries / Reviewer Access:
Audrey DeGregorio, Marketing Communications Associate
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