FETAL-CELL-DIAGNOSTICS does not pass: 30 YES to 2 NO

[BIOSCI Administrator]

I am sorry to have to report that the proposal to create
FETAL-CELL-DIAGNOSTICS/bionet.diagnostics.fetal-cell did not gain the
required 80 votes and did not pass.  The vote was only 30 YES to 2 NO.

Under our regulations this proposal can not be brought before the
voters again for at least three months.  It appears that the proposers
need to do some leg work in light of the extremely small response.

				Sincerely,

				Dave Kristofferson
				BIOSCI/bionet Manager

				biosci-help at net.bio.net

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposal to etablish FETAL-CELL-DIAGNOSTICS/bionet.diagnostics.fetal-cell

Proposed USENET name:       bionet.diagnostics.fetal-cell

Proposed mailing list name: FETAL-CELL-DIAGNOSTICS

Proposed e-mail addressess: fetldiag at net.bio.net
                            fetldiag at daresbury.ac.uk

Discussion leaders:         Aneal Chandra
                            chandra at cardiff.ac.uk

                            David Miller
                            davidm at pathology.leeds.ac.uk


Newsgroup Charter:

Cytogenetic testing is a relatively common procedure during pregnancy
to examine the health of the fetus. At the present time, amniocentesis
is often used to obtain fetal cells for the testing. Because 
amniocentesis is an expensive, invasive and therefore potentially 
harmful procedure to the fetus, alternative procedures are 
being sought.

Clearly, a small number of fetal cells cross the placental barrier 
and enter the maternal circulation during a normal pregnancy. If 
these cells have nuclei, they contain the genetic material of the 
fetus suitable for analysis. However, routine separation and 
identification of these rare nucleated fetal cells represents a 
considerable technical problem and several approaches are currently 
under evaluation.

bionet.diagnostics.fetal-cell will be of potential benefit to all
within this dynamic field. It is intended to provide an easy access
environment facilitating

* rapid exchange of technical information between researchers in 
fetal cell diagnostics

* co-operation between clinical laboratories, research biologists 
and instrument designers permitting the technological refinements 
necessary for the successful implementation of routine non-invasive 
procedures

* discussion of the logistical and social impact of new technology 
in prenatal diagnosis

Subscribers are welcome from academic and commercial institutions 
including, but not limited to, developmental biology, genetics, 
haematology, pathology, immunology, cell biology, etc. 
Contributions within the functions outlined above are encouraged. 
The newsgroup is expected to run in an unmoderated fashion and we 
are willing to act as current coordinators.

Aneal Chandra
Scientist, Cytogentics Unit for Wales, UK

David Miller   
Lecturer, Institute of Pathology, Leeds, UK
----------------------------------------------------------------------