Death Threats And Subpoenas: How Congress’ Fetal Research Probe Turned A Tiny Company Upside Down
StemExpress is a small biomedical company based in California, and its work with fetal tissue has catapulted it into the national spotlight.
The Washington Post:
‘We Lose Money Doing This’: Tiny Company Caught In Abortion Debate Takes On Congress
StemExpress, a tiny biomedical company in [Placerville, Calif., a] foothill town east of Sacramento, has emerged at the heart of the contentious national debate over abortion and the scientific use of human fetal tissue. FBI agents say its floor-to-ceiling windows are security hazards, a potential line of sight for snipers. The backdrop of pine trees and hills provides cover, employees say, to strangers who crouch with cameras. Inside, Melanie Rose, a laboratory technician, knows anyone could be watching. One recent May morning, she opened a foam box with fetal tissue packed in ice — a donation for medical research. ... That work, with fetal tissue, has catapulted the small biotech firm out from under the radar. It is now the target of loiterers, protesters and death threats and the subject of a congressional inquiry. (Paquette, 5/27)