Ending an almost decade-long battle between the scientific community and the White House, President Barack Obama announced yesterday that he would lift federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, much to delight of University researchers and Michigan politicians alike.

The announcement reversed a 2007 executive order and 2001 presidential statement from then-President Bush that limited research opportunities and funding for scientists working with embryonic stem cells.

At the White House yesterday, Obama promised that the science policy put forth by his administration would not be "distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda" and would restore “scientific integrity to government decision-making."

"Promoting science isn't just about providing resources, it is also about protecting free and open inquiry," Obama said.

For Sean Morrison, the director of the University’s Center for Stem Cell Biology, and other University researchers, yesterday symbolized the end of a nearly eight-year battle to get the federal ban overturned.

“This is a great day for America, and a great day for science, and a great day for the University of Michigan,” Morrison said.

He said Obama’s decision to repeal then-President Bush’s restrictions will have an enormous impact on science and medicine.

“He made the point that in his administration, there will be an open and honest discussion of the science underlining their decisions, and that science policy will be based on science and not based on ideology,” he said.

Congressman John D. Dingell (D - Dearborn), whose district includes part of Ann Arbor, wrote in a press release that Obama’s decision can only spur positive results, especially for the University community.

“Our scientists at the University of Michigan are on the cusp of remarkable breakthroughs in the area of stem cell research,” he wrote. “Much of this research has been done despite incredible restrictions at both the state and local levels hampering their work for many years.”

He said that with last November’s passage of Proposal 2, which loosened restrictions on embryonic stem cell research in the state, Michigan voters started a process that took the “handcuffs off” stem cell researchers.

“Today’s executive order will hopefully pave the way for additional federal resources to support the important work already being done in Michigan,” he said.

LSA senior Landon Krantz, president of the University’s chapter of the Student Society for Stem Cell Research, said he felt relieved after the announcement yesterday because it meant the group’s efforts to overturn the ban were worth it.

But, he added, the real work of discovering cures has just begun.

“It’s great that we’re finally here, but there’s a lot left to be done, and people should know that cures aren’t going to be here tomorrow,” Krantz said. “We’re eight years behind other countries in the world, but it’s finally time the United States can get on board with the rest of the world in finding cures with stem cell research.”

After hearing about yesterday’s announcement, Zachary Stangebye, vice president of the University’s chapter of Students for Life, wrote in an e-mail statement that the government shouldn’t “condone this kind of research, let alone fund it.”

“Whether the embryos will be adopted or even discarded is irrelevant; we must not kill them,” he wrote. “Our government was correct in refusing to fund such barbaric research, and the recent repeal of the ban is highly unethical.”

Stangebye also wrote that his organization is not “anti-science,” and supports what they consider to be “ethical practices of science and support research for cures that could save lives.”

He added: “But we must not pursue such serendipitous research at the cost of human lives.”

Obama’s announcement was given on the same day that the University officially declared the opening of the new A.