Local life scientists are moving to adopt a code of ethics that would call for respect for life in their research.

The Korea Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology said Friday that it plans to draw up a draft of the ethics code by next month before officially announcing it during a regular academic seminar in October.

The move marks the first time for the private sector to establish such an ethics code since the government legislated a bioethics law in January.

Under the law, local scientists are allowed to conduct research on stem cells extracted from cloned human embryos for the purpose of finding new treatments for rare and incurable diseases, including diabetes, leukemia and Alzheimer's.