We've seen Virgin Galactic's spaceplane which is planned to be fully-operational come 2008, and now that everything is going as planned, Richard Branson is now ready to dabble on other projects. He recently announced that he is trying his hands on the world of stem cells (which could be harvested from amniotic fluid). And you thought offering space flights is a controversial business, huh?

This February 1, a Virgin-branded cold-storage operation will be launched. Parents can store their newborn's umbilical cord and placental blood - both of these are very rich in the type of stem cells that are unlikely to be rejected by the body. Stem cell transplants are currently being used to treat leukemia but stem cell treatment trials are underway for people who suffer cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and heart problems.

No info has been revealed yet as to how much you'd have to shell out for Richard Branson to store your offspring's umbilical cord and placental blood. But in the UK, a similar service would cost roughly £1,500 for collection of the blood and about £100 a year for cold storage.