is it that silly an idea to capture a xeno?

Are you working for Weyland Yutani?

The risks far outweigh the *potential* benefits. I get what you're saying, but that's how people end up dead as Milburn.............. By screwing with things they have no understanding of. He should have observed that Hammerpede before trying to pet it............... Long answer short, yes, it's an absolutely idiotic idea to even THINK about trying to capture those things. Shoot first, avoid the holes in the floor (and walls, and ceilings etc. etc.) later.

Game over, man, game over! I just can't fathom a way to contain those things long enough to test them. Give 'em an inch, and they'll take a mile (and the whole containment crew). As for alien-GMO food/animals, ack! People already have issues with GMO food, I couldn't imagine browsing the produce aisle and seeing alien-GMO tomatoes, know what I mean? Of course, that's all assuming you even knew they were alien-GMO--maybe Weyland-Yutani buys out Monsanto at some point in the future and nobody knows...Soylent Green is xenotomatoes!!

In "Loom" they are growing pork.....no thanks! I suppose the Engineers on LV-223 know the answer to trying to mess with the Xeno?

You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs. Ship em in.

There was a scene where they capture the alien in the extended cut of Alien 3. They cut it from the theatrical release because they thought it made the monster less scary.