Stronger Plants, Stronger Science, and Stronger Communication
The “evidence” against genetic engineering is typically not evidence at all. It is usually hearsay that isn’t backed up by science, a misplacing of blame, or a misunderstanding about farming, biotechnology, or biology in general. This isn’t necessarily the fault of people who believe this “evidence” – the fault lies in the lack of solid…
Researchers at Texas A&M have developed carrots that have more bio-available calcium than wild-type carrots, according to a press release. Calcium deficiency leads to osteoporosis, which is one of the world’s most common diseases – affecting an estimated 50% of women and 25% of men. This is especially true when dairy is not an option…
London’s Times Online had a great editorial about GMOs this past week, called “Frankenstein foods are not monsters.” It’s a sort of wake-up call to England and Europe, saying that the benefits of genetic engineering far outweigh hypothetical dangers that are based more on gut feeling than science and that still haven’t manifested. Unfortunately, the…
Back in October, I posted about Poplar trees genetically engineered to remove carcinogens from groundwater. The project is moving from the experimental stage into real world application, as described in Fighting pollution the poplar way. The test site was used for oil storage in the 1960s, and became contaminated with trichloroethylene. TCE is an industrial…
Arcadia Biosciences has developed rice that uses nitrogen more efficiently, so the plants need less fertilizer. As described in the Guardian article Biotech firm plans to fund GM rice crops with carbon credits yesterday, Arcadia “is working with the Chinese government to reward farmers in China that grow the firm’s genetically modified (GM) rice, with…
In a study conducted by the University of Granada and Andalusian School of Public Health in Spain, 100% of people (387 volunteers) had at least one kind of pesticide in their adipose tissue. The researchers tested for “persistent organic compounds” (POCs), chemicals that can enter the body through food, water, or air. The chemicals accumulate…
Some pesticides are, frankly, frightening. As a DoD certified Pest Controller, I was taught the history, usage, and dangers of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc. so I say this with some authority. Our instructors would joke about “methyl-ethyl-death”, referring especially to fumigants that had been widely used on food crops in decades past. Pesticides frequent news…
Once a transgene is designed and created, getting it into plant cells is surprisingly simple. There are two main ways to transform plants: the gene gun and Agrobacterium tumifaciens. The gene gun literally shoots tiny gold particles coated in DNA into cells. Agrobacterium is a natural soil bacteria that incorporates some of its genes into…
I was very young when I first read Copernick’s Rebellion by Leo Frankowski. It captured my imagination, and is directly responsible for my thoughts on genetic engineering and my desire to become a genetic engineer. The author was ahead of his time, taking the (then fictional) idea of manipulating genomes to fantastic conclusions. The characters…
Fish as human food present a unique problem. The protein they provide is high quality and low in fat. People all over the world enjoy fish as a staple of their diet. Unfortunately, the demand for fish has overtaxed natural populations. Regulation has been successful in some areas (Alaskan salmon), yet failed miserably in others…