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Month: May 2013

Time to call out the anti-GMO conspiracy theory

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The following is an excerpt.

I think the controversy over GMOs represents one of the greatest science communications failures of the past half-century. Millions, possibly billions, of people have come to believe what is essentially a conspiracy theory, generating fear and misunderstanding about a whole class of technologies on an unprecedentedly global scale.

This matters enormously because these technologies – in particular the various uses of molecular biology to enhance plant breeding potential – are clearly some of our most important tools for addressing food security and future environmental change.

Read the full article here: Time to call out the anti-GMO conspiracy theory

New study finds genetically modified crops won’t feed world; Biodiversity is key

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The following is an excerpt.

A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Agronomy for Sustainable Development concludes that genetically modified (GM) crops have little use when it comes to feeding a growing world.

In fact, the authors of the study conclude, GM crops are hampering efforts to sustainably feed the world by jeopardizing existing biological and genetic diversity.

Read the full article here: New study finds genetically modified crops won’t feed world; biodiversity is key

Supermarkets must stop scaremongering, say scientists

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The following is an excerpt.

Supermarkets are pandering to misplaced consumer fears about the health risks of widely used food ingredients in a cynical marketing move, a group representing young scientists has warned.
In an open letter to 10 supermarket chief executives, early career researchers from the Voice of Young Science have called on supermarkets to stop misleading customers about health risks. The letter was sent to Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Iceland, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury, Tesco and Waitrose.

Read the full article here: Supermarkets must stop scaremongering, say scientists

Synthetic biology research community grows significantly

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The following is an excerpt.

The number of private and public entities conducting research in synthetic biology worldwide grew significantly between 2009 and 2013, according to the latest version of an interactive map produced by the Synthetic Biology Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Read the full article here: Synthetic Biology Research Community Grows Significantly

Genetic fingerprints track drug-resistant malaria parasites

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The following is an excerpt.

New artemisinin-resistant strains of the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum are spreading rapidly in Cambodia, an international group of scientists says in a research paper that also reveals how the drug-resistant strains can be identified from their genetic fingerprints.

Read the full article here: Genetic Fingerprints Track Drug-Resistant Malaria Parasites

On patenting human genes, the evidence favors Myriad

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The following is an excerpt.

The conventional shorthand for the Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad, Inc.case, argued before the Supreme Court on April 15, 2013, is that it is a dispute about the patentability of human genes. This shorthand is misleading. No one suggests that genes, as they appear in the human body, are subject to patent law—and the consequent restrictions, fees and exclusive licenses that patentees may choose to apply. A less misleading, though less beguiling, characterization of the dispute would cast it as considering selected human genetic tools.

Read the full post here: On Patenting Human Genes, the Evidence Favors Myriad 

Genetic fossils betray hepatitis B’s ancient roots

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The following is an excerpt.

A virus that causes liver diseases in people may have infected birds that shared the planet with dinosaurs.

More than 82 million years ago, a hepatitis B virus infected an ancient bird and got stuck in its genome, a molecular version of a tar pit, researchers report April 30 in Nature Communications. Using fragments of DNA found in modern-day zebra finches, evolutionary biologist Alexander Suh and colleagues at the University of Münster in Germany pieced together a complete genome of the ancient virus. Their analysis suggests that hepatitis B is some 63 million years older than previously thought and that it probably originated in birds and jumped into mammals later.

Read the full article here: Genetic fossils betray hepatitis B’s ancient roots

Young girl receives lifesaving windpipe transplant made from her stem cells

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The following is an excerpt.

Hannah Warren was born without a trachea but now has one made from plastic fibers and a stew of her own stem cells.

The 2-year-old Korean Canadian has spent every day of her life in intensive care, kept alive by a tube that substituted for the windpipe that was supposed to connect her mouth to her lungs. But nearly a month after her transplant, the toddler is mostly breathing on her own and is responding to doctors and nurses.

Read the full article here: Young Girl Receives Lifesaving Windpipe Transplant Made From Her Stem Cells

The promise, the reality, and the future of GM crops

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A special issue of Nature News separates fact from fiction when it comes to GMOs. It’s worth a read. Here’s an excerpt from the overview:

The introduction of the first transgenic plant 30 years ago heralded the start of a second green revolution, providing food to the starving, profits to farmers and environmental benefits to boot. Many GM crops fulfilled the promise. But their success has been mired in controversy with many questioning their safety, their profitability and their green credentials. A polarized debate has left little room for consensus. In this special issue, Nature explores the hopes, the fears, the reality and the future.

Read the special issue here: GM Crops: Promise and Reality