Science Controversies
Should we use gene drives to eradicate rats and other pests?
The CRISPR gene editing tool enables very precise changes to the genetic composition of its host. While the technology is ...
Biohackers help ‘patient’ inject himself with experimental HIV treatment—live on Facebook
[Tristan] Roberts is about to inject himself with an experimental gene therapy for HIV, a DIY prototype treatment designed by ...
Viewpoint: European anti-tech groups threaten to derail CRISPR gene editing in agriculture
The political decision of how to regulate gene editing and other New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) will determine whether Europe becomes ...
EU ban of globally used glyphosate would disrupt agricultural and food markets
Some of Europe’s biggest trade partners fear a potential EU ban on glyphosate could hit exports of crops ranging from ...
Viewpoint: IARC glyphosate cancer advisor Christopher Portier’s history of lying about conflicts of interest
In a deposition last month for a court case pending against Monsanto for glyphosate “damages,” [Christopher Portier, the scientist who ...
Bioethics: What are CRISPR’s real threats and rewards?
[S]cientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research participated in an international think tank this month ...
Should the government regulate gene-edited crops?
“They call us the food police.” That’s how Greg Jaffe described his work as director of biotechnology for the Center for ...
Disease-resistant GM potatoes that reduce pesticide use ‘worked brilliantly’ in UK field trial
A genetically-modified (GM) potato designed to resist a devastating plant disease has worked “brilliantly” during the first year of field ...
Can any GMO documentary, pro or con, get the issue right?
Both films [Food Evolution and Island Earth] were fun to watch. They both also get a lot of the facts right. But ...
Glyphosate herbicide ban won’t save anyone from cancer, will harm environment
The widely used weedkiller glyphosate is available in every garden store, but now there are fears it can cause cancer ...
When genetic engineering came of age: World’s first GMO—GE insulin—approved 35 years ago
It has been 35 years since genetically engineered insulin was approved by the FDA in a process that was quick ...
Using sunlight to make plastic? Genetically modified algae shows promise
Michigan State University scientists are proposing a new way to economically produce biodegradable plastics with sunlight and help from an ...
Arctic golden delicious: Non-browning genetically engineered apples debut in Midwest grocery stores
Boldly going where no genetically modified apple has gone before, Arctic apples from Okanagan Specialty Fruits will ship to about ...
‘Media war’ erupts in Ghana as GMO cowpeas set for 2018 release
The debate over whether biotechnology applications are safe in food production has intensified in Ghana as the country prepares for ...
CAR-T engineering of patients’ own T cells for cancer therapy gains traction
The strategy of engineering patients' own T cells for cancer therapy got two major endorsements in late August, one financial ...
CRISPR gene editing takes on HIV
Researchers at UCSF have received a three-year, $1.6 million grant to advance their work using novel gene-editing technology to make ...
Talking Biotech: Former anti-GMO activist Mark Lynas on how resistance to crop biotechnology hurts small African farms
Mark Lynas, Cornell Alliance for Science: "Moral injustice" of NGOs preventing Africans from adopting GMO crops driven by "green ideology" ...
Genetic Literacy Project’s Top 6 Stories for the Week – Oct. 30, 2017
Glyphosate-gate: Policy and science implications of IARC’s ‘predetermined’ cancer finding | Geoffrey Kabat If you lose any of these 7 organs, ...
How will the EU regulate new crop breeding techniques like CRISPR?
Developments in genetic coding techniques open the doorway to crops that produce higher yields or have positive characteristics, such as ...
Video: Why organic and non-GMO labels don’t matter when it comes to eating healthy
[N]on-GMO labels do more than placate people concerned about scientists secretly tinkering with their food. They might persuade people to make ...
Healthy bacon? Headlines mislead on Chinese CRISPR gene-edited low-fat pigs
On October 23, Chinese scientists published a paper heralding a truly remarkable feat: Using the genome-editing technique CRISPR, they created 12 healthy ...
Illegal spraying of off-label dicamba herbicide main cause of crop damage, BASF says
Illegal spraying of a volatile weedkiller may be the cause of unprecedented damage to crops earlier this year, especially for ...
Is organic farming sustainable? 5 carbon footprint challenges
Along with unsubstantiated claims of better nutrition and safety, supporters of organic farming often cite its lower carbon footprint as ...
Activists in India put GMO mustard in regulatory limbo
India has frozen requests to commercially release a locally developed genetically modified mustard, an environment ministry document released on Tuesday [October ...
CRISPR crop: Disease-resistant cassava staple could help tackle hunger in Africa
To prove that a new-gene editing technology could be used to alter the cassava plant, scientists in the St. Louis ...
Glyphosate herbicide may negatively impact beneficial soil bacteria in certain situations, study finds
As farmers battle in their above-ground war on weeds, they may inadvertently create underground casualties – unintentionally attacking the beneficial ...
Genetics brought to bear in fight against modern cholera outbreaks
Although cholera is a disease that is thought of as mostly extinct, it still persists today in underdeveloped areas. The ...
