Andrew Porterfield
Even as managed honeybee colonies hit record numbers, another threat to their health is identified: Mystery viruses
The quest to figure out what's behind honeybee deaths has become as much a political question as a scientific one. Recent ...
Why we don’t all need to be vegans in the pursuit of sustainability
Humans are unique in the degree to which they can manipulate their surroundings. And agriculture is one enormous way to ...
Is the key to treating or preventing autism hiding in the gut microbiome?
Studies have connected the brain and the microbiome through what’s becoming known as the “gut-brain-axis.” The mystery of our microbiota ...
Anti-GMO groups draw FDA rebuke over misrepresentation of Golden Rice nutrition
Finally, the FDA weighed in on Golden Rice, with its May 24 announcement approving it for use in the United ...
Antibiotic resistance may be dangerous—but it’s hardly new
Despite media reports, antibiotics always faced microbe resistance. Can studying their genetics show us a path to new drugs ...
Gene Drive Files ‘cabal’—and biotech rejectionist efforts to derail research on technology with potential to fight crop pests
The email came from Roylan Saah, coordinator of Genetic Biocontrol of Invasive Rodents at Island Conservation, a non-profit dedicated to ...
‘Substantial equivalence’: Are GMOs as safe as other conventional and organic foods?
GMO critics claim that US regulations rely too much on the concept of “substantial equivalence” when evaluating if food is ...
Genetically engineered AquaBounty salmon ready for US market, but caught in Congressional ‘sausage grinder’
“Laws, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made.” The true version of ...
Strange bedfellows: American Academy of Pediatrics allies with Environmental Working Group, known for anti-science messages
On the subjects of organics and pesticides, the American Academy of Pediatrics finds itself supporting the Environmental Working Group, an ...
Scientists challenge Center for Biological Diversity report claiming monarch butterflies threatened by dicamba herbicide
Dicamba drifts. Apparently, more than expected by a lot of farmers, agriculture officials and manufacturers. But does that mean, as ...
Facing extreme danger, are you ‘wired’ to fight or take flight?
"Fight or flight" reactions are much more complicated than we were taught in school. That fact has implications for reacting ...
Far more toxic than glyphosate: Copper sulfate, used by organic and conventional farmers, cruises to European reauthorization
Over the past months, the European Union and several member nations have vigorously debated re-authorizing glyphosate, the herbicide maligned by ...
Are humans genetically loaded for extinction?
Genetic load--the idea that we've had too many mutations to thrive--is making a comeback. A debate's brewing over whether it's ...
How Russia tried to turn America against GMOs and agricultural biotechnology and sow ideological discord
How serious was secret Russian interventionism when it comes to creating public discord over US farming and agricultural trade policy? ...
The quest for youth, and what our genes have to say about it
Why do some people seem to age faster than others? The answer may lie in our epigenetics ...
Stonyfield-Gary Hirshberg fiasco grows over video with young girls spreading misinformation about farming and GMOs
Usually, a video with kids talking is cute, funny, perhaps poignant. However, scientists’ and farmers’ reactions to a promotional video ...
Marrying close relatives offers genetic risks and benefits for offspring
Endogamy is a powerful but controversial cultural tool. It also can play surprising roles in health and disease ...
Finding meaning in the music of our genes
There is a musical pattern to our DNA, and it may help us understand how genes work and pinpoint diseases ...
IARC cancer agency mounts PR effort as probe of possible corruption grows
The agency was heavily criticized for the methodology used in declaring the herbicide glyphosate a "probable carcinogen." Now IARC is ...
We produce enough food on this planet to feed everyone: So why do we need GMOs?
A new "planetary boundaries" study says agriculture can be more sustainable to save the planet. Others say the numbers don't ...
Are seed patent protections abused by Monsanto and other agro-corporations?
Anti-GMO critics often claim major agricultural companies use seed patents to control farmers rights, which they say also limits innovation ...
To protect vineyards from pests and reduce pesticide use, CRISPR could be the answer
The powdery mildew fungus decimates vineyards around the globe. As pesticides become less effective, some scientists are turning to gene ...
‘Big Ag’ may resonate with activists, but what does it really mean?
For some, GMOs are synonymous with 'Big Ag'? For others, 'Big Ag' means something entirely different. Does 'Big Ag' even ...
Kissing cousins: Understanding the genetic risks and benefits when close relatives marry
Endogamy––the marriage of relatives––is a controversial cultural practice. It can play surprising roles in health and disease ...
EU re-approval of glyphosate herbicide dodges farming economic woes—for now
If the European Union eventually phases out all the popular glyphosate herbicide, the loss of farm productivity could cost Europe ...
Can the microbiome join DNA and fingerprints in the CSI toolkit?
Some scientists argue that our individual microbiomes are unique enough that they can be used to help identify the perpetrators ...
European farmers: Finding replacement for glyphosate is no easy task
As European politicians move toward blocking the use of glyphosate, farmers there are facing the prospect of using less-effective replacements ...
