Top 6 Five
Can we boost crop yields by making photosynthesis better with genetic engineering?
Will an improvement of photosynthesis make up for the food shortfalls we expect to face in coming years? ...
Pseudo-science alert: For $9,500, Politico provides disinformation about crop biotechnology, GMOs and pesticides
When Politico strays from politics into agricultural biotech, its naiveté and lack of science expertise shows through ...
Can pig-human chimeras meet our growing demand for transplantable organs?
Experiments show pig-human chimeras might be able to farm human organs for transplantation and disease research. But would it be ...
Viewpoint: Like it or not, technology is what gives us the crops that we eat
The “natural narrative” on food packaging is a complete fiction ...
What makes something funny? Genetics almost certainly plays a role
What we find funny can differ wildly from person to person. And scientists have found that genetics plays at least ...
From a sustainability perspective, GMO AquaBounty salmon should be a ‘dream come true’. Why do environmentalists oppose it?
The flip-flop by Food and Water Watch and other advocacy groups rests not on environmental or science-based concerns but on ...
Why neonicotinoid pesticides don’t deserve a ‘deadly to bees’ label
While some activists blame the popular class of pesticides for bee deaths, research suggests there are many contributing factors. And ...
Reality check: Eating locally grown food isn’t always the most sustainable option
Eating local has not achieved its goal of reducing emissions through fewer food miles. The fix could include embracing genetic ...
6 common misconceptions about the ‘dangers’ of genetic engineering and GMOs
Why does the GMO debate have a bit of Groundhog Day aspect to it? The way the issues are framed ...
Getting out of the gene-editing mess created by Chinese scientist He Jiankui
There have always been rogues willing to carve their own paths no matter what the cost to others. But how ...
Autism and depression: Study shows why ‘gold standard treatment’ sometimes fails
The 'gold standard' therapy does not always work and can lead to a worsening of symptoms ...
2018 biotech review: Second generation of GMOs arrives as US anti-GMO movement falters
A prediction that the anti-GMO movement would become increasingly irrelevant in 2018 comes to pass ...
CRISPR represents potential for huge change. But will the public trust it?
The charged language around the recent gene-editing controversy is driving an inaccurate assessment of risks ...
Viewpoint: With reasonable regulation, we can turn wild plants into food with gene editing
The crops we rely on today have been bred over thousands of years to enhance certain characteristics. For example, sweetcorn ...
Magic and morality: Why some consumers are afraid of GMOs
In the eyes of Susan Schenck, GMOs are pretty much the worst thing going in food. As the author of ...
Edible cotton: How genetically modified cottonseed could revolutionize food and feed production
Here’s a somewhat boring fact you might already know about cotton: It doesn't make a good food, for humans or ...
Climate change and rice: How some of the world’s poorest nations may suffer
Much of the world relies on rice. What happens when climate change threatens rice nutrition? ...
Failure of race-based medicine? We aren’t accounting for the unique genetics of biracial and multiracial populations
For several decades in modern medicine history, human race has been used as a constant variable to predict and/or determine ...
Synthetic biology mosquitoes: Pioneering solution emerges to counter fears over using genetic engineering to control Zika
In fall 2015, the biotech company Oxitec planned to release genetically engineered mosquitoes throughout the Florida Keys capable of stopping their ...
Viewpoint: Europe’s anti-GMO activists copy smear tactics of extremist US organic lobbyists
Some bad ideas have originated in America. Reality television, spray-on cheese, pineapple pizza, and deep-fried Hostess Twinkies come to mind. But the ...
Who should we thank for all those wonderful fruits and vegetables? ‘Not Mother Nature’
Half of the vegetables grown in the United States are from California. “California is famous for three things: “Hollywood, Silicon ...
Gene silencing through RNA interference scores first drug approval
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first drug based on RNA interference (RNAi). Unlike media darlings gene therapy ...
Roundup for breakfast? Checking the math on claims that glyphosate infects breakfast foods
No one wants .... to give their children a breakfast that is contaminated with weed killer. That’s why a new ...
Europe’s decision to reject gene edited crops signals it is losing its commitment to sustainable agriculture
At the same time as Swedish agriculture is affected by the worst drought in recent memory, the European Court of ...
Organic Times: New satire site takes Onion-like look at crop biotechnology activists
Agriculture is a serious topic. While farmers in the developing world struggle to save their crops from pest invasions and ...
Why autism looks so different in girls
Girls tend to be diagnosed with autism later in life than boys--often after being misdiagnosed with something else first. Why ...
Viewpoint: By ‘shutting the door’ on crop gene editing, Europe shows its biotech regulations deeply flawed
The European Court of Justice has made an important ruling on genetically modified crops. Since 2003, new crop varieties produced by ...
