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Are we going to be left with any unmodified foodstocks?

GM industry puts human gene into rice

Scientists have begun putting genes from human beings into food crops in a dramatic extension of genetic modification. The move, which is causing disgust and revulsion among critics, is bound to strengthen accusations that GM technology is creating "Frankenstein foods" and drive the controversy surrounding it to new heights.

Even before this development, many people, including Prince Charles, have opposed the technology on the grounds that it is playing God by creating unnatural combinations of living things.

Environmentalists say that no one will want to eat the partially human-derived food because it will smack of cannibalism.

But supporters say that the controversial new departure presents no ethical problems and could bring environmental benefits.

In the first modification of its kind, Japanese researchers have inserted a gene from the human liver into rice to enable it to digest pesticides and industrial chemicals. The gene makes an enzyme, code-named CPY2B6, which is particularly good at breaking down harmful chemicals in the body.

Rest of the story can be found here:

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/sci ... ory=632444

science or no, it creeps me out! what did our ancestors do without modified, hormone-injected, sanitized,pasteurized, homogenized,processed foods? sure i know there were diseases around, but what they ate was not chemically or DNA-altered. it was organic and did the job. soon we will just ingest plastic.

lady cop wrote: science or no, it creeps me out! what did our ancestors do without modified, sanitized,pasteurized, homogenized,processed foods?


They died. Their average life expectancy was around 45. We live to 80 ad beyond now.

personally, although I expect a genetic disaster of the Hiroshima-sized variety eventually, I say BRING IT ON!

We just have to live with it folks, just like we live with nuclear bombs, there is no bad technology or knowledge. It's the way it's used that good or bad. This seems to be a good use to me. What's scarier to me is when we begin to mess with our own genetics. (See my "Eugenics" thread)

Jives wrote: They died. Their average life expectancy was around 45. We live to 80 ad beyond now.

personally, although I expect a genetic disaster of the Hiroshima-sized variety eventually, I say BRING IT ON!

We just have to live with it folks, just like we live with nuclear bombs, there is no bad technology or knowledge. It's the way it's used that good or bad. This seems to be a good use to me. What's scarier to me is when we begin to mess with our own genetics. (See my "Eugenics" thread)


The problem with this is that this is another nail on the coffin of agricultural sustainability. You can't get seeds off of these plants. It's what the whole GM food fiasco is about.

Never in the history of mankind has a farmer not been able to acquire and sow seeds from his own plants. The very foundation of agriculture is threatened when seeds are controlled by a couple of huge companies. If you are a farmer, try to find non-GM'd seeds. I've been told it is almost impossible now.

GAVE ME THE CHILLS..!! WHAT'S NEXT..

I do agree with Jives there will be a "genetic disaster of the Hiroshima-sized variety eventually". I just hope I'm long gone before it happens.. :-2

Anything to improve food production gets a nod from me. Remember that old film with Charlton Heston "Soylent Green?"

No dice! No way! This is disgusting. We are mess'n where we shouldn't be mess'n and one of these days we are going to get walked all over.

posted by jives

We just have to live with it folks, just like we live with nuclear bombs, there is no bad technology or knowledge. It's the way it's used that good or bad. This seems to be a good use to me. What's scarier to me is when we begin to mess with our own genetics. (See my "Eugenics" thread)


No we don't, who controls things big companies or the people? Americans seem to feel helpless against big companies. The only justification for this is for agri busines to control evrything. GM crops were boycotted throughout europe and as a result were taken off most supermarket shelves, now they are sneaking back in through the back door.

posted by tombstone

Never in the history of mankind has a farmer not been able to acquire and sow seeds from his own plants. The very foundation of agriculture is threatened when seeds are controlled by a couple of huge companies. If you are a farmer, try to find non-GM'd seeds. I've been told it is almost impossible now.


There was a case in canada where a seed firm sued a farmer accusing them of stealing their seeds- since they couldn't possibly have borne to his crops on the wind he must have stolen them. Kind of hard to prove you didn't pinch them.