GMO

FDA Finds Unexpected Antibiotic Resistance Genes in ‘Gene-Edited’ Dehorned Cattle

Published on Monday, Aug 12th, 2019 by Independent Science News is a new article: FDA Finds Unexpected Antibiotic Resistance Genes in ‘Gene-Edited’ Dehorned Cattle written by Jonathan Latham, PhD and Allison Wilson, PhD.

Synopsis: New research published by officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has discovered that foreign DNA can become inadvertently introduced into the genomes of gene-edited animals. Gene-editing techniques are widely considered to offer substantial improvements, in terms of precision, over older genetic engineering techniques. But the new FDA research shows that foreign DNA can become inadvertently incorporated, in this case unbeknownst to the developer. The findings are a significant blow to the argument that gene-editing should not be subject to regulation and represent a vindication of the EU approach, which is to regulate gene-edited organisms as GMOs.

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Fake Food, Fake Meat: Big Food’s Desperate Attempt to Further the Industrialisation of Food

Published June 18th, 2019 on Independent Science News:
Synopsis: The promotion of fake foods seems to have more to do with giving new life to failing GMO agriculture and the Junk Food Industry, and the threat from the rising consciousness that organic, local, fresh food is real food: that which regenerates the planet and our health.
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Rigging the Science of GMO Ecotoxicity

On January 29, 2019, Independent Science News published “Rigging the Science of GMO Ecotoxicity,”, a new article by  Jonathan Latham, PhD.

Synopsis: Cry toxins are controversial proteins that kill insects and other organisms. They are commonly inserted into GMO crops, some of which now contain six different transgenic versions. A large body of research has now shown, to the discomfort of the biotech industry, that these toxins can have major effects on beneficial and other non-pest organisms. Our investigation has uncovered that some academics, including one with very close ties to industry, have secretively started adding chemical antidotes to their ecological test diets. These test diets can be expected–and some already have–to give Cry toxins a clean bill of health in ecological toxicity tests. This research is additionally being used to discredit previously gathered evidence of Cry toxin harm.
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Video: Biotechnology, Agrichemicals, and the Value of Life

On a recent trip to Hawai’i, Jonathan Latham, Director of the Project, talked at the University of Hawai’i.

“Industrial agriculture is logically dependent on infringing on the quality of life, often catastrophically, of diverse creatures. The islands comprising Hawai’i exhibit those harms perhaps more than anywhere else on earth. Using new revelations of the Poison Papers (www.poisonpapers.org) as examples of how regulators fail to protect us, I discuss the true extent of those impacts. Even without revelations such as the Poison Papers however, we already know enough to stop supporting industrial agriculture, yet governments continue to do so, showering them with subsidies and other incentives. The reasons they decide wrongly are in part about economics and in part about scientific corruption; but here I point to an underlying conceptual flaw in our collective cultural understanding of life itself. Critiquing our standard, but illogical, modern interpretation of the nature of life is an overlooked key to understanding the the tragic and disastrous policies and practices prevailing in agriculture. But immediately obvious too is that the misunderstanding of life pervades much more broadly–into the justice system, into education, and into healthcare, to name just a few of those domains.”

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Jonathan Latham Speaks in New Zealand Sept 1-Sept 8, 2018: Impacts of Gene Editing technologies

Dr. Jonathan Latham will speak in Featherston, Wellington, Palmerston North, Raglan, Hamilton, Tauranga and Auckland.

GE technologies: impacts for our Food, Agriculture and Biosafety Regulation?

We expose our world to unique hazards with every new technology. Gene Editing technologies are becoming one of the most discussed issues of our day.

There is documented evidence into the unpredictability of genetic engineering. Yet there is mounting pressure for new gene technologies to be used with no regulatory supervision.

Dr. Latham will talk on the politics of food. The problems with both the internal culture of decision makers, the legal framework that is often fraught with industry influences that prevent precautionary decision-making, even when the science clearly points to danger. The importance of a strong regulatory system that will ensure we have a healthy food system and a healthy world.

Come and discuss Gene Editing with Dr Jonathan Latham.

1 Sept  FEATHERSTON  7pm  Community Centre, Wakefield St.

2 Sept  WELLINGTON  6.30pm  Southern Cross, Guest Room.

4 Sept  PALMERSTON NORTH  5pm City Library, Events Central, Ground Floor. 

5 Sept  RAGLAN  7pm Raglan Town Hall, Supper Room.

6 Sept HAMILTON 11am Celebrating Age Centre, 30 Victoria St, Hamilton.

7 Sept TAURANGA 12 -1.30 Greerton Hall, 1263 Cameron Rd.

8 Sept AUCKLAND 7pm Unite rooms, 6A Western Springs Road, Sandringham.

For more information go to:

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Update: Jonathan Latham Speaks in Hawaii August 2nd, 3rd, and 7th

Hawaii: 2nd August Biotechnology, Agri-Chemicals, and the Value of Life

Talk by Dr Jonathan Latham
Thursday August 2nd at 5:30pm
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Kamakakuokalani Centre for Hawaiian studies
2645 Dole St. Honolulu HI 96822

 

Kauai: 3rd August 6:30pm Biotechnology, Agri-Chemicals, and the Value of Life

Talk by Dr Jonathan Latham
Friday, August 3rd at 6:30pm
Koloa community Center
3461 Weliweli Rd. Koloa, Kauai

 

Maui: 7th August 7pm The Poison Papers Revealed, CRISPR and Gene Editing Explained

Talk by Dr. Jonathan Latham
Tuesday, August 7th at 7pm
Makawao Union Church
1445 Baldwin Ave
Maui

All talks are free and open to the public.

 

 

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Gates Foundation Grants Additional $6.4 million to Cornell’s Controversial Alliance for Science

Published today in Independent Science News: “Gates Foundation Grants Additional $6.4 million to Cornell’s Controversial Alliance for Science“, a new article written by Jonathan Latham, PhD.

Gates Foundation Grants Additional $6.4 million to Cornell’s Controversial Alliance for Science

Synopsis: A new grant means that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has now given $12 million dollars to the Cornell Alliance for Science. But according to Claire Robinson of British group GMWatch, the Alliance “is a propaganda machine for the GMO and agrochemical industry”.

Read the full article at: https://www.independentsciencenews.org/health/goodbye-golden-rice-gm-trait-leads-to-drastic-yield-loss/

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Goodbye to Golden Rice? GM Trait Leads to Drastic Yield Loss and “Metabolic Meltdown”

Published today (Wednesday, Oct 25th) on Independent Science News, ‘Goodbye to Golden Rice? GM Trait Leads to Drastic Yield Loss and “Metabolic Meltdown”‘ was written by Allison Wilson, PhD, Science Director of the Bioscience Resource Project.

Goodbye to Golden Rice? GM Trait Leads to Drastic Yield Loss and “Metabolic Meltdown”

Synopsis: For nearly 20 years, GMO Golden Rice has been promoted as a potent tool to alleviate vitamin A deficiency. Golden Rice has never been commercialized, however, and its failure to reach the market has been blamed on “over-regulation” and on “anti-GMO” opposition. Recent research by Indian scientists shows that introducing Golden Rice transgenes had unexpected detrimental effects. Their high yielding and agronomically superior Indian rice variety became pale and stunted, with yields so reduced it was unsuitable for cultivation (Bollinedi et al. 2017). This research has obvious implications for Golden Rice, particularly by suggesting that nutritionally useful GMO Golden Rice may be an impossibility. As Dr. Wilson explains, it also throws a substantial shadow over the general feasibility of nutritional enhancement by GMO technology.

Read the full article at: https://www.independentsciencenews.org/health/goodbye-golden-rice-gm-trait-leads-to-drastic-yield-loss/

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The Biotech Industry Is Taking Over the Regulation of GMOs from the Inside

Published today (Wednesday, July 19, 2017) in Independent Science News, “The Biotech Industry Is Taking Over the Regulation of GMOs from the Inside” was written by Jonathan Latham, PhD.

Synopsis: The corporate takeover of the International Society for Biosafety Research (ISBR) and its biennial ISBGMO conference is a case study in the methods and the goals of the biotech industry. This year’s key industry talking points were “harmonization” and “data transportability”, “need to know vs nice to know,” “trait-based risk assessment,” and “tiered risk assessment.” Regulatory acceptance of these anti-scientific concepts would spell the end of biosafety regulation.

Read the full story at: https://www.independentsciencenews.org/environment/the-biotech-industry-is-taking-over-the-regulation-of-gmos/

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Don’t Eat the Yellow Rice: The Danger of Deploying Vitamin A Golden Rice

Published today (Monday 11th July 2016) by Independent Science News: “Don’t Eat the Yellow Rice: The Danger of Deploying Vitamin A Golden Rice, ” by Ted Greiner, PhD.

Synopsis: Never discussed in the saga of Vitamin A “golden rice” is the problem of “Yellow Rice Disease”. Yellowed or browned rice is discarded all over the world because it is a sign of potentially lethal fungal contamination. To convince these populations to eat it, the proponents of golden rice will therefore have to overcome an aversion which exists for good reason. If eating yellow rice is dangerous, why has this never been discussed, asks Ted Greiner? “Because the purpose of Golden Rice was never to solve vitamin A problems. It’s purpose from the beginning was to be a tool for use in shaming GMO critics”.

Ted Greiner is an expert in Vitamin A fortification and a former Professor of Nutrition, Hanyang University, Korea.

To read the full story: https://www.independentsciencenews.org/health/dont-eat-the-yellow-rice-the-danger-of-deploying-vitamin-a-golden-rice/.

More about GMO “Golden Rice”

Glenn Stone (2015). “Golden rice: the ‘GM superfood’ that fell to Earth.” The Ecologist. Read full story of Golden Rice yield drag and inconclusive nutrition outcomes at: http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/2985163/golden_rice_the_gm_superfood_that_fell_to_earth.html
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Christoph Then (2014). “Golden Lies: No credibility for Golden Rice campaign.” Report from Testbiotech. Read full report at: http://www.testbiotech.org/sites/default/files/Testbiotech_Golden%20Rice_Golden%20Lies_0.pdf. Testbiotech reports that those developing and promoting Golden Rice have failed to act with basic scientific or ethical concern.
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