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Clashing Culture
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Biofortified
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- January 27, 2011
- 01:54 PM
- 691 views
Are there unintended health effects of genetic engineering?
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
Francis Thicke, agronomist and organic dairy farmer in Iowa, asks: Do you think there are unanswered questions about the health effects of GE foods? I have heard GE critiques frequently contend that there have been very few feeding trials on the health effects of GE foods, and that in the feeding trials that have been done, the results have raised questions about the safety of GE foods. For starters, what is your opinion Continue reading...... Read more »
Ewen SW, & Pusztai A. (1999) Effect of diets containing genetically modified potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat small intestine. Lancet, 354(9187), 1353-4. PMID: 10533866
- December 1, 2010
- 01:07 PM
- 853 views
Would you eat a brown apple?
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
Have you ever cut up an apple to take for lunch, or prepared apples for a fresh fruit tray only to have them turn an unappealing shade of brown? You’re not alone. There’s nothing wrong with brown apple slices, but they certainly don’t look nice, which discourages some people from eating as many apples as they should. Apples are a healthy snack and anything that gets people to eat more fruit could be considered Continue reading...... Read more »
Herb Aldwinckle, & Mickael Malnoy. (2009) Plant Regeneration and Transformation in the Rosaceae . Transgenic Plant Journal , 1-39. info:/
Bachem, C., Speckmann, G., van der Linde, P., Verheggen, F., Hunt, M., Steffens, J., & Zabeau, M. (1994) Antisense Expression of Polyphenol Oxidase Genes Inhibits Enzymatic Browning in Potato Tubers. Bio/Technology, 12(11), 1101-1105. DOI: 10.1038/nbt1194-1101
Rommens CM, Ye J, Richael C, & Swords K. (2006) Improving potato storage and processing characteristics through all-native DNA transformation. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 54(26), 9882-7. PMID: 17177515
Thipyapong P, Hunt MD, & Steffens JC. (2004) Antisense downregulation of polyphenol oxidase results in enhanced disease susceptibility. Planta, 220(1), 105-17. PMID: 15300439
- October 28, 2010
- 01:50 AM
- 1,111 views
AquAdvantage update
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
In Risk assessment and mitigation of AquAdvantage salmon I discussed exactly what Aqua Bounty was asking permission from the FDA to do, as well as the environmental, animal welfare, and human health concerns associated with the AquAvantage fish in comparison to non-transgenic farmed salmon. The Center for Food Safety has a “new” document to bring to the discussion: an opinion (pdf) written by the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposal about Continue reading...... Read more »
L. Fredrik Sundstro ̈m, Wendy E. Tymchuk, Mare Lo ̃hmus, & Robert H. Devlin. (2009) Sustained predation effects of hatchery-reared transgenic coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch in semi-natural environments. Journal of Applied Ecology, 762-769. info:/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01668.x
- October 20, 2010
- 01:19 PM
- 726 views
The regulatory bottleneck for biotech specialty crops
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
We often hear that there are only two genetically engineered traits on the market – Roundup Ready and Bt. And, for the most part, that’s correct. There are a few other commercialized traits, such as virus resistant papaya and squash, but why aren’t there more? We see all sorts of papers about awesome genetically engineered traits, from nemotode resistance to nutritional enhancement to really specialized traits like nicotine free tobacco and allergen free Continue reading...... Read more »
Miller JK, & Bradford KJ. (2010) The regulatory bottleneck for biotech specialty crops. Nature biotechnology, 28(10), 1012-4. PMID: 20944582
- October 16, 2010
- 12:00 PM
- 453 views
Risk assessment and mitigation of AquAdvantage salmon
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
Aqua Bounty Technologies, Inc. has recently applied for deregulation of AquAdvantage salmon — salmon that have been genetically engineered to grow faster than wild-type salmon. These salmon have the potential benefit of providing high-quality animal protein without putting additional pressure on declining wild fish stocks. However, these salmon present some potential risks that warrant examination. First, effects on the health and welfare of the animals must be determined. Second, if genetically engineered salmon Continue reading...... Read more »
Devlin, R., Yesaki, T., Donaldson, E., Du, S., & Hew, C. (1995) Production of germline transgenic Pacific salmonids with dramatically increased growth performance. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 52(7), 1376-1384. DOI: 10.1139/f95-133
Yaskowiak ES, Shears MA, Agarwal-Mawal A, & Fletcher GL. (2006) Characterization and multi-generational stability of the growth hormone transgene (EO-1a) responsible for enhanced growth rates in Atlantic Salmon. Transgenic research, 15(4), 465-80. PMID: 16906447
Butler TM, & Fletcher GL. (2009) Promoter analysis of a growth hormone transgene in Atlantic salmon. Theriogenology, 72(1), 62-71. PMID: 19324402
Devlin, R. (2004) Growth, viability and genetic characteristics of GH transgenic coho salmon strains. Aquaculture, 236(1-4), 607-632. DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2004.02.026
Sundström LF, Lõhmus M, Tymchuk WE, & Devlin RH. (2007) Gene-environment interactions influence ecological consequences of transgenic animals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(10), 3889-94. PMID: 17360448
Hu W, & Zhu Z. (2010) Integration mechanisms of transgenes and population fitness of GH transgenic fish. Science China. Life sciences, 53(4), 401-8. PMID: 20596905
Witten, P., Gil-Martens, L., Huysseune, A., Takle, H., & Hjelde, K. (2009) Towards a classification and an understanding of developmental relationships of vertebral body malformations in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). Aquaculture, 295(1-2), 6-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2009.06.037
Piferrer, F., Beaumont, A., Falguière, J., Flajšhans, M., Haffray, P., & Colombo, L. (2009) Polyploid fish and shellfish: Production, biology and applications to aquaculture for performance improvement and genetic containment. Aquaculture, 293(3-4), 125-156. DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2009.04.036
Ching B, Jamieson S, Heath JW, Heath DD, & Hubberstey A. (2010) Transcriptional differences between triploid and diploid Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) during live Vibrio anguillarum challenge. Heredity, 104(2), 224-34. PMID: 19707232
Nakamura R, Satoh R, Nakajima Y, Kawasaki N, Yamaguchi T, Sawada J, Nagoya H, & Teshima R. (2009) Comparative study of GH-transgenic and non-transgenic amago salmon (Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae) allergenicity and proteomic analysis of amago salmon allergens. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP, 55(3), 300-8. PMID: 19679156
Vicini J, Etherton T, Kris-Etherton P, Ballam J, Denham S, Staub R, Goldstein D, Cady R, McGrath M, & Lucy M. (2008) Survey of retail milk composition as affected by label claims regarding farm-management practices. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 108(7), 1198-203. PMID: 18589029
Juniper, D., Browne, E., Bryant, M., & Beever, D. (2007) Digestion, rumen fermentation and circulating concentrations of insulin, growth hormone and IGF-1 in steers given maize silages harvested at three stages of maturity. Animal Science, 82(01). DOI: 10.1079/ASC200513
Giovannucci E, Pollak M, Liu Y, Platz EA, Majeed N, Rimm EB, & Willett WC. (2003) Nutritional predictors of insulin-like growth factor I and their relationships to cancer in men. Cancer epidemiology, 12(2), 84-9. PMID: 12582016
Upton Z, Yandell CA, Degger BG, Chan SJ, Moriyama S, Francis GL, & Ballard FJ. (1998) Evolution of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) action: in vitro characterization of vertebrate IGF-I proteins. Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part B, Biochemistry , 121(1), 35-41. PMID: 9972282
Mero A, Kähkönen J, Nykänen T, Parviainen T, Jokinen I, Takala T, Nikula T, Rasi S, & Leppäluoto J. (2002) IGF-I, IgA, and IgG responses to bovine colostrum supplementation during training. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 93(2), 732-9. PMID: 12133885
Fleming, I. (1996) Reproductive strategies of Atlantic salmon: ecology and evolution. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 6(4), 379-416. DOI: 10.1007/BF00164323
Fraser DJ, Houde AL, Debes PV, O'Reilly P, Eddington JD, & Hutchings JA. (2010) Consequences of farmed-wild hybridization across divergent wild populations and multiple traits in salmon. Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America, 20(4), 935-53. PMID: 20597281
- October 11, 2010
- 08:52 PM
- 937 views
Substantial equivalence
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
One important concept that is used in most countries to regulate products of genetic engineering is substantial equivalence. The way to determine substantial equivalence is comparative assessment. What do substantial equivalence and comparative assessment mean? Depending on the source we use, we might find different definitions and different opinions of how useful they are in determining the safety of products of genetic engineering. The USDA provides information on Food Safety Assessment and Considerations as part Continue reading...... Read more »
Hoekenga OA. (2008) Using metabolomics to estimate unintended effects in transgenic crop plants: problems, promises, and opportunities. Journal of biomolecular techniques : JBT, 19(3), 159-66. PMID: 19137102
Kogel KH, Voll LM, Schäfer P, Jansen C, Wu Y, Langen G, Imani J, Hofmann J, Schmiedl A, Sonnewald S.... (2010) Transcriptome and metabolome profiling of field-grown transgenic barley lack induced differences but show cultivar-specific variances. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(14), 6198-203. PMID: 20308540
Baker JM, Hawkins ND, Ward JL, Lovegrove A, Napier JA, Shewry PR, & Beale MH. (2006) A metabolomic study of substantial equivalence of field-grown genetically modified wheat. Plant biotechnology journal, 4(4), 381-92. PMID: 17177804
Coll A, Nadal A, Collado R, Capellades G, Messeguer J, Melé E, Palaudelmàs M, & Pla M. (2009) Gene expression profiles of MON810 and comparable non-GM maize varieties cultured in the field are more similar than are those of conventional lines. Transgenic research, 18(5), 801-8. PMID: 19396622
Gregersen PL, Brinch-Pedersen H, & Holm PB. (2005) A microarray-based comparative analysis of gene expression profiles during grain development in transgenic and wild type wheat. Transgenic research, 14(6), 887-905. PMID: 16315094
- June 14, 2010
- 01:12 AM
- 1,037 views
New possibilities for drought tolerance
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
An Arabidopsis stomate showing two guard cells exhibiting green fluorescent protein and native chloroplast (red) fluorescence. via Wikipedia. This image is an extreme closeup of a stomate (singular, the plural form is stomata). These two cells, called guard cells, control the plant’s respiration: how much carbon dioxide gets in and how much oxygen and water vapor gets out. The control isn’t very good, though. Most plants just have their stomata open all day Continue reading...... Read more »
Hu H, Boisson-Dernier A, Israelsson-Nordström M, Böhmer M, Xue S, Ries A, Godoski J, Kuhn JM, & Schroeder JI. (2010) Carbonic anhydrases are upstream regulators of CO2-controlled stomatal movements in guard cells. Nature cell biology, 12(1), 87. PMID: 20010812
- March 31, 2010
- 04:49 PM
- 1,634 views
Glowing phagocytosis
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
Usually, when we think about biotechnology, it’s in the context of agriculture, and occasionally in the context of medicine, but biotechnology is useful for a lot more. It can be used to study complex cellular and developmental processes with results that can be stunningly beautiful, and sometimes silly.
Margaret Clarke researches the soil amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum using [...]... Read more »
Clarke M, & Maddera L. (2006) Phagocyte meets prey: uptake, internalization, and killing of bacteria by Dictyostelium amoebae. European journal of cell biology, 85(9-10), 1001-10. PMID: 16782228
- March 19, 2010
- 02:22 PM
- 1,749 views
GMOs could render important antibiotics worthless
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
That headline catches your eye, doesn’t it?
We’ve seen such claims made in popular media such as the March 2010 Fury as EU approves GM potato: Critics claim plant could spread antibiotic-resistant diseases to humans in the Independent: “Opponents fear bacteria inside the guts of animals fed the GM potato – which can cause human diseases [...]... Read more »
Dona, A., & Arvanitoyannis, I. (2009) Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 49(2), 164-175. DOI: 10.1080/10408390701855993
Halford NG, & Shewry PR. (2000) Genetically modified crops: methodology, benefits, regulation and public concerns. British medical bulletin, 56(1), 62-73. PMID: 10885105
Hotopp JC, Clark ME, Oliveira DC, Foster JM, Fischer P, Torres MC, Giebel JD, Kumar N, Ishmael N, Wang S.... (2007) Widespread lateral gene transfer from intracellular bacteria to multicellular eukaryotes. Science (New York, N.Y.), 317(5845), 1753-6. PMID: 17761848
- February 7, 2010
- 10:14 PM
- 1,055 views
I say tomato…
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
Researchers at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research in India have found a surprisingly simple way to extend the shelf life of fresh tomatoes. Most tomatoes will last about 10-15 days before going unappealingly squishy. The enhanced tomatoes last 45 days or more and are firmer than unmodified tomatoes, which I imagine makes for [...]... Read more »
Meli, V., Ghosh, S., Prabha, T., Chakraborty, N., Chakraborty, S., & Datta, A. (2010) Enhancement of fruit shelf life by suppressing N-glycan processing enzymes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0909329107
- January 22, 2010
- 01:31 AM
- 1,416 views
Those naughty plants!
by Anastasia Bodnar in Biofortified
Many people, including me, are concerned about potential harm to crop biodiversity from gene flow. Most people’s concern focuses on transgenics. There is a certain probability, albeit small, that transgenes will end up in the progeny of non-transgenic plants, weedy relatives of the crop, or wild relatives that grow nearby due to pollen flow. Transgenes can also be moved from place to place by accidental or purposeful movement of seeds. How much transgene flow is actually happening is a subject of some controversy, but that’s not what I want to talk about in this post.
What I’ve been wondering for a long time is why people aren’t concerned about gene flow between non-transgenic plants. There is potential for problems whenever plants that aren’t supposed to cross stray from their intended mates. Some things to think about include how gene flow happens at the field and genetic levels and what characteristics of the genes themselves can affect permanence of contaminating genes once they get into a variety they shouldn’t be in.
Read more on Those naughty plants!…
... Read more »
Chen LJ, Lee DS, Song ZP, Suh HS, & Lu BR. (2004) Gene flow from cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) to its weedy and wild relatives. Annals of botany, 93(1), 67-73. PMID: 14602665
Shivrain VK, Burgos NR, Gealy DR, Sales MA, & Smith KL. (2009) Gene flow from weedy red rice (Oryza sativa L.) to cultivated rice and fitness of hybrids. Pest management science, 65(10), 1124-9. PMID: 19530257
Mercer, K., & Wainright, J. (2008) Gene flow from transgenic maize to landraces in Mexico: An analysis. Agriculture, Ecosystems , 123(1-3), 109-115. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2007.05.007
- December 7, 2008
- 10:08 PM
- 1,124 views
Role of science literacy in society
by Anastasia Bodnar in Clashing Culture
What makes for a healthy society? In today’s world, critical thinking and understanding of basic science must be at the top of the list. It seems reasonable that people with a higher degree of science literacy would have better prospects regarding jobs and such, but perhaps that isn’t so important. I think that people with [...]... Read more »
Gregory S. Paul. (2005) Cross-National Correlations of Quantifiable Societal Health with Popular Religiosity and Secularism in the Prosperous Democracies. Journal of Religion . DOI: http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/pdf/2005-11.pdf
Gary F. Jensen,. (2006) Religious Cosmologies and Homicide Rates among Nations. Journal of Religion . DOI: http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/pdf/2006-7.pdf
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