SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
Developing Genetically Modified Crops Requires Skill, Luck and Caution
from the Washington Post
Depending on whom you listen to, genetically modified crops are
either ungodly Frankenfoods unfit for even a house pet or our only hope
against famine in a post-climate-change world. Putting aside all the
shouting, it's interesting to examine how scientists modify plant genes.
This is the story of how ordinary crops become transgenic crops.
The first step in the process is finding a useful gene. (In most
cases, genetic modification involves adding genes to a plant rather than
removing or disabling genes.) These discoveries can be serendipitous.
Scientists around the globe are working furiously to map the species's
genomes. In some cases, they stumble across something useful, such as a
gene that produces a fungus-fighting protein.
But multinational agricultural companies aren't just hoping for some
nerd in a university laboratory to get lucky. Instead, they're spending
huge sums hunting for genes that might fulfill pressing agricultural
needs. This usually involves turning off or enhancing genes and
observing the consequences. Does the change create pesticide tolerance?
Does the fruit ripen more quickly? Those are indications that the gene
could be promising.
Read more...
Science in the Media
Newspapers:
Magazines and Web Sites:
The Science-Media Intersection:
Sign Up
... for Sigma Xi SmartBrief, a free daily summary of the latest news in scientific research, delivered straight to your in-box. Each story is summarized concisely and linked directly to the original source for further reading.
Click here to subscribe.
Subscribe to Our Content!
Visit our RSS Feeds page to choose among 13 customized feeds, or create a free My AmSci account to request an email notice whenever a specified author, department or discipline appears online.
Sending...
Your email has been sent