permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@bellsouth.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] Regulators Discover a Hidden Viral Gene In 
Commercial GMO Crops
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:53:59 -0500
From: J Latham <jrlatham@BIOSCIENCERESOURCE.ORG>

Published today (January 21st) in Independent Science News:
Regulators Discover a Hidden Viral Gene In Commercial GMO Crops
by Jonathan Latham and Allison Wilson
URL: 
http://independentsciencenews.org/commentaries/regulators-discover-a-hidden-viral-gene-in-commercial-gmo-crops/

Synopsis: A scientific paper published in late 2012 shows that US and EU 
GMO regulators have for many years been inadvertently approving 
transgenic events containing an unsuspected viral gene. As a result, 54 
different transgenic events commercialized internationally contain a 
substantial segment of the multifunctional Gene VI from Cauliflower 
Mosaic Virus (CaMV) within them. Among these are some of the most widely 
grown GMOs, including Roundup Ready Soybean (40-3-2) and MON810 Maize. 
The oversight occurred because regulators failed to appreciate that Gene 
VI overlaps the commonly used CaMV 35S gene regulatory sequence.
	The authors of the paper, working for the European Food Safety 
Authority, concluded that functions of Gene VI were potential sources of 
harmful consequences. They further concluded that, if expressed, the 
fragments of Gene VI are substantial enough for them to be functional 
(Podevin and du Jardin (2012) GM Crops and Food 3: 1-5). This discovery 
has multiple ramifications for biotechnology. Foremost, there is the 
immediate question of GMO safety and whether the 54 events should be 
recalled, but secondly, the failure implicates regulators and the 
industry in a circle of mutual incompetence and complacency.
	The discovery will also strengthen the argument for GMO labeling: if 
regulators and industry cannnot protect the public then why should they 
not be allowed to protect themselves?
Jonathan Latham, PhD

Editor
Independent Science News

www.independentsciencenews.org
and
www.bioscienceresource.org

jrlatham@bioscienceresource.org
Skype: jonathanlatham2
Tel: 1-607-319-0279