#GMO The Pros and Cons of GMOs
Are GMOs bad for you?Disclaimer - I have no interests in any company that makes GMOs. None of my laboratory research is supported by that industry. I am just a fanatic about using science for the good of humanity and fighting junk science and the spreading of non-scientific beliefs. Because this blog is meant for non-scientists, I try not to use jargon. For those interested in greater detail, please feel free to ask questions in the comments section. For those interested in insulting me for my opinions (as has happened in other forums), I will simply delete them.
First - What are GMOs?Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are nothing new. What is relatively new is the way in which new genes are being intentionally transferred to provide some benefit to the property of the plant, animal, or microorganism. Second - What scares some people about GMOsMaking new GMOs is a method that is being used as a new (thus scary) way to modify foods. This brings up some questions: 1- Are GMOs used for food bad for human or animal health? 2 - Are there other effects of GMOs that can cause harm?
The answersAre GMOs used for food bad for human or animal health? The answer is that at the time this is written no peer-reviewed (meaning reviewed by unbiased experts) publications have shown that GMO foods cause illness any more than other foods. In other words, some people are allergic or have other bad reactions to some foods and unless a person is particularly affected by the change caused by the genetic modification, there is no difference. But, crossing two varieties of tomatoes is actually more likely to introduce changes than adding a gene (even a foreign one) to one variety.
What's that about a foreign gene? Yes, genes from other species are sometimes used in making GMOs. Is this dangerous? Actually, this is going on inside you right now. Genes from gut bacteria are getting transferred into your intestinal cells and the bacteria are getting some of yours! Oh my! Well the reality is that a bad effect is very unlikely because most of the new DNA will do nothing and if it did result in a new protein being made in the cell that caused harm, the cell would probably commit suicide. So, it really isn't that easy to make a GMO. When scientists are successful, they go through a huge amount of testing for safety. What is also interesting is that a some of the new proteins made by GMO plants are already used by farmers to prevent insects and microorganisms from killing the plants and have been thoroughly evaluated for safety by government agencies.
Are there other effects of GMOs that can cause harm? The answer to this is a qualified yes! But, this is not about health. Rather, GMO seeds are being made that produce sterile plants. If those plants even make seeds, the seeds will not grow into a new plant. How is that bad? Well, folks this is where my scientist's hat comes off and I speak only as a citizen. Companies are entitled to make a profit on the technology they invent. The problem is when that establishes a monopoly. As this blog does also deal with science policy, I will state here that it is my opinion that monopolies are not good. This is why patent law exists. It allows time for a profit to be made, but not to go on indefinitely.
Now, putting back on my scientist's hat, there is another potential problem with GMOs that is easily addressed. That is biodiversity. What? Simply, if a GMO crop is so superior to others so that it spreads to other fields, it will take over from other varieties. But, if the seeds produce sterile plants, this cannot happen! Okay, what about GMOs that don't produce sterile plants? That's more of a problem, but what is needed is to make certain that the advantage provided by the modification is given to multiple varieties so that they compete as well as the non-GMO varieties did.
Final thoughtsI have no idea what food I eat is GMO and what isn't. Do I care? Well, out of curiosity I'd like to know, but I'm not worried if I don't. I so think that labeling food as being GMOs so that those that insist on eating only "organic" can choose not to eat them is okay. What I worry about in eating food is that it is clean, particularly free of those "organic" things like Salmonella, and that it tastes good.
First - What are GMOs?Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are nothing new. What is relatively new is the way in which new genes are being intentionally transferred to provide some benefit to the property of the plant, animal, or microorganism. Second - What scares some people about GMOsMaking new GMOs is a method that is being used as a new (thus scary) way to modify foods. This brings up some questions: 1- Are GMOs used for food bad for human or animal health? 2 - Are there other effects of GMOs that can cause harm?
The answersAre GMOs used for food bad for human or animal health? The answer is that at the time this is written no peer-reviewed (meaning reviewed by unbiased experts) publications have shown that GMO foods cause illness any more than other foods. In other words, some people are allergic or have other bad reactions to some foods and unless a person is particularly affected by the change caused by the genetic modification, there is no difference. But, crossing two varieties of tomatoes is actually more likely to introduce changes than adding a gene (even a foreign one) to one variety.
What's that about a foreign gene? Yes, genes from other species are sometimes used in making GMOs. Is this dangerous? Actually, this is going on inside you right now. Genes from gut bacteria are getting transferred into your intestinal cells and the bacteria are getting some of yours! Oh my! Well the reality is that a bad effect is very unlikely because most of the new DNA will do nothing and if it did result in a new protein being made in the cell that caused harm, the cell would probably commit suicide. So, it really isn't that easy to make a GMO. When scientists are successful, they go through a huge amount of testing for safety. What is also interesting is that a some of the new proteins made by GMO plants are already used by farmers to prevent insects and microorganisms from killing the plants and have been thoroughly evaluated for safety by government agencies.
Are there other effects of GMOs that can cause harm? The answer to this is a qualified yes! But, this is not about health. Rather, GMO seeds are being made that produce sterile plants. If those plants even make seeds, the seeds will not grow into a new plant. How is that bad? Well, folks this is where my scientist's hat comes off and I speak only as a citizen. Companies are entitled to make a profit on the technology they invent. The problem is when that establishes a monopoly. As this blog does also deal with science policy, I will state here that it is my opinion that monopolies are not good. This is why patent law exists. It allows time for a profit to be made, but not to go on indefinitely.
Now, putting back on my scientist's hat, there is another potential problem with GMOs that is easily addressed. That is biodiversity. What? Simply, if a GMO crop is so superior to others so that it spreads to other fields, it will take over from other varieties. But, if the seeds produce sterile plants, this cannot happen! Okay, what about GMOs that don't produce sterile plants? That's more of a problem, but what is needed is to make certain that the advantage provided by the modification is given to multiple varieties so that they compete as well as the non-GMO varieties did.
Final thoughtsI have no idea what food I eat is GMO and what isn't. Do I care? Well, out of curiosity I'd like to know, but I'm not worried if I don't. I so think that labeling food as being GMOs so that those that insist on eating only "organic" can choose not to eat them is okay. What I worry about in eating food is that it is clean, particularly free of those "organic" things like Salmonella, and that it tastes good.
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