Genetically Modified E. coli?

Friday, May 29th, 2009

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This should go into the “you’ve got to be kidding” category . . .

Debate rages over the safety of genetically modified foods, usually concerning such mass farmed products as corn, soy, and tomatoes. But what about genetically modified foodborne pathogens, like E. coli? The Wall Street Journal once again gives us food for thought in Jeanne Whalen’s article on DIY “biohacking.”

A recent trend among scientifically-minded hobbyists is the manipulation of mail-ordered DNA and the development of new life forms. DNA and the equipment necessary to modify it can easily be purchased online, and a make-shift lab can be set up in a closet, garage, kitchen…virtually anywhere. Many who operate these at-home labs claim that the new strains of bacteria, viruses, or other living things that they create can be useful for pertinent research, and may lead to great discoveries like a cancer cure.

Others argue that this activity is dangerous: too much can go wrong. Volatile creations that escape the confines of the lab may breed as-yet-unknown diseases, and materials in the wrong hands become agents of bioterrorism. Those who fear such grisly repercussions lobby for stronger regulation of genetic materials availability.

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Tags: bacteria viruses, bioterrorism, cancer cure, debate rages, e coli, food for thought, genetic materials, great discoveries, Innovation, pathogens, pertinent research, repercussions, wall street journal

This entry was posted on Friday, May 29th, 2009 at 12:51 pm and is filed under Innovation We Don't Need. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Richard J. Arsenault says:
May 30th, 2009
3:32 pm

Thanks so much for calling attention to our blog and to the strange-but-true issue of “genetically modified E. coli.” As we said in the report, potential regulation of DNA-purchase availability is a gray issue. Inhibiting the sale of such home-lab resources may create a slippery slope towards excessive limitations on innovative entrepreneurs. On the other hand, even the most experienced and well-intentioned scientist is not immune to accidents, and the release into the environment of volatile pathogens cooked up in an unregulated home lab is too dangerous a risk to ignore.

Industrial farming has done enough already to promote the evolution of new strains of microorganisms beyond our ability to contain. The human risk of infection with one of the most dangerous foodborne pathogens, E. coli O157:H7, is directly related to a food industry whose efficiency-over-quality paradigm makes little room for attention to cleanliness and safety.

We’d love to see innovative efforts that contribute to food safety and the related fields of environmental and public health, and we’ll keep watching your blog for more info. Thanks again for encouraging awareness and discussion of such a vital topic!

saravanan says:
June 13th, 2009
10:22 am

Here i have seen the website on recent innovation of genetically modified, in that i have visited page on INNOVATIONTORONTO. here i could not get any material regarding recent research. so kindly give me recent research and also recent innovation of biotechnological approaches.