Genes Inserted Into Crops Will Spread Into the Wild.

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Genes Inserted Into Crops Will Spread Into the WildUnintended Consequences May Come About as a ResultBy United Press International, 8/13/2002 9:46:21 AM http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?46c4e9da-98af-46cf-ba8d-c5946d59ca38 Genes Inserted Into Crops Will Spread Into the Wild Unintended Consequences May Come About as a Result Steve Mitchell (Excerpts) TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Researchers have demonstrated that genetically modified crop plants can spread their new genes to wild plants, with

unpredictable and possibly uncontrollable effects, they announced Thursday. The researchers studied sunflowers into which a transgene called Bt was inserted. The gene was taken from the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis that produces chemicals toxic to certain insects. Mimicking the action of natural pollinators, they hand-transferred pollen from the Bt-containing sunflowers to wild plants. When they examined subsequent generations of the wild plants, they found the Bt transgene, meaning if these genetically modified sunflowers were planted in open fields, insects could spread their modification to nearby wild populations of flora. "Many genetically modified cultivated crops could potentially crossbreed with weeds," said Ohio State University's Allison Snow, co-author of the study. "Weeds are already hardy plants. The addition of transgenes could just make them tougher." Snow explained if

insect resistance genes find their way into wild plants, they may at first appear to have a beneficial effect. Yet such an effect also means the genes would spread throughout the wild plant population. "Once you put a gene into a crop like sunflower ... it will get out into the wild plant populations and it could potentially make them much more abundant," Snow said. This is because the wild plants "grow larger and make more seeds because they are not getting chewed on by insects." The environmental impact of such a development is unknown, Snow said. "The genes will spread and you can't ever take them back, so you have to know is it safe to have them out there. It's both promising but also kind of frightening because what if people make mistakes and you can't take it back," she said. The moth and butterfly species whose larvae depend primarily on the sunflowers for food potentially could be wiped out, she said. The

spread of the Bt gene also could impact other species that depend on the plants for food and a chain reaction could begin because any species depending on the moths, butterflies or other affected organisms also could be disturbed. Snow cautioned that as of yet it is uncertain what effects unleashing genetically modified plants on the environment might cause because no studies have been done to assess that. "One seemingly small manipulation of a species could create a cascading harmful effect on other species," he said. That is why FOE wants "a full range of environmental as well as health safety testing of engineered organisms before they are released." FOE does not necessarily oppose genetically engineered foods, Bohlen said, the group just wants to ensure they are safe to the environment as well as to humans. "Genetically engineered foods are like nuclear energy," he said. "The risk of something

happening is somewhat low but a bad outcome would be catastrophic." The Bush administration, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration last week proposed new regulations regarding these foods. The proposal essentially calls for allowing low-levels of unapproved genetically engineered material in food crops. "That's of deep concern because it means StarLink could have been allowed into the food supply," Bohlen said. StarLink is a genetically modified corn approved for use in animal feed that accidentally found its way into several different human food products in 2000 and created concerns about the possibility it could induce allergies in some people. Bohlen also criticized the new proposal because it only calls for voluntary, not mandatory, submission of test data from biotech companies developing these genetically modified foods. "This

practice of letting companies police themselves has got to stop," he said. Reported by Steve Mitchell, UPI Medical Correspondent, in Washington. Copyright 2002 by United Press International. All rights reserved. "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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