GMW: State board OKs GM pharma algae on Big Island

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GMW: State board OKs GM pharma algae on Big Island

" GM WATCH " <info

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 20:14:56 +0100

 

 

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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1.State board OKs genetically modified microalgae on Big Island

2.Nancy Redfeather of Hawaii GEAN reports on what's happened

 

EXCERPTS FROM ITEM 2: This type of " field trial " of a biopharmaceutical

algae has never been attempted before in the United States. All

government agencies, FDA, USDA/APHIS, and the EPA had waived oversight

of the

trial.

 

Dr R. Malcolm Brown Jr., who holds a Chair in Plant Cell Biology at the

University of Texas at Austin, sent this message to the board: " Hawaii

is still the supreme ecosystem on earth to understand the dynamics of

evolution and natural selection. Let's not forever lose this opportunity

because a few commercial operations thoughtlessly tried to construct

mass scaleup of genetically modified organisms in Hawaii. "

 

Imaginative projections of future revenues and the

promise of a few medium paying jobs, was enough to convince the Board

to " weigh " the risks of

contamination of the algal environment and the

" perceived future benefits " to the economy.

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1.State board OKs genetically modified microalgae on Big Island

By Associated Press

http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=5647

 

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) - The state Board of Agriculture gave its

approval today to test and grow a genetically modified microalgae at a

lab

near Kona.

 

Mera Pharmaceuticals will begin the process immediately to import the

microalgae from a California laboratory, even as opponents seek to block

the permit. The permit was approved on a six-to-two vote after nearly

three hours of testimony and an hour of discussion.

 

Henry Curtis, executive director of Life of the Land, told the board

that the nonprofit organization will file for a contested case hearing.

 

The majority of those who testified were against the project and were

concerned about unintentional releases of the organism.

 

Officials from Mera told the board that the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

microalgae is harmless to humans and has no potential to contaminate the

food chain.

 

Mera seeks to develop the algae into drugs to treat asthma,

inflammations and cancer.

 

The algae will be grown at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii

Authority.

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2.Nancy Redfeather of Hawaii GEAN reports

 

Dear GM Watch,

 

Yesterday, the Board of the Hawaii Department of

Agriculture approved a permit for Mera and Rincon

Pharmaceuticals to begin importing immediately 7

strains of genetically engineered algae into Kona on

the island of Hawaii to be grown in an outdoor

phytobioreactor system at Keahole Point at the state's aquaculture park

NELHA. These strains of

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were engineered with 7

different monoclonal human antibodies, hormones, and interleukins.

 

This type of " field trial " of a biopharmaceutical algae has never been

attempted before in the United States. All government agencies, FDA,

USDA/APHIS, and the EPA had waived oversight of the trial.

 

Native Algal systems have not been well

documented, and basic knowledge of algal systems and their relationship

to the eco-foundations of life were not well understood by the public

or the board. Mera and Rincon's last minute attempt to conduct basic

environmental experiments of survivability was well received by the Board

of Agriculture. No peer reviewed studies or studies of any kind

proving their claims of " no harm to the environment or human health " were

included in the proposal to HDOA.

 

Written and oral testimony by the public was

overwhelming opposed to the project, but after 3 1/2 hours the board

decided to approve the project

ignoring testimony and reports by a number of local

and mainland scientists and algae experts including R. Malcolm Brown

Jr., the Johnson and Johnson Centennial Chair in Plant Cell Biology at

the University of Texas at Austin, Professor Joe Cummins and Mae-Won Ho,

Doug Sherman, Marti Crouch, and local algae experts from UH

Manoa and the State Biologist and Maui County District Health Officer.

 

Imaginative projections of future revenues and the

promise of a few medium paying jobs, was enough to convince the Board

to " weigh " the risks of

contamination of the algal environment and the

" perceived future benefits " to the economy.

 

Dr. Brown's message to the board that " Hawaii is still the supreme

ecosystem on earth to understand the dynamics of evolution and natural

selection. Let's not forever lose this opportunity because a few

commercial operations thoughtlessly tried to construct mass scaleup of

genetically modified organisms in Hawaii, " fell on deaf ears. It was

indeed a

sad day for the native algae of Hawaii island.

 

Aloha,

 

Nancy Redfeather - Hawaii GEAN

 

 

 

 

 

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