(NZ) Security fears part of the job for AgResearch staff

July 6, 2001

Security fears part of the job for AgResearch staff 02 July 2001

Waikato Times, New Zealand

BOYESphoto:

Lab Work: AgResearch scientist Goetz Laible has taken over as head of the

GM calves project. Stephen Barker/Waikato Times.

Goetz Laible often thinks about his personal security.

Heading a project which has been dubbed by media as the " human genes

in cows experiment " , he says there will always be differing points ofview.

But recent attacks at AgResearch, including one where a molotov

cocktail was thrown over a security fence, and graffiti attacks on

former AgResearch scientist Phil L'Hullier's home, have staff like Dr

Laible on their toes.

Organisers of last week's animal research conference in Hamilton said

the graffiti attacks on Mr L'Hullier's home were one reason why the

scientist who used to head the GM calves experiment left the country,

leaving Dr Laible to take over.

" Security has always been an issue right from the beginning,

especially in the genetics area. It is always in the back of my mind. "

With four live female calves carrying synthetic copies of the human

gene myelin at the Hamilton centre Dr Laible says security is tight.

Concerns about Britian's Animal Liberation Front activists during last

week's animal research conference in Hamilton, meant AgResearch

stepped up security.Every car is checked before it can enter the Ruakura

centre.

The 41-year-old scientist, originally from Germany, says it will be

two years before scientists knew if the GM calves experiment is

successful and four calves is not enough to carry it out successfully.

His team is already working towards producing more animals from

different cell lines.

Of the seven calves born at the centre over the last month two were

stillborn and one broke its back during calving.

Dr Laible completed his doctorate in Germany. He says security was

also an issue there.

From there he moved to the US where he worked on gene regulation in

plants, then on to to Vienna where he started work on gene regulation

in mammals.

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