[DIYbio] Re: Stop Frankenfish?

A comment about engineering "toxins" in crops:

 

Certified organic farmers are allowed to use pesticides, just certain ones.  One of the pesticides they are allowed to use is Bt.  This is normally applied as live bacterial culture, which when eaten by insects disrupts their gut lining and kills them. It acts by binding to gut receptors, which are specific to the species of insect and the strain of Bt.  A farmer must know which type of insect they are attempting to kill so they can choose the correct strain.  Bt specific for beetles won't work on Leps, and sometimes even more specific than that.  No Bt has any effect on any vertebrate.  When humans eat crops with Bt on them, we just digest it and use the amino acids like we would any protein, which is why Bt is OK for organic use.

 

Point being, when the crop expressed the Bt instead of being sprayed with it, it has the same effect, to the target insects (kills them), and to us (nothing).  The word "toxin" scares the crap out of everyone, but remember it's the same stuff you're likely to get in organic produce and is harmless.