[DIYbio] Re: Uptake of food transgenes by guy bacteria

Patrick is exactly right.

 

One thing that people forget is that live Bt-expressing bacteria are sprayed on organic crops.  While the odds of a gut bacterium taking up genes from either source is slim, and even if they did wouldn't have any effect on the human body, it is more likely they would pick it up from another bacterium and not from a plant.  So, you can tell your students that if their goal is to avoid Bt-expressing gut bacteria they should avoid organic crops and opt for the GMOs.  Just sayin'.

 

If you are discussing how GMOs are made, you may want to point out all the genetically-modified crops which don't qualify as GMOS.  A "GMO" is defined as an organism which has had a gene inserted from another species.  This definition doesn't include gene knockouts, genes inserted from other cultivars of the same species, and most significantly organisms created by random mutagenesis.  In RM, seeds are irradiated with high levels of gamma irradiation until amost all are dead.  The survivors are mostly stunted and wonky, but once in a while you get one that shows increased yield or some other good trait.   There are thousands of cultivars of many types of crops which have been produced this way.  Because of the narrow legal definition, none of them count as GMOs.  It is unlikely anyone born after 1970 has ever eaten a non-RM wheat or soy cultivar. 

 

Good luck with your talk.  I hope you post here afterwards and let us know how it went.

 

Stacy