SynBio, Gene Editing and Other New Stuff: Same Concerns, Supersized.
SynBio, Gene Editing, CRISPR…
New words like “synthetic biology,” “GMOs 2.0,” “CRISPR,” and “new biology” are being heard. And new compounds are in our fragrances, flavourings, cosmetics and foods.
The new words are for new techniques of genetic engineering. What are the techniques and their products, and should we be concerned?
New Techniques
The old techniques of genetic engineering (GMOs 1.0) dealt with organisms, and inserted genes by either blasting them into an organism or transferring them via a virus. This was not very precise.
1. Gene Editing. A new technique is called “gene editing”. It is more on target. It can cut the genetic code of organisms with greater precision, insert new code, remove a code and swap out genes with others. Tools used in gene editing include “CRISPR-Cas9”, “Zinc Finger Nucleus” and “TALEN”.
2. Synthetic Biology. Another new technique is the creation of genetic code from scratch, without involving living organisms. This is called “synthetic …Read More
TO THE SALMON CONSUMER: I’M NOT BUYING IT.
Image: AquaBounty Technologies
Salmon that has been genetically modified to grow faster has been approved.
Health Canada states:
“in every other way, the AquaAdvantage salmon is identical to other farmed salmon.”
Not true. For one, it has higher levels of the growth hormone IGF-1[i] [ii], which is tied to several common cancers, including prostate, breast, colorectum and lung[iii]. For another, some GM salmon show a statistically significant increase (1.5 fold) in allergen content. Lastly, the eggs are pressure shocked to produce an abnormality so that they aren’t fertile.
I’m not eating that fish. Would you eat that fish?
And these three points on GM salmon are set out in Health Canada’s own document[iv]. So how can Health Canada approve the fish? Simple: it is silent on these points or it accepts the explanations presented by AquaBounty that the points aren’t “relevant”:
On the finding of higher levels of IGF-1, Health Canada accepts this is “not toxicologically …Read More
