GMO Research
Abstract: The increasing number of commercialized GM crops and the growing need for authenticity control of raw materials, feeds and foods set an urgent necessity for the development of sensitive, reliable and cost-effective methods for GMO detection. In the present study, a novel multiplex PCR method for the simultaneous detection of all EU-authorized genetically modified …
Abstract: The effects of the herbicide Roundup® (glyphosate) on natural marine microbial communities were assessed in a 7-day field experiment using microcosms. Bottles were maintained underwater at 6 m depth, and 10% of their water content was changed every other day. The comparison of control microcosms and surrounding surface water showed that the microcosm system …
Abstract: Genetic transformation of plants often results in multiple copies of the introduced DNA at a single locus. To ensure that only a single copy of a foreign gene resides in the plant genome, we used a strategy based on site-specific recombination. The transformation vector consists of a transgene flanked by recombination sites in an …
Abstract: Our bloodstream is considered to be an environment well separated from the outside world and the digestive tract. According to the standard paradigm large macromolecules consumed with food cannot pass directly to the circulatory system. During digestion proteins and DNA are thought to be degraded into small constituents, amino acids and nucleic acids, respectively, …
Abstract: Literature on maternal exposures and the risk of epigenetic changes or diseases in the offspring is growing. Paternal contributions are often not considered. However, some animal and epidemiologic studies on various contaminants, nutrition, and lifestyle‐related conditions suggest a paternal influence on the offspring’s future health. The phenotypic outcomes may have been attributed to DNA …
Abstract: Transgene integration in plants transformed by either Agrobacterium or direct DNA delivery methods occurs through illegitimate recombination (IR). The precise mechanism(s) for IR-mediated transgene integration and the role of host double-strand break repair enzymes remain unknown. A recent wealth of sequenced transgene loci and investigations aimed at genetically dissecting transgene integration mechanism(s) have provided …
Abstract: The acute toxicity of two herbicide formulations, namely, the 57.71 % dicamba (DIC)-based Banvel® and the 48 % glyphosate (GLY)-based Credit®, alone as well as the binary mixture of these herbicides was evaluated on late-stage Rhinella arenarum larvae (stage 36) exposed under laboratory conditions. Mortality was used as an endpoint for determining acute lethal …
Abstract: The genotoxic effects of 2,4-D and its commercial derivative 2,4-D DMA were studied by measuring sister chromatid exchange (SCE), cell-cycle progression and mitotic index in human whole blood (WBC) and plasma leukocyte cultures (PLC). Concentrations of 10, 25, 50 and 100 microg herbicide/ml were used during 72 h. In WBC, a significant increase in …
Abstract: Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the pervasive herbicide, Roundup, and its usage, particularly in the United States, has increased dramatically in the last two decades, in step with the widespread adoption of Roundup®-Ready core crops. The World Health Organization recently labelled glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic.” In this paper, we review the research literature, …
Abstract: An investigation was carried out to monitor the escape and spread of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) transgenic plants and the introgression of transgenes to its closely related feral species in Japan. We screened a total of about 7500 feral B. napus, 300 B. rapa, and 5800 B. juncea seedlings from maternal plants in 143 …
Abstract: One of the most discussed environmental effects associated with the use of transgenic plants is the flow of genes to plants in the environment. The flow of genes may occur through pollen since it is the reproductive system that is designed for gene movement. Pollen-mediated gene escape is hard to control in mating plants. Pollen …
Text: A new report has criticized the federal government for its “scientifically unjustifiable” approach to the regulation of genetically modified (GM) products. The report, by a 15-member expert panel of the Royal Society of Canada, was commissioned by the federal government in November 1999 to investigate potential risks posed by biotech products. The director general …
Abstract: This paper discusses the ethical and regulatory issues raised by “intragenics” – organisms that have been genetically modified using gene technologies, but that do not contain DNA from another species. Considering the rapid development of knowledge about gene regulation and genomics, we anticipate rapid advances in intragenic methods. Of regulatory systems developed to govern …
Abstract: The photo-inducible cytogenetic toxicity of glyphosate, atrazine, aminomethyl phosphoric acid (AMPA), desethyl-atrazine (DEA), and their various mixtures was assessed by the in vitro micronucleus assay on CHO-K1 cells. Results demonstrated that the cytogenetic potentials of pesticides greatly depended on their physico-chemical environment. The mixture made with the four pesticides exhibited the most potent cytogenetic …
Abstract: The construct inserted in YieldGard MON810 maize, produced by Monsanto, contains the CaMV 35S promoter, the hsp70 intron of maize, the cryI(A)b gene for resistance to lepidopterans and the NOS terminator. In a previous work a truncation event at the 3′ end of the cryI(A)b gene leading to the complete loss of the NOS …
Abstract: Latin America is a key area for the expansion of genetically modified agriculture. Monsanto’s herbicide, Roundup, with glyphosate as its active ingredient, is heavily sprayed as an essential part of the GM model. Since half of Monsanto’s revenue comes from its Roundup products, the company has a significant investment in promoting glyphosate’s safety, as …
Abstract: The increasing global market of genetically modified (GM) crops amplifies the potential for unintentional contamination of food and feed with GM plants. Methods proposed for disposal of crop residues should be assessed to prevent unintended distribution of GM materials. Composting of organic material is inexpensive and location-independent. The objective of this study was to …
Abstract: The acreage for genetically modified crops (GMOs)—particularly soybean—has steadily increased since 1996, when the first crop of Roundup Ready soybean (intended for food production) was grown. The Roundup Ready soybean varieties derive from a soybean line into which a glyphosate-resistant enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate-synthase (EPSPS) gene was introduced. The inserted and the flanking regions in Roundup Ready soybean …
Abstract: Tilapias (Oreochromis niloticus) were fed using transgenic soybean diets and non-transgenic soybean diets. Gastric contents, intestinal contents and faeces were sampled respectively from tilapias at 1h, 4h and 8h after feeding and different tissues of tilapias were collected at 4-, 7-week and continued hunger 2-week. DNA was extracted from these samples and the distribution …
Abstract: All the methods required for this study were adapted and put into place. These consisted of protocols for the use of male-sterile plants to estimate potential cross- pollination, recording airborne pollen using suction traps and impaction on static surfaces, recovering pollen from bees, microscopic identification of pollen types, DNA extraction and fingerprinting methods for …
Abstract: The in vivo and post mortem performance and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration in kids born from goats fed conventional (group C) or genetically modified (group T) soybean meal were evaluated. The goat colostrum quality, in terms of chemical composition, as well as immunoglobulin concentration, and the presence of feed DNA fragments were also …
Text: In recent years, genetically modified (GM) plants, whose DNA has been changed using genetic engineering techniques, are mainly used as foods for human and feeds and foods for farm animals. To date, a number of GM products have been approved for human consumption but concerns over safety persist, mainly as regards either the detection …
Abstract: Our original publication contained two separate conclusions derived from two methodological approaches. First, using PCR, we detected the presence of three distinct transgenic DNA sequences in maize landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico. Second, we attempted to establish the genomic context of transgene insertion using i-PCR. The criticisms raised by Metz and Fütterer and by Kaplinsky …
Abstract: Powerful scientific techniques have caused dramatic expansion of genetically modified crops leading to altered agricultural practices posing direct and indirect environmental implications. Despite the enhanced yield potential, risks and biosafety concerns associated with such GM crops are the fundamental issues to be addressed. An increasing interest can be noted among the researchers and policy …
Abstract: This study shows that a diet including insect-resistant Bt176 maize, fed to 53 ewes and their progeny for 3 years, did not have adverse effects on their health or performance and that no horizontal gene transfer to ruminal microorganisms or animal tissues was detected. No differences were observed regarding performance, reproductive traits, haematological parameters, …
