Frog genes spud spliced

GM potato uses frog gene to resist pathogens
*
*The tree frog Phyllomedusa bicolor produces chemicals with antibiotic properties from its skin
Wagdy Sawahel
28 July 2005
Source: SciDev.Net

A chemical that South American frogs excrete from their skin could protect potatoes and other crops from a range of diseases, according to biotechnologists in Canada.

Researchers at the University of Victoria inserted a modified frog gene into potato plants to make them produce the chemical.

The genetically modified (GM) potatoes showed resistance to infection by a broad range of disease-causing fungi and bacteria, including those responsible for diseases such as dry rot, late blight and pink rot.

Different species of frog produce different sets of chemicals, including some called dermaseptins, from their skin depending on the environment they inhabit. The chemicals help protect frogs from bacteria and other 'pathogens'.

www.scidev.net...

I can't see how this can be a good thing. There will come a moment when this kind of research and development is going to result in a huge disaster.

Monsanto is trying to patent the pig. See: ATS news link and
www.greenpeace.org...

I wonder where these pig genes will end up. In my sugar maybe or re-combined with fish gene enhanced tomatoes.

Will they stop there? Are electric eels next? Electric eel genes spliced to oleic acids (fat) as a diet aid, maybe. What next?

Crikey, time for a remake of "The Little Shop of Horrors" and "The Day of the Triffids".

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[edit on 2005/8/24 by Zadeh Redux]

Wouldn't this cause the people that eat these potatos to have certain antibiotics be ineffective to them? The overuse of antibiotics is already a big problem in medicine, if trough and because of the foodsupply this becomes even worse, then at long end we might end up with no effective antibiotics left.

Man, I hate GM foods.

Absolutely, thematrix.

If we start trying to fix all the problems normally asscociated with agriculture, i.e., the moulds, bacterias, viruses, in plants and soil that contribute to creating the human immune system then it seems to me that we would be making our bodies less resistant to other non-ag and mutating organisms.

I think good health is about conditioning in a way, making our systems stronger through natural exposure to mild or trace pathogens, not eliminating them.

And just how toxic would the potato skin itself be, anyway? Could sure put a crimp in sales of "Potato Skins and Cheese with (omg) Bacon Bits" from the menu at the local pub if you started turning black and bleeding from your ears, eyes and nose after a nosh.

And, seriously, imagine Dr. Moreau at a Monsanto subsidiary developing a gene from some bioelectric organism, adds it to various digestible oil sources, and gives the person who eats a shock! Talk about a weight loss program. Fat bearing foods would have to be labelled for voltage/amperage.

Or McDonalds splices firefly genes into the so-called chicken in their McNuggets. They glow in the dark at the late night window.

BTW I am only being a little tongue in cheek.

Finnally, This is extremely good news. Just think of all the lives that are being saved in third world countries because they now have germ free potatoes.

Originally posted by Vegemite
Finnally, This is extremely good news. Just think of all the lives that are being saved in third world countries because they now have germ free potatoes.

Erm, this isn't to make the food germfree for the consumor. Its to make the food resistant to germs to amplify the productivity of the crops.

Again productivity and money making is put above and before human welfare and health.

Originally posted by thematrix

Originally posted by Vegemite
Finnally, This is extremely good news. Just think of all the lives that are being saved in third world countries because they now have germ free potatoes.

Erm, this isn't to make the food germfree for the consumor. Its to make the food resistant to germs to amplify the productivity of the crops.

Again productivity and money making is put above and before human welfare and health.

I disagree. The more resistent potatoes are to bacteria the more there are to feed the population. Thus ending famine. You guys are just falling for the greenpeace propaganda.

[edit on 24-8-2005 by Vegemite]

Originally quoted by vegemite

Finnally, This is extremely good news. Just think of all the lives that are being saved in third world countries because they now have germ free potatoes.

Well, besides a few other worries I have concerning the nutritional value and health issues, you can be sure that the farmer/grower will not be permitted to carry over seed stock from harvest to harvest and will be required to purchase new seed potatoes for each planting.

No doubt the seed stock will be sold under licence.

There is/was a Colorado beetle resistant potato available. I planted some in my home garden a few years ago. They were more expensive than regular seed potatoes about twice the cost if I remember correctly.

I had a couple other varieties growing as well (Yukon Gold, Russet and some Idaho Red) and the beetles must have gotten confused because they started munching the resistant leaves, so they all got dusted.

I agree with thematrix that the development of resistant strains of ag products will not be primarily for the good of humanity but instead for the bottom line of the AgCompany. I imagine the U. of Vict. got a mighty good grant to carry out their R&D, as well.

The more resistent germs are to bacteria the more there are to feed the population.

You do know about adaptation right? Or is that just evolutionist propoogana?

Thus ending famine. You guys are just falling for the greenpeace propaganda.

And you sir are just falling for Monsanto's propoganda.

Talk to the people that matter, the farmers who are being stomped on by Monsanto right now. Greenpeace is fighting their battle because noone else will, because noone else cares.

And last but certainly not least.

We have enough food to end world famine, we need better distribution methods. And Distribution methods have absolutely nothing to do with GMO's. Why are we so stupid as a species that when something new comes along we say hell with the safety protocols and jump in headfirst. Remember X-Ray technology? Remember DDT(Another Monsanto product btw the DDT)? Remember Agent Orange?(Another Monsanto product)

Well hundreds of thousands of lives in Africa were lost because of malaria when Greenpeace pressured S. Africa to ban DDT. Then there are the thousands of africans dying of hunger because greenpeace influenced the leaders not to accept GM imports.

Perhaps this is just a money making scheme. But I hope people have enough sense to embrace the GM food that will increase the quality of life in poor nations

roflmao, Doctor's were actually the ones who pressured the banning of DDT after neurological damage was discovered in newborns. Do you due diligence before you make uneducated statements like that.