As long as we keep focused on the hazards to human health of GM foods, we're going to be tilting at windmills. It is very unlikely that any GM food will pose a direct threat to human health, short or long term.

The danger is to the environment and the traditional crop species. The sooner we recognize this, and act on it, the better.

AP - Can animal genes be jammed into plants? Would tomatoes with catfish genes taste fishy? Have you ever eaten a genetically modified food? The answers are: yes, no and almost definitely. But according to a survey, most Americans couldn't answer correctly even though they've been eating genetically modified foods — unlabeled — for nearly a decade.

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 00:00 /Agriculture | 0 writebacks | permanent link

Lot's of ag news today - and this is another biggie. Right now, the "treatment" for a herd that contracts hoof and mouth (it's more usual, although technically incorrect name) is destruction: kill every animal, infected or not. This always struck me as wasteful, since the disease is only rarely fatal, can't pass to humans and doesn't seem to effect the meat. But destruction was the order of the day.

If this develops into an effective, non-lethal, treatment it could save the livestock industry literally millions and millions of dollars every year.

A complete picture of Foot-and-Mouth Disease's key replication enzyme could lead to the development of new drugs to control the disease without recourse to vaccination or slaughter, scientists report today. By solving the structure of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) enzyme named '3C protease' scientists have taken an essential step towards developing protease inhibitors, a class of anti-viral drug that has proved hugely successful in controlling HIV.

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 00:00 /Agriculture | 0 writebacks | permanent link

This could prove to be a fascinating development. The impact that this could have on breeding programs (for both crops and livestock) could be huge - if it proves out.

Unchallenged since the early 1800s, the basic rules of plant evolution are being called into question by a new molecular biology study from Purdue University.

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 00:00 /Agriculture | 0 writebacks | permanent link

Mom's much better now - they have the fluid buildup under control and actually removed her heart monitor last night. That's always a good sign.

It was really touch-and-go Monday and Tuesday - I honestly figured she was taking her last trip when she went to the hospital, but, mercifully, it now appears that I was wrong. It's a real strain taking care of an elderly parent, more so even than taking care of 3 teenage girls. I can say that now, as I've now done both. I worried about my girls - car wrecks? boyfriends? but they managed to take pretty good care of themselves and emerge into adulthood alive and intact. Mom, on the other hand ...

One knows, intellectually, that all that live must someday die. But that sure doesn't help when dealing with the emotional reality. I was an only child, and have a grand total of two living cousins with whom I'm still in regular contact. For us, my Mom and my kids are my entire family - on Kris' side we have so many relations that it's hard to count (her mom and dad both had six or seven siblings).

And with my Mom at 81, it's only a matter of time before I have to plan a funeral. I just thank the gods that it wasn't this week.

Thanks to all who wrote or commented on this: prayers, meditations and good thoughts do help, even if only in the most ephemeral way. It's nice to know that others know, and care.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled ranting and raving ...

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 00:00 /Home | 0 writebacks | permanent link

You gotta wonder how often this has happened. After all, we're only going to hear about the ones that are detected, and to detect the differences in some of these requires a major investment in DNA sampling and comparison. Oh well, we'll find out someday ...

A major agrochemical firm says it accidentally distributed an experimental strain of genetically modified corn seed. The mishap went unnoticed for four years. By Amit Asaravala.

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 00:00 /Agriculture | 0 writebacks | permanent link