Genetically engineered banana to go through first human trial

[webfact]

Genetically engineered banana to go through first human trial

AUSTRALIA: -- A super-enriched banana genetically engineered to improve the lives of millions of people in Africa will soon have its first human trial, which will test its effect on vitamin A levels, Australian researchers said Monday.

The project plans to have the special banana varieties - enriched with alpha and beta carotene which the body converts to vitamin A - growing in Uganda by 2020.

The bananas are now being sent to the United States, and it is expected that the six-week trial measuring how well they lift vitamin A levels in humans will begin soon, as AFP says in their report.

"Good science can make a massive difference here by enriching staple crops such as Ugandan bananas with pro-vitamin A and providing poor and subsistence-farming populations with nutritionally rewarding food," said project leader Professor James Dale.

Full story: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_06_16/Genetically-engineered-banana-to-go-through-first-human-trial-9981/


-- Voice of Russia 2014-06-16

[terryp]

GM no thanks....test on the poor or stupid people first...then see the real problems 20 years down the road

[ClutchClark]

Genetically Engineered.

Must be the new PC term for Genetically Modified?

As far as frankenfood technologies go, this one wasn't as bad as most since the genes they engineered into this variety came from another variety of banana with higher levels of Vitamin A...although I did not read where the carotene came from.

[leesgems]

GMO spelled backwards is OMG!!

[ClutchClark]

GM no thanks....test on the poor or stupid people first...then see the real problems 20 years down the road

Terry,

Not to worry--this trial in the US is going to be incredibly comprehensive and thorough and last a grueling 6-weeks.

Doesn't leave much room for error.

Edit: please note this message does attempt sarcasm ;-)

[Scott]

The Genetically engineering was done in Australia.

[332]

banana genetically engineered to improve the lives of millions of people in Africa

Racist!

Try giving one to African football players on tour in Italy.

[StefanBBK]

At first I missed the word "trial" and found the headline rather special..... I.e. one wonders what the outcome was.

I am very concerned about these attempts to modify nature. Why not simple cross bananas the old fashion way to get the desired results? Takes a bit longer, but is probably safer.

[Thakkar]

I got an email solicitation the other day, I swear from out of the blue, for a surgically engineered...oh, wait, never mind...it wasn't to do with bananas.

T

[newermonkey]

GM no thanks....test on the poor or stupid people first...then see the real problems 20 years down the road

Ok so your obviously the expert... What sort of "Problems" would that be ?

[newermonkey]

At first I missed the word "trial" and found the headline rather special..... I.e. one wonders what the outcome was.

I am very concerned about these attempts to modify nature. Why not simple cross bananas the old fashion way to get the desired results? Takes a bit longer, but is probably safer.

The old way has been happening for thousands of years, cross breeding, selective breeding etc... GmM just takes waway the pot luck and long waiting times.

I personally think its great and cant wait for GM to be acepted generally. Most people who are against it are the ones who have not read up on the subject.

[NanLaew]

I would have thought that the basic human trial would be to test the new bananas endurance in an upstairs bar on Patpong.

[BlackJack]

why does everything have to go to the USA to get approval

their FDA tests are controlled by big pharma

there is no way USA will let OZ be first to market with GM bananas

[bangon04]

I got an email solicitation the other day, I swear from out of the blue, for a surgically engineered...oh, wait, never mind...it wasn't to do with bananas.

T

well if the banana is tested and found to be no good for eating, they can trial it for other classic uses of a banana....

[Fullstop]

GM no thanks....test on the poor or stupid people first...then see the real problems 20 years down the road

Just to bring you up to speed...ALL bananas are genetically modified. Have been for centuries. They don't and cant reproduce naturally.

[exalll]

At first I missed the word "trial" and found the headline rather special..... I.e. one wonders what the outcome was.

I am very concerned about these attempts to modify nature. Why not simple cross bananas the old fashion way to get the desired results? Takes a bit longer, but is probably safer.

Crossing bananas in the old-fashioned way is modifying nature!

[Morch]

[Credo]

why does everything have to go to the USA to get approval

their FDA tests are controlled by big pharma

there is no way USA will let OZ be first to market with GM bananas

Take every chance available to have a US bash. The Bill & Melinda Gates foundation was the sponsor of the project. It was done in Australia. Selecting a site for testing would require that there is controls and other factors. I don't think Big Pharma is going to have much to do with this.

The Gates Foundation is not beholden to Big Pharma, that's for sure.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been deleted.

[ClutchClark]

At first I missed the word "trial" and found the headline rather special..... I.e. one wonders what the outcome was.

I am very concerned about these attempts to modify nature. Why not simple cross bananas the old fashion way to get the desired results? Takes a bit longer, but is probably safer.

The old way has been happening for thousands of years, cross breeding, selective breeding etc... GmM just takes waway the pot luck and long waiting times.

I personally think its great and cant wait for GM to be acepted generally. Most people who are against it are the ones who have not read up on the subject.

Some might argue that an insect never would have bred with a fish, even during an evening of Barry White and candles.

[ripstanley]

why does everything have to go to the USA to get approval

their FDA tests are controlled by big pharma

there is no way USA will let OZ be first to market with GM bananas

Take every chance available to have a US bash. The Bill & Melinda Gates foundation was the sponsor of the project. It was done in Australia. Selecting a site for testing would require that there is controls and other factors. I don't think Big Pharma is going to have much to do with this.

The Gates Foundation is not beholden to Big Pharma, that's for sure.

Very good point. The money is from the Gates foundation.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-14/genetic-banana-benders-fight-vitamin-a-deficiency/5523088

[leesgems]

Bananas are just the tip of the iceberg. Today's Genetically Modified Organisms are not the same as the old fashioned modifications whatsoever. The situation is far to huge to fully explain on here so I will just add a little food for thought. Many, many plants, trees, and insects are now altered by these new techniques but I will only mention corn for now.
95% of the corn in the USA is a now a GMO that contains bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterial poison that ruptures the bowels of insects when ingested. Much research that shows that it also causes tumors and other diseases in mammals is constantly being repressed. This corn is also resistant to Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round Up, a poison sold by Monsanto for billions of dollars in profit each year. Monsanto was also responsible for the production of Agent Orange so you know they are good at what they do.
Try researching GMO Hawaii if you want to see how those islands are no longer the paradise we once knew it as.
Millions of dollars are spent to keep GMO information away from consumers including the fight they are winning about food labels in the USA.
Former executives and lawyers of Monsanto are now in various positions of the US government. This is a deeply entrenched force.
With broad powers the Monsanto company has won thousands and thousands of acres of America's farmland by beating the small farmer in the lawyer game due to their patents and legislation they passed in their favor.
I recommend further research if you want to know what you are eating and what effect it is having on you. Best regards, Lee

[Robert2006]

Yes their really interested in helping African’s, I’m being sarcastic. I’ll bet the modification reduces fertility or something like that. I’ll put my faith in Mother Nature; I’ll never knowingly eat any GMO foods. Did anyone see the pictures of the mice feed GMO’s for 3 generations, absolutely frightening.

[leesgems]

Yes their really interested in helping African’s, I’m being sarcastic. I’ll bet the modification reduces fertility or something like that. I’ll put my faith in Mother Nature; I’ll never knowingly eat any GMO foods. Did anyone see the pictures of the mice feed GMO’s for 3 generations, absolutely frightening.

That might be the picture I saw, rats with tumors that made up about half their body weight.

[Robert2006]

Yes their really interested in helping African’s, I’m being sarcastic. I’ll bet the modification reduces fertility or something like that. I’ll put my faith in Mother Nature; I’ll never knowingly eat any GMO foods. Did anyone see the pictures of the mice feed GMO’s for 3 generations, absolutely frightening.

That might be the picture I saw, rats with tumors that made up about half their body weight.

Yes that’s the mouse study and humans are consuming GMO’s largely unknowingly because there mostly not labeled.

I read that GMO’s are designed so that when insects attack the crop and eat it the effect is that it destroys the bug’s intestine which kills the bug. Apparently it does the same in humans disrupting the intestines and the intestinal flora which is 80% of your immune system.

Also apparently the modification allows the plants to be sprayed with much more pesticides without killing the plant. Who the hell wants to eat that, it’s a freaking abomination!

[sscsamui]

GMO food are not Good for Humans and their digestive systems .. This Is a BAD thing.....Ban All GMO food

[Basil B]

GM no thanks....test on the poor or stupid people first...then see the real problems 20 years down the road

Just to bring you up to speed...ALL bananas are genetically modified. Have been for centuries. They don't and cant reproduce naturally.

That must be good news for a lot of women

[ClutchClark]

GM no thanks....test on the poor or stupid people first...then see the real problems 20 years down the road

Just to bring you up to speed...ALL bananas are genetically modified. Have been for centuries. They don't and cant reproduce naturally.

Fullstop, thanks alot for shedding light on this fact since I had no idea.

I just found this link that describes the unfortunate sex life of the banana a bit more. I can't vouch for the claims that are made but the historical context is interesting.

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0719-02.htm

[folium]

GM no thanks....test on the poor or stupid people first...then see the real problems 20 years down the road

Just to bring you up to speed...ALL bananas are genetically modified. Have been for centuries. They don't and cant reproduce naturally.

Fullstop, thanks alot for shedding light on this fact since I had no idea.

I just found this link that describes the unfortunate sex life of the banana a bit more. I can't vouch for the claims that are made but the historical context is interesting.

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0719-02.htm

Every domesticated plant or animal that provides us with foodstuffs or commodities has been genetically modified over time to create ideal production levels in terms of quantity and/or quality. Most landscapes you see around the world have been materially impacted by humans.

Welcome to the Anthropocene era, hopefully not the last one!

[leesgems]

GM no thanks....test on the poor or stupid people first...then see the real problems 20 years down the road

Just to bring you up to speed...ALL bananas are genetically modified. Have been for centuries. They don't and cant reproduce naturally.

Fullstop, thanks alot for shedding light on this fact since I had no idea.

I just found this link that describes the unfortunate sex life of the banana a bit more. I can't vouch for the claims that are made but the historical context is interesting.

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0719-02.htm

Every domesticated plant or animal that provides us with foodstuffs or commodities has been genetically modified over time to create ideal production levels in terms of quantity and/or quality. Most landscapes you see around the world have been materially impacted by humans.

Welcome to the Anthropocene era, hopefully not the last one!

The improvements to plants that man has made for thousands of years is more properly termed as 'selective breeding', rather than 'genetic modification'. Genetic modification entails rearranging the DNA of one species with another while selection breeding is simply saving the seeds from plants that have the desired characteristics and re-planting them over and over or mating animals together that have characteristics that we prefer.

Directly inserting traits from one organism's DNA into another has only been done during our lifetime and thus has not been proven to be safe.