| | 22/December/20
| | CRISPR gene editing unintentionally causes changes in gene regulation A new scientific publication shows that CRISPR/Cas gene scissor applications in animals unintentionally leave traces. The findings, as commented on by Testbiotech, are not related to unintended changes in the DNA, which have often been described, but to gene regulation, i.e. epigenetics. The effects are heritable and may, for example, result in disruption of embryonic development. London-based molecular geneticist Dr Michael Antoniou said there are implications in the new findings for food safety of gene-edited plants. GMWatch Mexico confirms phase-out of GMO corn and glyphosate herbicides A decree has been released on Mexico’s National Commission for Regulatory Improvement (CONAMER) website that confirms a phase-out of use of both glyphosate and GM corn for human consumption in Mexico by 2024. The decree states that use of the herbicide glyphosate will be phased out over the next four years, although glyphosate will not be used in any government-sponsored program during that transition period. The draft also includes an article that requires the revocation of existing and future permits for both the cultivation of GMO corn and the use of GMO corn for human consumption. The use of GMO corn in human consumption would be phased out no later than January 31, 2024. Sustainable Pulse Are GM plants with Bt toxins 20 times more toxic than previously known? Data from Monsanto revealed that Bt proteins expressed in genetically modified (GM) plants are significantly more toxic than natural Bt toxins, reports Testbiotech. It is more than 30 years ago since, in 1990, Monsanto data first showed that if mixed with plant material from, e.g. soybeans, cotton and maize, toxicity could be up to 20 times higher. This is due to enzymes naturally present in the tissues of many crop plants. These findings were never taken into account by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It seems as if EFSA simply overlooked the relevant publications. GMWatch France's national railway company to stop using glyphosate Train company SNCF, which is normally France’s largest user of the controversial herbicide glyphosate, has announced that it has found a more natural alternative to keep its tracks clear of weeds and vegetation. SNCF typically uses between 35 to 38 tonnes of glyphosate per year along its 30,000 km of tracks, platforms, and land, making it France’s biggest user of the herbicide, at 0.4% of the total. [GMW: Unfortunately the replacement herbicide may present its own toxicity problems. It contains sulfonylurea, which is is linked to cases of human poisoning, and pelargonic acid. The latter has a low toxicity profile but some herbicides based on it are contaminated with heavy metals and carcinogenic compounds.] connexionfrance.com Will we ever learn the truth about China and the pandemic? Explosive emails from a group of top-level scientists and government doctors in the United States reveal one suggested Covid-19 could have originated from human activities rather than arising naturally from animals. Another asked if it might have been deliberately engineered. The documents also show that a key letter sent early in the pandemic from America’s top scientists to the White House had a line deleted that suggested the virus could have been "an unintentional release from a laboratory". These revelations come as evidence of China’s cover-up grows. Mail on Sunday US: Transhuman selfishness as governing principle The Transhumanist Party in 2020 nominated Ben Zion, to avoid running a candidate linked to Jeffrey Epstein, but rejected him after accusations of cannibalism. Meanwhile their founder, Zoltan Istvan, is upset he's not getting a COVID vaccine ahead of folk who "live in the ghetto". Center for Genetics and Society DONATE TO GMWATCH __________________________________________________________ Website: http://www.gmwatch.org
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