More GM Tinkering: Sticking Rabbit Genes into Poplars
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.16.07
A word of caution to those of you in the audience who deplore any- and everything GM-related: the content of this post may prove highly offensive/disturbing. Now that's not to say that TreeHugger approves of this type of genetic tinkering (in fact, we're not too fond of it ourselves) - we just think it has a place in the debate. For those of you still reading this - as you may have gathered from the title - a team of scientists from the University of Washington has shown that GM poplars (with a rabbit gene) can effectively break down industrial chemicals and explosives.
A team led by Sharon Doty inserted a gene that produces cytochrome P450 into several six-inch tall GM poplar cuttings and observed rates of removal of a chemical called trichloroethylene of up to 91%. Often used as an industrial degreaser, the potent ground water contaminant was reduced to a number of harmless byproducts - salt, water and carbon dioxide - at a rate 100 times as fast as in unaffected poplars.
In addition, the poplars were also able to break down a number of other environmental pollutants, including chloroform, vinyl chloride and carbon tetrachloride. While poplars are no strangers to the use of cytochrome P450 to eliminate contaminants, the rabbit gene allowed them to produce it at a much higher rate.
"In view of their large size and extensive root systems, these transgenic poplars may provide the means to effectively clean sites contaminated with a variety of pollutants at much faster rates and at lower costs than can be achieved with current conventional techniques," said Doty, who acknowledged that some people may feel uneasy about the prospects of having GM forests, let alone GM trees.
She explained that the poplars' faster growth rates and slow flowering made it less likely that the genes could be transferred to wild-type populations. "Our ultimate goal is to provide a more rapid way to reduce the amount of carcinogens, one that is affordable so many sites can be treated," she added, seeking to allay concerns. But is it worth it?
Via ::Guardian Unlimited: Trees with rabbit genes accelerate cleaning of soil (news website)
See also: ::GM Food Debates Heats Up with Global Warming, ::How Can We Make Sure We Stay GM Free? - The Observer Asks If We Have Become Complacent In The Battle To Keep Our Food Natural
Very clever
Give them all a medal
Then shout "WOULD YOU MIND TESTING THIS FOR 500 YEARS before YOU CHANGE ALL THE FORESTS??"
I am one of those that deplore the use of GM anything. My basis for objection is simply the infinite variables that we have not, and cannot, account for. The unknown consequences could be very detrimental. We have a hard time predicting weather (for the same reason), yet we feel safe to unleash a new set of intensly complex codes into the environemnt to mix with millions of other equally complex codes, none of which we understand and few of which we are even aware of, and hope things work out fine in order to clean up the pollution we continue to produce willfully?
Doctors warn us not to mix our medicines because the consequences are unknown, untested and unpredicatable. Scientists give the same warning about genetic engineering. This is why GE crops were shelved originally. We have the "power" to change nature, but we do not have the power to control it.
My second objection is that an application like this is band-aid technology. Constantly trying to find high-tech ways to fix the problems that high-tech creates is downright moronic.
That said, a rabbit-tree would be softer to hug.
lol
i'm sorry to laugh, but that comment is to awesome and perfect!
No this is not a good idea, its using the same mindset to solve the problem as was used to create the problem in the first place, as Einstein would say.
This sounds too much like the problem where you introduce a foreign species to prey on another problematic foreign species and ending up with with 2 problematic foreign species.
So, when the GMO poplars have cleaned up the mess what is then going to clean up the GMO poplars and fix any damage they may have caused? Seems like a repeating cycle.
I agree Alex, it's impressive, but it's another 'magic bullet'
And then there's this quote from the article
"However, biotech companies are fighting hard to keep two important loopholes in case GMOs cause environmental harm. They would be able to argue that, first, they held a permit to release the GMO and, second, that the state of scientific knowledge did not predict a harmful outcome at the time the crop was planted. Allowing these defences would mean that the taxpayer, not the company, would pay if GM crops damaged a protected site or species."
Brilliant! You tinker away with stuff you think you understand, then if it goes wrong you just say "sorry, we didn't think of that!"
did anyone read the article? this is the future.
how do you hope to clean up large-scale environmentally devastated areas? the only way to do it is with vegetation that does the work.
this research should be encouraged.
Hmmm... I take a more moderate view of GM plants than most people on this website. I think genetic engineering has a place in our future, and I support advances like this to a certain extent. HOWEVER we need to be EXTREMELY careful when introducing something like this to keep it from getting out of control. There may be unintended consequences and extensive testing ought to be done before these trees can be released.
There's one thing I don't understand though. One of the worst things about genetically modified stuff like this is gene pool pollution, correct? So why not make the genetically modified poplars unable to interbreed with the normal trees? Do we lack that level of control over their genes, or is it simply that companies are unwilling to spend the extra money such safeguards would cost?
Well, innovation with wisdom is still the best way. But my guess is that those of you against all things GM are forgetting that that kind of reactionary thinking is exactly why people won't think more green.
I think we need to remember that we caused the polltion in the first place so maybe we do need to help mothernature a little to fix it.
HOWEVER they need to do more testing on the effects on the environment, the fact that it is "less likely that the genes could be transferred to wild-type populations" is not good enough.
If poplars can clean up the pollution without being GM that would be much better we've already changed the earth enough we should stop polluting instead of looking for ways to clean up new pollution.
But my guess is that those of you against all things GM are forgetting that that kind of reactionary thinking is exactly why people won't think more green.
Well you have me convinced! Bring on Frankenfoods and duck-cats! Let's roll the dice and see what happens!
[/sarcasm]
If I had a dollar for every person who comes here and says, "People won't go green because you're blah blah blah," then I'd have enough money to buy the whole planet.
Green will never be a top value for the majority, so quit clutching your pearls about it and just do what needs to be done.
I hear they're working on putting dog genes into trees so they'll have a loud bark.
I feel guilty for pressing the 'intelligent and civil comment' button now, thanks.
You've got a point thesherm, but I feel it's better to be skeptical of 'progress' than blinded by it.
Just cos it's new & clever, doesn't mean it should leave the lab.
Perhaps we could put more of the rabbit genes in the tree and it could then jump about the countryside looking for areas to clean up and when they have cleaned up all the garbage they could invade our fields and start to clean up our crops, then world wide starvation and gangs forming to try to wipe out the marauding rabbit trees. Sorry is my imagination running around like a rabbit? What was it that they put in my salad?
MY, that quote is not part of this article. This is a research university, not a biotech company that is making these plants.