Word: boosting
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...what happens when they don't work? Several years ago, a company developed a soybean with some genetic threads borrowed from the Brazil nut in an attempt to boost the bean's amino-acid content. The soy began acting like the nut--so much so that it churned out not just amino acids but also chemicals that can trigger allergies in nut-sensitive consumers. The company quickly scrapped the product. Last spring a study published by Cornell University showed that pollen from some strains of corn with built-in pesticides can kill the larva of the Monarch butterfly, a pest...
...research inevitably raises the possibility that healthy people will try to boost their performance or, even more likely, that of their children--a prospect that has bioethicists ruminating feverishly. (See following story...
Even so, Tsien has no plan to try tinkering with human genes--nor could he under current ethical guidelines. Drugs that can boost the action of the NR2B molecule, however, are not only ethical but already being contemplated. "Princeton has applied for a use patent for this gene," says Tsien, acknowledging his contacts with drugmakers, "although we wouldn't try to patent the gene itself...
Meanwhile, what are healthy souls in search of a quick boost to do? Consumers have little to go on other than manufacturers' claims and inconclusive research. Moreover, since ginkgo and other supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, potency and purity vary from brand to brand. Most troubling, however, is that few people read labels. The list of don'ts for ginkgo biloba include the warning that those taking aspirin or other blood thinners should first consult their physician. Why? Because ginkgo, which has anticlotting characteristics, when taken in combination with a blood thinner can cause internal...
...January of this year, Indonesia's new president, B. J. Habibie, attempted to boost his international credibility by offering East Timor a referendum on its status. In the August poll, 78 percent of the electorate chose independence, but pro-Indonesia militias ? backed by Indonesian military officers ? then launched a reign of terror against the pro-independence majority...