Word: monsanto
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...fears of those who think genetically altered bugs might behave unpredictably in the wild, setting off an ecological catastrophe or disrupting local ecosystems. Most scientists consider the public's fears exaggerated, but they nonetheless acknowledge the need for caution. Says David Drahos, a senior research group leader at Monsanto, the giant chemical maker that is sponsoring the Clemson test: "We are all in the process of learning something very new and wanting to do it wisely and carefully...
Indeed, the experiment represents an attempt by Monsanto to accommodate regulatory guidelines that many scientists think are too strict. It is also aimed at mollifying public fears. Monsanto had originally planned to test a strain of Pseudomonas altered to produce a natural insecticide. The EPA nixed the field test, mainly because its formal evaluation was incomplete. Still, worried residents living near the Missouri test site protested loudly...
...Monsanto scientists responded by changing the site to South Carolina and reformulating their strategy. Instead of using bacteria with the insecticide- producing gene, the company applied to release a strain engineered only to produce enzymes that enable it to digest lactose and X-Gal. Researchers could then detect the presence of migrating bacteria by dropping soil samples onto the lactose-based, X-Gal-laced growth medium...
...Rhizobium bacteria altered to boost their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. In one of the California ice- minus tests, however, scientists have been able to monitor the spread of anti- icing bacteria on potato plants. The marker system in this case was rifampicin resistance, less sensitive than Monsanto's multiple indicator but still able to detect the presence of as few as 100 bacteria in a handful of leaves. The bacteria were successful as well as trackable: ice-minus appears to reduce frost damage early in the growing season...
...longest jury trial in U.S. history -- a 44-month marathon -- finally ended last week in Belleville, Ill. The long-suffering twelve-member circuit court jury found Monsanto Co. guilty of failing to warn the town of Sturgeon, Mo., about the risk of a 1979 spill containing the toxic chemical dioxin. The jury ordered the chemical company to pay $16.2 million in damages, then left the courthouse to celebrate with Judge Richard Goldenhersh over margaritas and daiquiris at a nearby Mexican restaurant. Monsanto, meanwhile, announced that it will appeal...