Genetic Engineering Mistakes "Genie in
Bottle": ...
OTC 14.10.97 12:19
BRUSSELS (Oct. 14) XINHUA - Many mistakes are occurring in the
laboratory and the environment as a result of genetic
engineering, but the warning signs are being largely ignored,
Greenpeace's European Unit alleged in a report published today.
Entitled Genetic Engineering: Too Good to Go Wrong? the report
is the first compilation of a number of different genetic
engineering developments around the world which have produced
quite unexpected and often alarming results.
The results include genetically engineered bacteria, which
unexpectedly killed beneficial soil fungi, escaped into sewers
through human error and unanticipated pathways, and have become
toxic to plants or survived when they weren't expected to.
Author of the report, Doug Parr, said it shows that things will
inevitably go wrong in genetic engineering against all the best
predictions.
As genetic engineering deals with living organisms which
reproduce, and as most of the industry is focused on engineering
plants for agricultural applications, the mistakes will be very
difficult to control once out in the fields, he added.
"It's like the genie in the bottle: once it's out, you
cannot put it back. There is very little appreciation of the
inherent unpredictability of the science of genetic engineering.
Already there are too many cases of things going wrong,"
said Parr.
Susan Leubuscher of Greenpeace's European Unit in Brussels said,
"the science of genetic engineering is unpredictable, but
few, from scientists to governments, dare raise the fact that
today's 'Golden Goose' of industry is laying some rotten
eggs."
"In a few years' time, it will be easy to say 'we shouldn't
have done it.' Do we have to have a disaster on the scale of BSE
before the European Commission finally wakes up and ban genetic
experiments in our agriculture and our food?" said
Leubuscher. Enditem 14/10/97 11:18 GMT
Copyright 1997