Morphogenics: US biotech industry out of control?24 November 2002
Friends of the Earth expressed "shock and anger" at a report in The Observer that Morphotek, an US-based biotechnology company, plans to use the genes that cause colonic cancer in humans to generate new crops varieties by speeding up the evolutionary process. The new technique is called morphogenics.
Morphotek is trying to persuade transnational biotech companies such as Bayer, Monsanto and Syngenta to adopt the new technique they have developed following research at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Genes that trigger colonic cancer in humans were isolated, which then create a chain of mutations in all plants, mammals and micro-organisms which can produce thousands of mutated offspring which are then screened for useful characteristics. In plants the selected offspring are then bred to produce new crop varieties with a range of character, such as drought and pest resistance, that Morphotek claim would be impossible to do in the same time frame through conventional breeding.
Morphotek uses GM techniques to get the cancer genes into crops and claims that they can be bred out before the mutated varieties are put on the market. US patents have been granted to scientists on the Morphotek board and more have been applied for.
"It is staggering that this technology which raises huge ethical and safety issues has progressed so far in the US without being challenged by the regulators and made subject of a full public debate," said Friends of the Earth Biotech Campaigner Pete Riley. "For many people in Europe, the use of human cancer genes in producing crop plants will be a step too far."
"The US administration seems to accept any GM development without question, so the EU has a vital role in ensuring that GM technology is controlled and rejected if unethical or high risk. Morphotek is already touting morphogenics to the big biotech companies. We trust that these huge companies will listen to the views of the voters before launching yet another untried and untested GM technology on the world," he added.
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