Blog
Unlocking the potential of C4 rice
Date: November 19th, 2009 ANU researchers are searching genes linked to photosynthetic pathways with potential applications in the development of more efficient crops. If we can use GM technology to make these pathways (and hence plants) more efficient, will this be acceptable to the… More »
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GM crops blamed for jump in pesticide use
Date: November 18th, 2009 A new report from the US-based Organic Centre and authored by Dr Charles Benbrook finds that GM crops in the US are responsible for an additional 318 million pounds of pesticides (insecticide, fungicide and herbicide) being applied between 1996 and… More »
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Decision time for gene patents
Date: November 16th, 2009 Submission to Senate committee into reform of gene patent are now all online. Report to be tabled this month. Back in August I put up a post on the gene patent debate happening in Australia. An Australian Government Senate committee… More »
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Another nanosafety report
Date: November 11th, 2009 Again via Safe Work Aust, but research done by RMIT
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Engineered nanomaterials – A review of the toxicology and health hazards
Date: November 10th, 2009 Safe Work Australia has just released a review on our existing knowledge of the toxicology and health hazards associated with engineered nanomaterials, and the implications in regard to health hazards in occupational settings. I have only skimmed through the executive… More »
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Biology students, lick your rat
Date: November 10th, 2009 One for the biology teachers. Get your students to lick their rats. Not a real rat, though I knew students that would have done it given the opportunity. In this case it is a cool animation to help students and… More »
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Nanoparticles damage DNA
Date: November 9th, 2009 If anyone has somehow missed the news about the recent paper in Nature nanotechnology that found nanoparticles can damage DNA even when there is a barrier between the particles and the cells, Andrew Maynard in 2020 Science provides a nice… More »
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Light sentence for ‘bad’ genes
Date: November 2nd, 2009 An Italian court has cut the sentence given to a convicted murderer by a year because he has genes linked to violent behaviour. Is the decision based on sound science and what are the implications of this precedent when we… More »
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Would you eat GM rice containing human genes?
Date: October 30th, 2009 The response to this in GNTIS-run workshops is predictable, so maybe that is the question Greenpeace asked everyone to achieve their figure of 90% of Australians reject GM food. The workshops, however, reveal a very different and contradictory picture. The… More »
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Nano utopia is nigh – apparently.
Date: October 28th, 2009 A US research engineer says nanotechnology can place us on the path to freedom and happiness for all – or mostly all. Will society choose to take this path, however? Technology, especially the latest emerging technologies, are supposed to make… More »
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