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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Krowbar who wrote (38535)	5/25/1999 1:49:00 AM
From: Chuzzlewit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Delbert, I suggest you reread my post. Lambda phages can and do transfer genetic information between different cells of the same organism (E. coli). They do not transfer information between E. coli and other species of bacteria. This distinction is important. In the case of the corn you have a bacterial gene for Bt toxin implanted in corn. There is no natural phenomenon that I am aware of that can mediate such a transfer. And the problem is created by the release of this engineered organism into the ecosystem without full knowledge of the consequences. The issue is not so much genetic engineering as it is environmental arrogance. We cannot blithely liberate engineered organism into the environment without completely understanding the consequences. The results could be devastating. Suppose, for example, that insertion of a foreign gene resulted in the synthesis of a toxin that killed honeybees. TTFN, CTC

To: Krowbar who wrote (38535)	5/30/1999 11:26:00 PM
From: Grainne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

I was going to try to explain the difference between natural genetic intertwinings and genetic engineering by man, inserting fish genes into tomatoes for example, something that would never happen in nature. But I see Chuzzlewit has done a much better job than I could do, even covering the concept of human arrogance and the inherent danger of messin' with Mother Nature. You know, it is not possible to "go slowly" with genetic engineering. We may have already done irreparable damage, without even knowing it.