A bitter debate from a 2001 study showing that genetically modified organisms were found in native Mexican corn has resurfaced, with a recent article published in the February edition of Molecular Ecology.
The old debate
The controversy began with a 2001 article in the journal Nature, which explained that genetic material was detected in native Mexican corn. With crops thousands of years old, genetic modification threatens preserving the native genetic diversity. The article was widely criticized due to the study’s methodology, and soon after, Nature added an editor’s note explaining that there was not enough evidence to justify the article and the findings.
Another article four years later was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and consequently found no evidence of genetic modifications.
The new findings
With debates still reigning, author Elena Alvarez Buylla continued to explore the crops, doing additional research and testing, to see if she could lend a hand in solving the debates… and finding the truth. Using much bigger samples, more genetic tests, and different techniques, her studies paid off: she soon discovered that the corn did, indeed, show contamination. What she also found was a possible answer to why there have been contrasting discoveries: depending on the location, the amount of contamination differed from 0% up to 10%.
Some journals declined to publish her research, due to drawing, what they decided was, unneeded attention to the debate. Regardless, these findings are significant – and in fact, help solve the previous issues.
Molecular Ecology luckily felt differently, understanding it’s scientific importance, and Buylla was able to put some controversies at rest.
The results
But questions still remain: Where is this genetic contamination coming from? Are there sources of imported hybrid corn? How is it spread?
Buylla commented that now that these discoveries have been made, science, and time, will tell. Undoubtedly, her research has only begun.
Source: Mother Nature Network
Image courtesy of equityenergyresources.com
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Discussion Take a look at what is being said about this article.
Mike, on March 25th, 2009 says:
What a weird thing for them to argue back then. It’s not like they were LYING for goodness sakes! If they found the GMO corn, they found it!