With growing concerns over the safety of genetically-altered food, some
farmers and processors are trying to segregate crops that have not been
genetically altered. But that can be hard, because you can’t tell them
apart just by looking… now, there’s a new test to detect genetically
engineered crops. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson
reports:
Tag: genes
No Redesign Planned for B-T Corn
Monsanto says it has no plans to redesign a genetically
engineered corn plant that’s been linked to the death of larvae of
monarch
butterflies. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:
Toxin Eating Geraniums
Canadian scientists are applying for a patent on using geraniums to clean up
toxins. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports it’s
controversial because the patent would control the use of a naturally
occurring flower:
Peter Raven-The Role of Science in Stewardship
Time Magazine recently published profiles of people it considers "Heroes of
the Planet." Among them was Peter Raven. He’s the director of the Missouri
Botanical Garden. Raven has used his position as a platform to preach
better stewardship of the Earth. In the second of a series of interviews…
the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham sat down with Raven in his
botanical garden to talk about advances in the laboratory that could affect
all life on Earth:
B-T Corn Research Heads Into Field
In a recent issue of the journal, Nature, Cornell researchers released a
report claiming that pollen from a genetically engineered, or BT, corn
has a deadly effect on the monarch butterfly. But industry
representatives criticized the results, saying the lab-work didn’t
duplicate a real-life scenario. So now, Cornell scientists are heading
into the field for more research. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
David Hammond has more:
Is Algae the Pollution Solution?
A Sea Grant researcher in Ohio has genetically engineered a
single-celled algae to work as a pollution solution. The algae binds
with heavy metals in lakes and then is harvested. The metals are removed
with the algae. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Aileen LeBlanc has
the story:
A Revolution Among Plant Scientists
Scientists are discovering new genetic information about plants is
upsetting the natural order of things. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Lester Graham reports that they’re also finding a whole new
world of possibilities for using plants for medicines and products:
Scientists Improve Tree Inbreeding
The timber industry specially breeds trees to increase their value.
Trees are worth more when they grow straight, tall and fast. Inbreeding
trees within the same family can increase the frequency of these traits,
but now a new study shows it can also be fatal. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Todd Witter has more:
Trees Used to Clean Up Toxins
Researchers are finding ways to use plants to clean up contaminated
sites. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports on a
project to use genetically altered trees to pull certain kinds of
pollution from the ground:
Mutant Ladybugs Control Pests
It’s nothing new to get predators to get rid of pests. The colorfuland cute ladybug, for example, loves to devour aphids, mites andmealybugs and is used by many people instead of pesticides. But workingwith these flying predators presents some problems. Now, one researchermay have a solution. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelsonreports: