twggy from the food forum on the Alaska bioneers web site noted that a Ms. Fedoroff has done research in support of using gm food.
After reading some of Ms. Fedoroff's research articles, I sent this response to twggy and Ms. Fedoroff:
as Ms. Fedoroff answered her own questions about the practical applications and implications of gene splicing? Is the process of gene splicing following the same time frame of implementation as the process of <transposition and rearrangements arising from ectopic interactions between dispersed transposons> as she wonders in the article below? If the processes are different or (maybe more importantly) if no one is sure how they relate to the accepted 'natural' processes taking place; are we able to have any understanding of what the effects or implications of what we are doing for either the short or long term needs of people?
The burgeoning analyses of genomes also makes it evident that repressive mechanisms are imperfect. However slowly, genomes are inexorably restructured by transposition and rearrangements arising from ectopic interactions between dispersed transposons. Thus there is little remaining doubt that transposons are central to genome evolution. What is less clear is the relationship between genome restructuring and morphological change. We know that the magnitude of the morphological differences between species does not necessarily reflect the magnitude of the genetic or chromosomal differences between them. It recently has become evident, for example, that the marked morphological and developmental differences between teosinte and maize are attributable to a very small number of genes and that for some genes, the differences are regulatory, rather than structural (58, 121). It is also well known that genes are expressed differently depending on their chromosomal position. But what remains to be discovered is the extent to which chromosomal restructuring contributes to organismal evolution.
I believe there are still many questions that need to be answered before anyone including Ms. Fedoroff can say unequivocally that using genetically modified foods is safe for the general public. I do not want anyone 'experimenting' with my children's life because they took the easy way out to solve the problem.
