Environmental and Health Effects of Bt Cotton

Kouser, S., Qaim, M., Impact of Bt cotton on pesticide poisoning in smallholder agriculture: A panel data analysis,Ecol. Econ. (2011), doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.06.008

"While substantial research on the productivity and profit effects of Bt cotton has been carried out recently, the economic evaluation of positive and negative externalities has received much less attention. Here, we focus on farmer health impacts resulting from Bt-related changes in chemical pesticide use. Previous studies have documented that Bt cotton has reduced the problem of pesticide poisoning in developing countries, but they have failed to account for unobserved heterogeneity between technology adopters and non-adopters. We use unique panel survey data from India to estimate unbiased effects and their developments over time. Bt cotton has reduced pesticide applications by 50%, with the largest reductions of 70% occurring in the most toxic types of chemicals. Results of fixed-effects Poisson models confirm that Bt has notably reduced the incidence of acute pesticide poisoning among cotton growers. These effects have become more pronounced with increasing technology adoption rates. Bt cotton now helps to avoid several million cases of pesticide poisoning in India every year, which also entails sizeable health cost savings." 

More on the Safety of Cry1Ab

HT: David Tribe

Excerpted from:

Alain de Weck *

* Emeritus Professor of Immunology, Institute of Immunology (University of Bern,
Switzerland), Department of Allergology (University of Navarra, Spain)

Translation from: http://ddata.over-blog.com/xxxyyy/1/39/38/37/commentaires-papier-Aris-Leblanc-par-AdeWeck.pdf

 

"In summary (25), Cry1Ab has no characteristics associated with toxins or food allergens, it has no peptide sequence homology with known allergens (26), it has no N-glycosylation sites for a secondary immunization, it is rapidly degraded by gastric and intestinal fluids, it has no side effects in mice force-fed orally at a dose of 5 g / kg. So there is a reasonable certainty and there is no documented adverse effects of the inclusion of Cry1Ab in the feed and food (25). In this context, the first actual assertion of such an absorption in humans  represent or actually the first one and should have made the Canadian authors particularly cautious, but this is clearly not the case."

(25) Xu W, Cao S, He X, Luo Y, Guo X, Yuan Y, Huang K Safety assessment of Cry1Ab/Ac fusion protein. Food Chem Toxicol. 2009; 47: 1459-65.

(26) Randhawa GJ, Singh M, Grover M. Bioinformatic analysis for allergenicity assessment of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry proteins expressed in insect-resistant food crops. Food Chem Toxicol. 2011; 49 ; 356-62.

Crticism of the ELISA Technique and Cry1Ab Detection

In ‘Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to genetically modified Foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada’ the authors claim to have identified the toxin Cry1Ab in the blood of pregnant women.  Cry1Ab is a protein produced by the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that is toxic to certain insect pests. Cry1Ab is just one version (event) of this Bt toxin.  Bt toxins have been used extensively by organic farmers and biotechnology has enabled seed companies to develop corn plants that express Cry1Ab proteins giving them a built in defense mechanism against insects susceptible to the toxin, while preserving the biodiversity of friendly insects.  Bt genetics have also been incorporated into cotton. The economic, environmental, safety, and health benefits have made this a very popular  tool used by the majority of family farmers. 

One of the major criticisms of the article was the use of the test used to identify the Cry1Ab protein. In the article the authors state:

‘Cry1Ab protein levels were determined in blood using a commercially available double antibody sandwich(DAS)enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay.’

 There have been many criticisms of this article. Basic statistical techniques show that the ELISA test is one of the most unreliable methods for detecting Cry1Ab toxins.  Dr. David Tribe and Dr. Cami Ryan have done a great job discussing the underlying science and peer review of this article as well.  Digging into Dr. Tribe's commentary you can find a very well written peer review based criticism of this paper:

 Alain de Weck *
* Emeritus Professor of Immunology, Institute of Immunology (University of Bern,
Switzerland), Department of Allergology (University of Navarra, Spain)
Translation from: http://ddata.over-blog.com/xxxyyy/1/39/38/37/commentaires-papier-Aris-Leblanc-par-AdeWeck.pdf

"In fact, a second category of doubts and questions arise in terms of immunological technique. Indeed, the only basis for the results presented is a double sandwich ELISA commercial test, decribed to be specifically for Cry1Ab (Agdia, Elkhart, IN, USA) (27). Many immunologists warn that such tests can yield not specifc results , especially in the presence of blood or serum proteins.  Various ELISA tests are unusable in serum, due to non-specific binding, [? and variability within samples?] and from one individual to another (28 and unpublished results). These results and signals from non-specific enzymatic variables give exactly the same type of results as those reported by Aris and Leblanc (1). In addition, peroxidase type enzyme conjugates , such as that used in the Agdiatest , are particularly sensitive to this type of non-specific effect, generating false positive  measurements(29). It has been made clear made clear by two users at least theAgdia test does not give reliable results in blood (16 33). Comparisons carried out by various authors between commercial sandwich ELISA (27,30,31) and various laboratory tests using anti-Cry1Ab polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies (32-36) demonstrate that the environmental tests of sandwich ELISA Cry1Ab to vary greatly in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Tests of this kind are particularly likely to yield non-specific false positive findings, especially in the presence of serum (37)."

(27) Agdia Bt-Cry1Ab/1Ac ELISA Kit -ELISA for the detection of Bt-Cry1Ab/1Ac proteins Catalog number: PSP 06200 https://orders.agdia.com/Documents/m172.pdf_0
(28) Furukawa K, Tengler R, de Weck AL, Maly FE. Simplified sulfidoleukotriene ELISA using LTD4-conjugated phosphatase for the study of allergen-induced leukotriene generation by isolated mononuclear cells and diluted whole blood. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 1994; 4:110-5.

(29) Pino RM. Binding of Fab-horseradish peroxidase conjugates by charge and not by immunospecificity. J Histochem Cytochem. 1985 Jan;33(1):55-8.
(16) Chowdhury EH, Kuribara H, Hino A, Sultana P, Mikami O, Shimada N, Guruge KS, Saito M, Nakajima Y. Detection of corn intrinsic and recombinant DNA fragments and Cry1Ab protein in the gastrointestinal contents of pigs fed genetically modified corn Bt11. J Anim Sci. 2003; 81: 2546-51
(30) Envirologix.QualiPlate™ Combo Kit for Cry1Ab & Cry3Bb1 -Catalog Number: AP 039. http://www.envirologix.com/artman/publish/article_232.shtml

(31) Quantitative ELISA for Bt-Cry1Ab. Immunoassay for quantitative detection of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac proteins in transgenic crops. http://www.krishgen.com

(32) Walschus U, Witt S, Wittmann C. Development of Monoclonal Antibodies Against Cry1Ab Protein from Bacillus thuringiensis and Their Application in an ELISA for Detection of Transgenic Bt-Maize . Food and Agricultural Immunology , 2002; 14 : 231-230

(33) Paul V, Steinke K, Meyer HD. Development and validation of a sensitive enzyme immunoassay for surveillance of Cry1Ab toxin in bovine blood plasma of cows fed Btmaize(MON810). Analytica Chimica Acta, 2008; 607 : 106-113

(34) Icoz I, Andow D, Zwahlen C, Stotzky G. Is the Cry1Ab protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) taken up by plants from soils previously planted with Bt corn and by carrot from hydroponic culture? Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2009; 83:48-58.

(35) Crespo LB , Spencer ZA, Nekl E, Pusztai-Carey M, Moar WJ, Blair D, Siegfried W. Comparison and Validation of Methods To Quantify Cry1Ab Toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis for Standardization of Insect Bioassays. Applied Environmental Microbiology , 2008; 74 :130–135

(36) Zhu X, Chen L, Shen P, Jia J, Zhang D, Yang L. High Sensitive Detection of Cry1Ab Protein Using a Quantum Dot-Based Fluorescence-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. J Agric Food Chemistry. 2011; 59 : 2184-9..

(37) Case JT, Ardans AA. Nonspecific reactions in an enzyme-l inked immunosorbent assay caused by binding of immunoglobulins in situ to egg-propagated infectious bronchitis virus. Avian Dis. 1986; 30: 149-53.

Crying about Statistics Class and Cry1Ab

Lots of times students complain that either their statistics classes used silly examples that were too simple to ever be realistic, or that their course was too complicated and thus they leave the class without the capability of  any practical application.  A recent study looking at the safety of GMO corn provides a great case study for the practical application of the coefficient of variation (CV).

read more at EconomicsPrinciplesandApplications.

Bt Corn and Monarch Butterflies

"There is no significant risk to monarch butterflies from environmental exposure to Bt corn, according to research conducted by a group of scientists coordinated by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture. This research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)."  Link


References:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:

 

Monarch larvae sensitivity to Bacillus thuringiensis-purified proteins and pollen.
Richard L. Hellmich, Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Unit, Agricultural Research Service-U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa; (515) 294-9343, fax (515) 294-2268, e-mail rlhellmi@iastate.edu.
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/211297698v1

Impact of Bt corn pollen on monarch butterfly populations: A risk assessment.
Mark K. Sears, Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada; (519) 824-4120 ext. 3921, fax (519) 837-0442, e-mail msears@evb.uoguelph.ca.
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/211329998v1

Corn pollen deposition on milkweeds in and near cornfields.
John M. Pleasants, Department of Zoology and Genetics, Iowa State University, Ames; (515) 294-7204, fax (515) 294-8457, e-mail jpleasan@iastate.edu.
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/211287498v1

Assessing the impact of Cry1Ab-expressing corn pollen on monarch butterfly larvae in field studies.
Diane E. Stanley-Horn, Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada; (519) 824-4120 ext. 4847, fax (519) 837-0442, e-mail destanle@uoguelph.ca.
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/211277798v1

Temporal and spatial overlap between monarch larvae and corn pollen.
Karen S. Oberhauser; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota (612) 624-8706, fax (612) 624-6777, e-mail oberh001@tc.umn.edu.
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/211234298v1

Effects of exposure to event 176 Bacillus thuringiensis corn pollen on monarch and black swallowtail caterpillars under field conditions.
M. R. Berenbaum, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illionois; (217) 333-7784, fax (217) 244-3499, e-mail maybe@uiuc.edu.
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/171315698v1

References Related to Cry1Ab Protein Toxicity and Absorption

The first article below circulated the web (largely among foodies) some tie ago. Despite its many flaws (involving something as simple as interpreting the coefficient of variation) it still resurfaces, and contributes to stoking misplaced fears about biotechnology and pregnant women. David Tribe has done an excellent job reviewing the related literature (see 

http://gmopundit.blogspot.com/2011/04/it-you-record-noise-you-dont-get-music.html ). 

Below are just some of the articles discussed. 

(1) Aris A, Leblanc S. Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to genetically modified foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. Reprod Toxicol. 2011 Feb 18. [Epub ahead of print] 

(2) Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab protein and the genetic material necessary for its production (pTDL004 or pTDL008) in Event T303-3 or T304-40 cotton plants (006525) Experimental Use Permit Fact Regulating Biopesticides -Active Ingredient Index. Environmental Protection Agency. 2007 www.epa-gov/op00001/pesticide 

(3) Dent CE, Schilling GA . Studies on the Absorption of Proteins: the Amino-acid Pattern in the Portal Blood . Biochem. J. 1949; 34 : 318 -335 

(4) Mathews DM. Protein Absoprtion. J.clin Path. 1972; 24,Supp.5 : 29-40 

(5) Mathews DM, Adibi SA. Peptide absorption. Gastroenterology. 1976 Jul;71(1):151-61 

(6) Bowen R. Absoprtion of amino acids and peptides, 2008. www.colostate.edu 

(7) Wickham M, Faulks R, Mills C. In vitro digestion methods for assessing the effect of food structure on allergen breakdown. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2009 Aug;53(8):952-8 

(8) Untersmayr E, Jensen-Jarolim E. The role of protein digestibility and antacids on food allergy outcomes. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008; 121: 1301-8. 

(9) Paganelli R, Levinsky RJ. Solid phase radioimmunoassay for detection of circulating food protein antigens in human serum. J Immunol Methods. 1980; 37: 333-41. 

(10) Moreno FJ, Rubio LA, Olano A, Clemente A.. Uptake of 2S albumin allergens, Bere1 and Ses i 1, across human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cell monolayers. J Agric Food Chem. 2006; 54: 8631-9. 

(11) Yamada C, Yamashita Y, Seki R, Izumi H, Matsuda T, Kato Y. Digestion and (gastroitestinal absorption of the 14-16-kDa rice allergens. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2006; 70: 1890-7. 

(12) Guimaraes V, Drumare MF, Lereclus D, Gohar M, Lamourette P, Nevers MC, Vaisanen-Tunkelrott ML, Bernard H, Guillon B, Créminon C, Wal JM, Adel-Patient K. In vitro digestion of Cry1Ab proteins and analysis of the impact on their immunoreactivity. J. Agric Food Chem . 2010; 21 : 3222-31 

(13) Adel-Patient K, Guimaraes VD, Paris A, Drumare M-F,Ah-Leung, S, Lamourette P, Nevers M-C,Canlet C, Molina J, Bernard H, Créminon C, Wal J-M. Immunological and metabolomic impacts of administration of Cry1Abprotein and MON 810 maize in mouse. PLoS One. 2011; 6: e16346 http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articles/PMC3029317/ 

(14) Nakajima O, Teshima R, Takagi K, Okunuki H, Sawada J. ELISA method for monitoring human serum IgE specific for Cry1Ab introduced into genetically modified corn. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2007; 47: 90-5. 

(15) Okunuki H, Teshima R, Shigeta T, Sakushima J, Akiyama H, Goda Y, Toyoda M, Sawada J. Source Increased digestibility of two products in genetically modified food (CP4-EPSPS and Cry1Ab) after preheating. Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi. 2002; 43: 68-73. 

(16) Chowdhury EH, Kuribara H, Hino A, Sultana P, Mikami O, Shimada N, Guruge KS, Saito M, Nakajima Y. Detection of corn intrinsic and recombinant DNA fragments and Cry1Ab protein in the gastrointestinal contents of pigs fed genetically modified corn Bt11. J Anim Sci. 2003; 81: 2546-51. 

(17) M. Saito and Y. Nakajima E. H. Chowdhury, H. Kuribara, A. Hino, P. Sultana, O. Mikami, N. Shimada, K. S. Guruge, Detection of corn intrinsic and recombinant DNA fragments and Cry1Ab protein in the gastrointestinal contents of pigs fed genetically modified corn Bt11 J Anim Sci, 2003; 81: 2546-2551 

(18) Chowdhury EH, Shimada N, Murata H, Mikami O, Sultana P, Miyazaki S,Yoshioka M, Yamanaka N, Hirai N, Nakajima Y.. Detection of Cry1Ab protein in gastrointestinal contents but not visceral organs of genetically modified Bt11-fed calves. Vet Hum Toxicol. 2003; 45: 72-5. 

(19) Paul V, Guertler P, Wiedemann S, Meyer HD. Degradation of Cry1Ab protein from genetically modified maize (MON810) in relation to total dietary feed proteins in dairy cow digestion. www.lfl.bayern.de/ite/rind/35021/linkurl_0_2_0_8.pdf 

(20) Lutz B, Wiedemann S, Einspanier R, Mayer J, Albrecht C-Degradation of Cry1Ab Protein from Genetically Modified Maize in the Bovine Gastrointestinal Tract .J. Agric. Food Chem., 2005; 53 : 1453–1456 

(21) P. Guertler, B. Lutz, R. Kuehn, H. H. D. Meyer, R. Einspanier, B. Killermann and C. Albrecht. Fate of recombinant DNA and Cry1Ab protein after ingestion and dispersal of genetically modified maize in comparison to rapeseed by fallow deer (Dama dama). Eur J Wildlife Res. 2008; 54 : 38-43j 

(22) Albrecht C, Lutz B, Wiedemann C. Experimentelle Untersuchungen zur Verbreitung von Transgenen durch Tiere über pflanzliche Verbreitungseinheiten  nach Magen-Darm-Passage und über horizontalen Gentransfer www.bfn.de/fileadmin/MDB/documents/service/skript225.pdf 

(23) JC Jennings, LD Albee, DC Kolwyck, JB Surber, ML Taylor, GF Hartnell, RP Lirette, and KC Glenn . Attempts to detect transgenic and endogenous plant DNA and transgenic protein in muscle from broilers fed YieldGard Corn Borer Corn .  Poultry Science, 2003; 82 : 371-380 

(24) Badea EM, Chelu F Lacatusu A.Results regarding the levels of Cry1Ab protein in transgenic corn tissue (MON810) and the fate of Bt protein in three soil types . Romanian Biotechnological Letters Vol. 15, No.1, Supplement, 2010. www.ebooks.unibuc.ro/biologie/RBL/rbl1vol15Supplement/7%20Elena%20MArcela%20Badea.pdf 

(25) Xu W, Cao S, He X, Luo Y, Guo X, Yuan Y, Huang K Safety assessment of Cry1Ab/Ac fusion protein. Food Chem Toxicol. 2009; 47: 1459-65. 

(26) Randhawa GJ, Singh M, Grover M. Bioinformatic analysis for allergenicity assessment of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry proteins expressed in insect-resistant food crops. Food Chem Toxicol. 2011; 49 ; 356-62. 

(27) Agdia Bt-Cry1Ab/1Ac ELISA Kit -ELISA for the detection of Bt-Cry1Ab/1Ac proteins Catalog number: PSP 06200 https://orders.agdia.com/Documents/m172.pdf_0 

(28) Furukawa K, Tengler R, de Weck AL, Maly FE. Simplified sulfidoleukotriene ELISA using LTD4-conjugated phosphatase for the study of allergen-induced leukotriene generation by isolated mononuclear cells and diluted whole blood. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 1994; 4:110-5. 

(29) Pino RM. Binding of Fab-horseradish peroxidase conjugates by charge and not by immunospecificity. J Histochem Cytochem. 1985 Jan;33(1):55-8. 

(30) Envirologix.QualiPlate™ Combo Kit for Cry1Ab & Cry3Bb1 -Catalog Number: AP 039. http://www.envirologix.com/artman/publish/article_232.shtml 

(31) Quantitative ELISA for Bt-Cry1Ab. Immunoassay for quantitative detection of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac proteins in transgenic crops. http://www.krishgen.com 

(32) Walschus U, Witt S, Wittmann C. Development of Monoclonal Antibodies Against Cry1Ab Protein from Bacillus thuringiensis and Their Application in an ELISA for Detection of Transgenic Bt-Maize . Food and Agricultural Immunology , 2002; 14 : 231-230 

(33) Paul V, Steinke K, Meyer HD. Development and validation of a sensitive enzyme immunoassay for surveillance of Cry1Ab toxin in bovine blood plasma of cows fed Btmaize(MON810). Analytica Chimica Acta, 2008; 607 : 106-113 

(34) Icoz I, Andow D, Zwahlen C, Stotzky G. Is the Cry1Ab protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) taken up by plants from soils previously planted with Bt corn and by carrot from hydroponic culture? Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2009; 83:48-58. 

(35) Crespo LB , Spencer ZA, Nekl E, Pusztai-Carey M, Moar WJ, Blair D, Siegfried W. Comparison and Validation of Methods To Quantify Cry1Ab Toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis for Standardization of Insect Bioassays. Applied Environmental Microbiology , 2008; 74 :130–135 

(36) Zhu X, Chen L, Shen P, Jia J, Zhang D, Yang L. High Sensitive Detection of Cry1Ab Protein Using a Quantum Dot-Based Fluorescence-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. J Agric Food Chemistry. 2011; 59 : 2184-9.. 

(37) Case JT, Ardans AA. Nonspecific reactions in an enzyme-l inked immunosorbent assay caused by binding of immunoglobulins in situ to egg-propagated infectious bronchitis virus. Avian Dis. 1986; 30: 149-53. 

(38) Kuntz M. OGM et « pesticides » dans le sang ; première scientifique ou dernière pollution de la littérature scientifique. 2011 http://www.marcel-kuntz-ogm.fr/article-aris-leblanc-72486593.html 

(39) Matsubara T, Aoki N, Honjoh T, Mizumachi K, Kurisaki J, Okamjima T, Nadano D, Matsuda T. Absorption, migration and kinetics on peipheral blood of orally administered ovalbumin in a mouse model. Biosciences, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, 2008; 72 : 2555-2565 

(40) Husby S., Jensenius J C, Svehag S-E . (1985), Passage of Undegraded Dietary Antigen into the Blood of Healthy Adults. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, 1985; 22: 83–92. 

(41) Tsume Y; Taki Y; Sakane T; Nadai I; Sesake I, Watabe K, Kohno T, Yamashita S. Quantitative evaluation of the gastrointestinal absorption of protein into the blood and lymph circulation. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin, 1996; 19 : 1332-1337 

(42) Veillerette P. Toutes les études scientifiques sur les pesticides. Pesticide Action Network. http://www.mdrgf.org 

HT: David Tribe (GMO Pundit)

http://gmopundit.blogspot.com/2011/04/it-you-record-noise-you-dont-get-music.html

#GMOs #Toxins and unborn babies... a deeper examination of the study. #science #communication #peerreview #fb - Consider Icarus...

A Very good piece by Dr. Cami Ryan:

http://doccami.posterous.com/gmos-toxins-and-unborn-babies-a-deeper-examin

May 20, 2011

"GM food toxins found in the blood of 93% of unborn babies"(see: http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/parenting/toxic-pesticides-from-gm-food-crops-found-in-unborn-babies-2652995.html)

These headlines (or a version of it) are making their rounds in the media these days.  They refer to a study done in Quebec. Aziz Aris and Samuel Leblanc claim to have detected herbicides and/or the insecticidal protein Cry1Ab in the blood of Canadian women, pregnant or not pregnant, and in umbilical cords.  Their study / results were recently  published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology (TITLE: "Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to Genetically Modified Foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada").

In April, I received an anonymous email from someone who challenged me on the results of this study (amongst other things…)

"While I can see the potential benefits of GMOs, I am uncomfortable with how readily pro-GMO scientists dismiss the gathering evidence of potential harmful impacts (such as the very recent study finding the BT toxin in mother's breast milk)."

My response was as follows – and points to problems with the methodological approach…

"I think that you are referring to the article by Aris etal and their study on the sera (blood) (as opposed to breast milk) that was published in a recent issue of Reproductive Technology (2011).  I read the article and, quite frankly, have some questions regarding the methodology.  First, there seems to be a lack of controls in the experimental approach.  What are the serum levels of female organic farmers who spray Bt vs those conventional female farmers who plant Bt soy, corn and cotton? Bt is one of the most effective pesticides used in the organic industry and, generally, the number of applications is even higher in organic crops than in conventional/GE.   What are serum levels of women who eat no corn or soy products and do not buy organic (having no exposure)?  The lack of controls in this study is alarming and can account for false positives in results (I refer you to the paper in the J. Agric. Food Chem. 2005, 53, 1453-1456:  "To avoid misinterpretation, samples tested positive for Cry1Ab protein by ELISA should be reassessed by another technique").  In my opinion, the Aris etal study is only moderately interesting and very, very incomplete." 

As far as I can tell, there is a real problem with 'credibility' here.  I question the peer review process. This is echoed in another response to this publication…

http://www.marcel-kuntz-ogm.fr/article-aris-72793155.html

So, how do we accomplish a balance between "expedited publication" (which, after the long-term, laborious research process, the researcher desires - the "reward") and "thorough, competent review"? (I review this a bit further in my blog entry:http://doccami.posterous.com/peer-review-peer-rejected-peer-review-academi ) 

Peer review, improperly executed, leads to devastating results.  Take for example, the fallout from an article published in The Lancet in 1998 (later retracted) that claimed a connection between the MMR vaccine and Autism.  These claims (based on a study that was improperly reviewed) rippled through media causing an uproar (fuelled by the celeb-fluence of Jenny McCarthy, I might add) which, ultimately, led to the reduction in numbers of childhood vaccinations (bringing with it a whole other set of problems). 

Science is a good thing.  But key to good science is a set of checks and balances that monitors and challenges results and ensures accountability in the process. 

The peer review process...  Maybe it needs to be 'peer reviewed'?

 

Buy 100% Biotech Cotton to Reduce Pesticides!

The Center For Consumer Freedom picked up on my AgWeb post.

See Here

Think organic cotton saves on pesticide use? Take a look at biotech cotton http://is.gd/4IaXA #gmo #biotech9:32 AM Oct 30th from web