Catalyst Seminar
February 13, 2012
| THINK--PAIR--SHARE: What is peer review? When does it happen? |
Dr. Arpad Pusztai: senior research scientist employed by the RRI, in charge of designing and executing a series of experiments testing the health effects of GM plant experiments.
Rowett Research Institute (RRI): a research institute in Scotland, the United Kingdom, roughly comparable to one of our federal research institutes such as the N.I.H. or the U.S.D.A.
Lectin: a protein produced by virtually all plants and found throughout the plant. In this case, the lectin comes from a plant called the snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, and it also repels insects. Some lectins (such as those found in kidney beans) are known to cause damage the digestive system of humans and other mammals. If the beans are boiled prior to consumption, the lectin is denatured and has no ill effects.
GM plants: genetically modified plants, in this case plants that had had the gene for lectin production inserted into their genomes.
Parent plants: unmodified plants from the same line as the one that had been genetically modified.
GNA: the snowdrop lectin, which was the foreign lectin introduced into potatoes through genetic transformation. It is not known to have harmful effects on the digestive system (based on previous testing on rodents).
Royal Society of London: an organization whose goal is the promotion of natural and applied sciences in the United Kingdom. They publish scientific papers, award fellowships, host semiars and symposia on science topics, etc. One of their missions is to provide "authoritative statements and reports which provide incisive advice to government and the public on key issues in science and technology."
1995:
SOAEFD commissions a 3-year study of the effects of genetically modified (GM) plants on animal nutrition. Specifically, they were interested in modifications that increased the plants' resistance to insect pests. The RRI group was charged with determining whether
The GM plants of interest have a gene inserted that allows them to produce lectin. This renders the plant resistant to insects.
The study fed three types of potatoes to young rats:
In each case, the potatoes were fed raw to one group of rats and cooked (which destroys the lectin) to a second group. The diet was fed for either 10 days or 110 days.
| PAIR--SHARE: What hypotheses are being tested with each of these treatments? |
August 10, 1998:
Dr. Pusztai appears on a television program and announces that his experiments show that rats fed GM potatoes show damage to their digestive and immune systems. He further states that people are being used as guinea pigs, because GM foods are currently available in the marketplace.
This was followed by a media feeding frenzy...
Dr. Pusztai is subsequently dismissed from his position at the RRI.
August 1998:
The RRI audits the unpublished data of Dr. Pusztai and concludes that "the existing data do not support any suggestion that the consumption by rats of transgenic potatoes expressing GNA has an effect on growth, organ development or immune function."
October 1998:
Dr. Pusztai submits a detailed report of his research to the RRI, rebutting some of the criticisms of the RRI audit. He later submits a report for publication in the peer-reviewed medical journal "The Lancet."
February 1999:
The RRI rebuts the October rebuttal of Dr. Pusztai...
May 1999:
The Royal Society reviews the studies and found the research was "flawed in many aspects of design, execution and analysis and that no conclusions should be drawn from it." Their major criticisms:
The full text of the reviewer's comments (posted on the web by Dr. Pusztai)
Response to the reviewer comments by Dr. Pusztai
November 1999:
Pusztai's paper is published in "The Lancet."
| DISCUSSION: What do YOU think? |