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Mexican Maize Resource Library* NEW: No GM Genes in Mexican Corn * NEW: Transgenes
in Mexican maize: Desirability or inevitability? * About The Issue In the November 29, 2001 issue of the journal Nature, University of California at Berkeley graduate student David Quist and mycologist Ignacio Chapela reported evidence that genes from genetically-engineered maize (corn) varieties had crossed into landraces of maize in southern Mexico and had become permanently established (introgressed) in the genome of the maize landraces they tested, and that the transgenes were unstable and moving around in the maize genome. In subsequent news coverage of their paper, Quist and Chapela also suggested that such introgression threatens the genetic diversity of landraces in Mesoamerica, the center of origin and diversity of maize. Within days, numerous independent scientists identified flaws in the
Quist and Chapela report and notified the Nature editors of the errors.
The editors of the journal Transgenic Research even published a critique,
explaining the methodological flaws in the Nature article. "What
is very surprising," wrote Paul Christou, director of the molecular
biotechnology unit at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK, on behalf
of the Transgenic Research editors, "is that a manuscript with so
many fundamental flaws was published in a scientific journal that normally
has very stringent criteria for accepting manuscripts for publication." Because opponents of agricultural biotechnology had begun using the Mexican
Maize case as an example of genetic engineering gone wild, the defense
of Quist and Chapela became something of a cause célèbre.
None of the critical reviews of the Quist and Chapela report disputed
the possibility that transgenes may have crossed into landraces. Nevertheless,
those scientists have been attacked by individuals and environmental organizations
that have a stake in scaring the public about genetic engineering. They
even accused the scientists who have questioned the Quist and Chapela
results of committing "academic intimidation" and of conducting
"a highly unethical mud-slinging campaign." The real question is one of academic integrity. Since the dogged and relentless pursuit of truth is the ultimate goal of science, should Quist and Chapela have been allowed to publish such obviously flawed findings? Furthermore, if Quist and Chapela were so eager to overlook the shortcomings of their research, perhaps observers ought to be somewhat more skeptical of their other claims about the relevance of those findings. In the end, the editors of Nature ultimately admitted in the April 4, 2002 issue of the journal that the Quist and Chapela paper was riddled with methodological errors and should never have been published. Quist and Chapela have subsequently presented data that further supports the presence of transgenes in maize landraces-a point that has not been disputed. Ultimately, science still must resolve whether or not the flow of transgenes into maize landraces will have significant negative impacts on either maize genetic diversity or on the broader environment, but the answer is likely to be no. Here, AgBioWorld presents a brief library of resource documents of relevance to the Mexican maize issue. Readers are asked to review the materials and judge for themselves. Science Journal Articles and Letters Quist D and Chapela IH. 2001. Transgenic DNA introgressed into traditional maize landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico. Nature 414: 541-543. Christou P. 2002. No Credible Evidence is Presented to Support Claims
that Transgenic DNA was Introgressed into Traditional Maize Landraces
in Oaxaca, Mexico. Transgenic Research 11: iii-v. Martinez-Soriano JPR and Leal-Klevezas DS. 2000. Transgenic Maize in
Mexico: No Need for Concern. Science 287: 1399. Martinez-Soriano JPR, Bailey AM, Lara-Reyna J, and Leal-Klevezas DS. 2002. Transgenes in Mexican Maize. Nature Biotechnology 20: 19. Letter to Electronic Journal of Biotechnology, by Robert Wager, Peter LaFayette and Wayne Parrott. News Reports Recent Articles from Major Newspapers (November 8, 2003) Apel, Andrew, "Mexican Maize Fiasco Erupts," Biotech Reporter
(January 2002) Bailey, Ron, "Environmentalist Biofraud? A new report challenges research published in the respected journal, Nature." Reason (February 12, 2002). Available at: http://reason.com/rb/rb021202.shtml Conko, Gregory and C.S. Prakash, Report of transgenes in Mexican corn called into question. ISB News Report (March 2002): 3-5. http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2002/news02.mar.html#mar0202 Hodgson, John, "Maize uncertainties create political fallout," Nature Biotechnology Vol. 20, No. 2 (February 2002): 106-107. Hodgson, John, "Doubts linger over Mexican corn analysis," Nature Biotechnology Vol. 20, No. 1 (January 2002): 3-4. http://www.agbioworld.org/biotech_info/articles/hodgson.html Mann, Charles C., "Has GM corn 'Invaded' Mexico?" Science 295:
1617-1618. Manning, Anita, "Gene-altered DNA may be `polluting' corn,"
USA Today (November 29, 2001) AgBioWorld Documents Scientists Say Mexican Biodiversity Is Safe: Concerns About Cross-Pollination Unfounded. AgBioWorld Foundation Press Release (December 19, 2001). http://www.agbioworld.org/biotech_info/pr/mexican_biodiversitysafe.html Mexican Maize Not Under Threat: Biologically diverse gene flow is natural
and expected, not "contamination". AgBioWorld Foundation Press
Release (March 1, 2002). El Maíz Mexicano No Está Siendo Amenazado Joint Statement in Support of Scientific Discourse in Mexican GM Maize
Scandal Additional Resources Mexican Maize Documents from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement
Center (CIMMYT) in El Batan, Mexico "Proceedings of a Forum-Gene Flow Among Maize Landraces, Improved
Maize Varieties, and Teosinte: Implications for Transgenic Maize,"
Sponsored by the Mexican National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture,
and Livestock Research (INIFAP), the Mexican National Agricultural Biosafety
Committee (CNBA), and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
(CIMMYT) Website of Dr. Juan Pablo R. Martínez-Soriano of the Center for
Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV) in Irapuato, Mexico Mexican
Maize and GM Corn: Protecting a Center of Origin Are
GM Crops A Threat To Biological Diversity? The
CIMMYT Maize Program and Transgenic Maize |
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