I can't even begin to descibe what a horrible idea this is...

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Scientists aim to beat flu with genetically modified chickens
By Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent

THE long-term threat of an avian flu pandemic could be greatly reduced by a project to produce genetically modified chickens that can resist lethal strains of the virus.

British scientists are genetically engineering chickens to protect them against the H5N1 virus that has devastated poultry farms in the Far East, with a view to replacing stocks with birds that are not susceptible to influenza.

The technique should also offer protection against many other strains of flu with the potential to start a human pandemic, such as the H7 subgroup that was responsible for an outbreak in Dutch poultry in 2003.

If chicken populations were to be replaced with transgenic birds that were resistant to flu, it would remove a reservoir of the virus and make it much harder for it to spread to humans and trigger a pandemic.

The team, led by Laurence Tiley, Professor of Molecular Virology at Cambridge University, and Helen Sang, of the Roslin Institute, near Edinburgh, has already shown that chicken cells can be protected against flu by inserting small pieces of genetic material.

The researchers are now ready to begin a similar procedure with eggs and the first experiments are expected within weeks. Any breakthrough, however, will come too late to have an impact on the present outbreak of H5N1.

Even if the technique works, it will be several years before it can be used to stock farms and it also faces important regulatory hurdles and a battle to win over public opinion. If these obstacles are overcome and farmers are willing to adopt GM chickens, the entire world stock could be replaced fairly quickly.

“Once we have regulatory approval, we believe it will only take between four and five years to breed enough chickens to replace the entire world population,” Professor Tiley said. “Developing flu-resistant chickens has clear benefits for human health and animal welfare, as we wouldn’t have to slaughter chickens around the world. Chickens provide a link between the wild bird population, where avian influenza thrives, and humans, where new pandemic strains can emerge. Removing that bridge will dramatically reduce the risk posed by avian viruses.”

The research team is following three parallel approaches. One involves inserting a working copy of a gene that makes an antiviral protein called Mx, which is defective in many chicken breeds, and should improve their ability to fight off H5N1 and other strains.

The second approach is to harness a technique called RNA interference, in which small fragments of the genetic signalling chemical RNA are used to disrupt the workings of the flu virus.

By engineering chicken cells to make small RNA molecules that confuse the flu virus, the scientists hope to confer resistance to a wide variety of strains. The third strategy is similar to the second, but involves using RNA molecules as decoys, which trick the flu virus into copying them rather than itself. All three could potentially be incorporated in the same GM chickens.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25149-1847760,00.html

500,

What is so bad about genetically modified chickens?

We already have them. The only difference is the process now takes less time.

Back when my parents were raising 4,700 chickens for eggs and meat, the average chicken laid less than 100 eggs a year, and that was a good hen. Today's hens lay just about an egg a day and some lay even more.

Where pullets used to take months to reach marketable size, the process now takes only weeks. They have bigger breast with more white meat, are less aggressive, and are cheapaer to raise.

Pigs have been geneticaly altered to produce leaner hogs. Anyone who remembers what pork chops used to taste like and compares it with what they taste like now knows that.

Dogs are genetically altered to fill certain niches. We have poodles, greyhounds, dachshunds, terriers, etc., all genetically altered to serve a specific purpose.

I don't see what all the fuss is about genetic alteration.

Genetically modified life may be resistant to organisms that we know about, but they also may breed and develop strains of virus's that are worse than the ones that we genetically engineered out of them.

Very scarey stuff.

What is so bad about genetically modified chickens? We already have them. The only difference is the process now takes less time.
No we don't.

You have a distinct lack of understanding when it comes to this issue no doubt from eating up the Pro-GM garbage you've been fed.

Selective breeding is not genetic modification. If you can't understand this then just stop reading now. You post shows you don't have a clue what you are talking about. Unless your willing to learn the difference theres no point.

Selective breeding is a natural process. Yes it is giving mother nature a helpful push to an extent. However even selective breeding has its down sides. Inbreeding being the first. Secondly the lack of genetic veritability means that the entire group of animals is suseptable to similar illness, deformities etc. It can also weaken the constitution of the plants or animals. If the genetic line is pampered (ie: plants given the most nutriant rich soild for many thousands of years) it becomes fragile and unable to exist without outside help.

Genetic engineering is an attempt to replece mother nature. Scientists shoot genetic sequenceing in hap hazardly without fully knowing the consequesces of their actions. If you know anything about protein strings you'd know how random the effeccts of this can be by means of shifting the code all the way down the line. Besides this there are indirect effects to the food chain altering it down the line.

Selective breeding is trying to get a strong smart person to be born.

Genetic engineering is trying to make one with 4 arms and eyes in the back of its head.

Besides that the only non-industry studies of the effects of genetically modified foods showed that it cause lower organ failure, blood and digestive problems. GM companies have been caught multiple time forging their findings and fudging their numbers.

Unfortunatly they have already (intentionally) tainted the worlds grain supplies. The first things the GM'd were Rice, Corn, Wheat and Soy. These are the staples of everyone person in the world. Once they are contaminated with GM its all over. A slow decline of the world food supply.

Tell me this. If genectically modified food is so vastly superior to normal food why is it that the GM lobby consistantly refuses to label the product and fights every attempt to do such tooth and nail? Why is it that they claim their product is special and that the patent should prevent so called "bio-piracy" yet when organic farmers complain about their feild being tainted GM strains they aregue are no different?

People seem to worry a bit too much about GM stuff, imo. It's going to happen no matter what. It could be a great asset for agricultural workers, helping them to avoid pesticides for one thing.

besides, it would be awesome to genetically modify some chickens to make em ten feet tall. :D

It could be a great asset for agricultural workers, helping them to avoid pesticides for one thing. You also show a distinct lack of understanding.

Theres this little thing called evolution and its little brother adaptation. Insects reproduce in huge numbers and sexually mature very quickly. Hence any farmer can tell you that from one year to the next you can't use the same pesticide because the bugs become immune to it. So while your eating GM shit laced with natural "pesticides" the bugs will be immune to it. It also increases the amount of pesticide use because organic farmers rely on the 'natural pesticides' to spray their crops. Once the bugs adapt immunity (due to eating GM crap) the farmers will no longer be organic, force to use chemical pesticides or lose all their crops.

It's going to happen no matter what. Quite the defeatist aren't we...

Secondly it also increases the amount of herbicide used. If farmers crops are herbicide resistant then they do not hesitate to use as much as they can to kill off weeds. Also plants exchange genetic information quite readily. So sooner or later a "super weed" will come about as a result of GM crops. The superweed will make it even harder to grow food and require even mor herbicides to kill.

Quarter Ton,

The major difference is in methodology not final results.

If the desired effect is to breed disease resistant chickens you can either use genetic modification or cross breeding. The major difference will be in speed of results.

Grains have been modified to be able to utilize brackish or salty water, to be resistant to diseases, to grow in poorer soils, etc.. This allows more grain to be grown in order to feed more people.

Animals can be genetically modified in the same way; to grow faster with less food, to have less fat, to breed at an earlier age, to give more milk. I much prefer eating genetically modified meat to meat that has been injected with hormones to acheive the same purposes.

This allows more grain to be grown in order to feed more people. yet another promotional lie. Yes it allows more food to be grown. However there is enough food grown to, not just feed, but meet the nutritional requirements of every single person on earth 1 1/2 times over. The only reason people aren't fed? Greed via capitalism. Which is exactly what pushes this GM crap.

I much prefer eating genetically modified meat to meat that has been injected with hormones to acheive the same purposes. Well hey unfortunatly for you, me and the rest of the wrold you don't get a choice in that matter because they opposse all labeling laws. It out an out fascism. If you are not presented with a choice then you do not have freedom. The right to be aware of what one puts in ones body is a fundamental right.

Luckily there are no GM chickens yet (a fact which you obviously have no clue about either)

If the desired effect is to breed disease resistant chickens you can either use genetic modification or cross breeding. The major difference will be in speed of results. Oh you mean like studying for a test of stealing the answers. Sure you did good on the test but you don't retain any value from it and it fucks you in the long run.

The 2 are drastically different. Again if you can't see that theres no point in conversing further because it is the basis of why GE is harmful.

Don't you think they should at least do some sor of 10 year study on its effects? You could even volunteer to participate. It'd spare the rest of us unwillling guinia pigs...

I agree with you that GM food should be so labeled but unlike you, I am not worried aboutthe food. I would only label it for the same reasons ingredients are listed, public knowledge so people can make a choice.

Originally posted by 500lbguerilla
yet another promotional lie. Yes it allows more food to be grown. However there is enough food grown to, not just feed, but meet the nutritional requirements of every single person on earth 1 1/2 times over. The only reason people aren't fed? Greed via capitalism. Which is exactly what pushes this GM crap.


Part of the reason people are starving is getting the food from where it is grown to where it is needed. If people could grow their own food in areas like the sub-Sahara or Namibia this problem would not be so pervasive.

I would like to see not only genetically modified food but other genetically modified products as well; trees that grow faster and straighter with fewer knots, corn with a higher oil content, cotton with longer fibers and fewer seeds.

Well another problem with GM crops is that they are grown out in the open. There seeds have already spread and tainted other strains of corn. The companies assured everyone that the test feilds would not allow for the spread through a buffer zone of normal corn. Apparently these idiots never heard of bees. So they failed and it spread and now the indiginous corn in Mexico is tainted with GM genes.

Posted by quarter ton guerilla

the indiginous corn in Mexico is tainted with GM genes

Your point being?

We have absolutely no hard evidence or trustworthy studies on the safety of GM foods. What is wrong with the food we have now? Why do we need to modify nature's creations? Answer: to satisfy corporate greed. The only reason we are coming up with all this new technology is to give biotechnology corporations a stranglehold on the world food supply, pricing local farmers right out of the market. How can a wheat plant be patented? But biotech companies are doing it, then suing the pants off of local farmers when the wind carries GM pollen into their fields and interbreeds with their crops. Read into the Monsanto cases sometime. Farmers do not want the GM breeds in their crops because it is impossible to sell GM food in today's food market

These research companies are greedy. They do not care about solving world hunger, they just want to line their own pocketbooks, just like the multinational drug conglomerates. Which is why GM food is banned throughout the EU.

from Napsterbater

What is wrong with the food we have now? Why do we need to modify nature's creations? Answer: to satisfy corporate greed.

There are a few things wrong with the food we have now.

Many of the food plants won't grow in much of the world because of a lack of fresh water. Even the Salton Sea, one of the United States' most productive agricultureal areas is being ruined by salt intrusion.

Many of the food plants we grow to day are subject to blight, smut, rust, and a host of other plant diseases.

Many of the food plants we grow today have minimal yields that can be increased dramatically.

Many of the food plants we have today require a great amount of water. If they could be changed to xeroscape plants people in the Sub-Sahara and other areas could grow crops.

Many of the food plants we grow now do not have much nutritional value because their cell walls can not be easily broken down. If we can make food more nutritional people can be supported with less, thereby using less land to grow crops.

Maybe you want to settle for it was good enough for my grandfather so it is good enough for me, but many of the starving people in the world don't have that luxory.

Corporate control and GM is not the answer. A much better one would be easy to implement hydroponics technology. Let the third world grow their own food, instead of giving them fish and charging them an arm and a leg for it.

We still have no idea how GM foods affect the body. None of the big biotech firms have submitted their plants to any real public safety tests. Kinda reminds me of the whole Prozac fuckup.

Corporate control and GM is not the answer. A much better one would be easy to implement hydroponics technology.

Kind of hard to do in the Sub-Sahara and other regions.

Why not?

the indiginous corn in Mexico is tainted with GM genes Your point being? yet another myopic view.

You already said you don't care about eating GM but what if other people do. Now that these genes have transferred into native species no one will have a choice at all.

I only hope that the negative effects are well documented while the people who implemented stuff are still alive. That way we can hang um high for harming the entire planets food supply.

Oh and remember me talking about super weeds. I was reading stuff last night, they already exist. They would make it much harder to grow productive food in sub-saharan environments.