Forum Post: Monsanto has announced that its RNAi-based insecticide for control of the Colorado potato beetle
Posted 9 years ago on Jan. 23, 2015, 9:14 p.m. EST by BradB
(2693)
from Washington, DC
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Monsanto has announced that its RNAi-based insecticide for control of the Colorado potato beetle will now undergo formal product development, according to a paywalled article for Genomeweb. Such RNAi-based pesticides are genetically engineered and work through silencing or otherwise interfering with genes in the target pest, to kill it or render it ineffective. The danger of these products is that genes in non-target organisms, including the consumers of the food crop sprayed with the pesticide, might be silenced or their expression altered, too. Gene-silencing sprays on their way to a field near you? Non-target organism: YOU THE CONSUMER.
READ: http://www.gmwatch.org/index.php/news/archive/2015-articles/15864
READ: Evaluation of regulation of of RNAi crops & products: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412013000494
Integrated pest management for the colorado potato beetle, no RNAi required: http://www.toxicfreenc.org/organicgardening/potato_beetles.html
Hhhmmmmmm . . . . interesting - I wonder - will their proof of testing place every known insect along with a sampling of every other life-form including the executive officers and board of directors as well as the lead researcher as test subject examples for safety and the demonstration of the effectiveness of the singular pest kill aspect of their product? - will they all be sprayed down with the specifically targeted poison and then also ingest food and water that has been treated with it - to prove it's safety?
OOOPsssss - almost forgot safety to reproduction of other species including themselves - SO - will the executive officers and the board of directors and the lead researcher(s) be exposed for a period of time while having sex and trying to reproduce?
Gotta be thorough.