Published: Tuesday, July 8, 2014 at 18:17 PM.

Genetic engineering is such a polarizing topic that it is hard to have an even-handed debate of the issue.

Some opponents of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, spread false claims about safety while ignoring the vast amount of research to the contrary.

That frustrates University of Florida researchers who have made advances in genetic engineering that might provide benefits in fighting crop diseases and reducing the need for pesticides if they could get beyond public misconceptions.

University of Florida researchers have taken a gene found in bell peppers and transferred it to tomatoes. The process has made tomatoes that are resistant to a particularly troublesome crop disease and have a higher yield.

Contrary to scare stories about so-called Frankenfoods, these methods represent a more technologically advanced way of doing the kind of crop breeding that has been happening for millennia.

But tomato growers worry they wouldnt be able to sell a GMO product, hampering the ability of researchers to attract investors.

People are afraid, they dont understand why, they are just told they should be, said Sam Hutton, a UF plant scientist involved in the research. The anti-GMO crowd screams really loud, and there is a lot of fearmongering. It sounds bad to people who dont understand the science.

Other GMOs being developed at the University of Florida include a strawberry that can be grown without fungicides. A researcher involved in that effort observed that the crop likely wont go beyond the lab without a change in public attitudes.

You have solutions that can help the environment, help farmers and help people in the developing world, and you cant use it, said Ken Folta, professor and chairman of the universitys Horticultural Sciences Department.

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Editorial: Fanning the fears on genetics issues

Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Since the end of 2013, US exports of corn to China have dropped 85 percent after Beijing blocked shipments containing a specific strain of modified gene. So far the Chinese government has approved only 15 genetically modified corn strains for import.

However, a recent episode reveals perhaps the ban is nothing but a form of protectionism.

Mo Yun, wife of Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group's chairman, was arrested in the United States for stealing corn seeds from fields owned by Monsanto and DuPont. She was charged with stealing trade secrets.

The stolen seeds, currently available only in the United States, are genetically pure and uniform. These pure breeds are used by the seed companies to create high- yield hybrid seeds to be sold to farmers.

The hybrids sold in the market, despite favorable traits - such as resistance to drought and diseases, and super high yield - often come with a technology called terminator genes making the second-generation seeds sterile.

Sterile super seeds are good, but farmers must rely on a handful of companies for their supply. Governments and NGOs representing the developing nations often fear that the one-sided relationship threatens their food security.

The Chinese government welcomes super seeds, but prefers them to be homegrown. Weak intellectual property rights protection, however, has discouraged private investment in R&D in the area. Funding to public institutions has also crowded out private initiatives.

The vested interests in the public sector have perversely created a regime to limit research partnership, hence stifling innovation.

In fact a subsidiary of DuPont partnered with a Chinese company to develop seeds for the mainland market. However the government limited its marketing out of fear that it threatens the nation's food independence. At the end of the day it is not only science, but also politics and economics that determine what and how well we eat. Simon Lee is a business consultant

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GM food scare stories tough to swallow

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jul-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, July 8, 2014For African American women in their 50's and 60's, self-managing their HIV as they age is proving to be less of a challenge than dealing with age-related diseases such as diabetes or hypertension and socioeconomic and emotional aspects of aging, as described in a study published in AIDS Patient Care and STDs, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the AIDS Patient Care and STDs website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/apc.2014.0024 until August 8, 2014.

In the article "Taking It One Day at a Time: African American Women Aging with HIV and Co-Morbidities," Lari Warren-Jeanpiere, PhD, Pilar Hamilton, Mary Young, MD, and Lakshmi Goparaju, PhD, Georgetown University (Washington, DC), and Heather Dillaway, PhD, Wayne State University (Detroit, MI), examined how well older women who acquired HIV at a young age are able to manage HIV as they also now cope with the co-morbidities and social responsibilities of aging, changes in their work and medical insurance status, and desires for companionship and romantic relationships.

"Studies indicate that by 2015 half of the people living with HIV in the U.S. will be more than 50 years old, and the face of AIDS is changing, with an increasing prevalence among women of color," says journal Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Laurence, MD, Director of the Laboratory for AIDS Virus Research at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY.

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About the Journal

AIDS Patient Care and STDs is the leading journal for clinicians, enabling them to keep pace with the latest developments in this evolving field. Published monthly in print and online, the Journal spans the full spectrum of adult and pediatric HIV disease, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and education. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the AIDS Patient Care and STDs website at http://www.liebertpub.com/apc.

About the Publisher

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Growing old with HIV: Age-related diseases are bigger problem for African American women

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

7-Jul-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, July 7, 2014Cycling is a popular activity that offers clear health benefits, but there is an ongoing controversy about whether men who ride have a higher risk of urogenital disorders such as erectile dysfunction, infertility, or prostate cancer. The results of a study of nearly 5,300 male cyclists who participated in the Cycling for Health UK Study are presented in an article in Journal of Men's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Men's Health website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jomh.2014.0012 until August 7, 2014.

Milo Hollingworth, MBBS and Alice Harper, MBBS, University College London Medical School, and Mark Hamer, PhD, University College London, analyzed the risk for these three disorders in relation to the amount of weekly cycling time, ranging from <3.75 hours up to >8.5 hours per week. They report their findings in the article "An Observational Study of Erectile Dysfunction, Infertility and Prostate Cancer in Regular Cyclists: Cycling for Health UK Study."

"Physicians should discuss the potential risks and health benefits of cycling with their patients, and how it may impact their overall health," says Ajay Nehra, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Men's Health and Chair, Department of Urology, Director, Men's Health, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.

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About the Journal

Journal of Men's Health is the premier peer-reviewed journal published quarterly in print and online that covers all aspects of men's health across the lifespan. The Journal publishes cutting-edge advances in a wide range of diseases and conditions, including diagnostic procedures, therapeutic management strategies, and innovative clinical research in gender-based biology to ensure optimal patient care. The Journal addresses disparities in health and life expectancy between men and women; increased risk factors such as smoking, alcohol abuse, and obesity; higher prevalence of diseases such as heart disease and cancer; and health care in underserved and minority populations. Journal of Men's Health meets the critical imperative for improving the health of men around the globe and ensuring better patient outcomes. Tables of content and a sample issue can be viewed on the Journal of Men's Health website at http://www.liebertpub.com/jmh.

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Does cycling increase risk for erectile dysfunction, infertility, or prostate cancer?