NEWS: Polar bears heading to Arctic islands for more food, new research suggests

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NEWS: Around the ArcticJanuary 08, 2015 - 9:45 am NUNATSIAQ NEWS

Polar bears appear to be on the move, heading to Canadas Arctic islands thats what Inuit hunters in Nunavut have been saying and what the observations of people in many Nunavut communities also support.

Now a new research paper, published Jan. 6 in the online journal Plos One, whose authors include former Government of Nunavut polar bear biologist Elizabeth Peacock, provides genetic evidence that also points to movement by polar bears to the Arctic islands, where the polar bears can find better seal-hunting conditions.

The papers authors say there should be more research, monitoring and proactive conservation in this region due to the novel and recent gene flow towards the Canadian Archipelago.

For their research paper, called Implications of the Circumpolar Genetic Structure of Polar Bears for Their Conservation in a Rapidly Warming Arctic, Peacock and other scientists analyzed DNA from 2,748 polar bear samples as well as other samples and materials from 18 of the 19 recognized sub-populations of polar bears used in polar bear management around the circumpolar world.

The research goal: to evaluate polar bear genetic changes over the past 20 years.

The analyses find theres been a genetic flow of polar bear groups from southern Canada and the eastern polar basin towards the Canadian islands within the past one to three generations.

Previous research has suggested the Arctic islands area could become a future refugium that is, a safe place for polar bears as climate-induced environmental changes continue, although other studies have said warming Arctic conditions may become critical for polar bears by the end of this century, meaning favourable, year-round polar bear habitat may be gone by 2100, even in the High Arctic.

Researchers have also predicted the High Arctic islands could become more productive habitat for polar bears. Thats because annual ice over shallow waters, which provides better conditions for seal prey, will replace thick, multi-year and less productive ice habitat.

And, as a result, researchers have also predicted a northerly shift in polar bears.

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NEWS: Polar bears heading to Arctic islands for more food, new research suggests

Embankments are sinking Bangladeshs islands

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Bangladeshs estuarine islands are sinking, and ironically, this could owe to embankments built to protect them from tidal erosion. Some islands have sunk by as much as 1.5 metres in the last 50 years, says a study published recently in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The over 50 large islands in southwest Bangladesh, once forested but now primarily rice growing, were embanked in the 1960s and 1970s to protect them against tidal and storm-surge inundation. But these earthen embankments, while buffering them against floods, have also prevented the deposition of sediment that helps maintain an elevation in this area.

The loss of elevation was felt most significantly during the 2009 cyclone Alia when large areas of land were left inundated for upto two years. Despite sustained human suffering during this time, the newly reconnected landscape received tens of centimetres of tidally deposited sediment, equivalent to decades worth of normal sedimentation, says the paper. Deforestation and a regionally increased tidal range have contributed to the phenomenon, say the researchers from Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, U.S. and Khulna University, Bangladesh. Interestingly, while these islands in the GangesBrahmaputra river delta are fast submerging, putting millions of inhabitants at risk of flooding, the neighbouring Sundarbans mangroves are stable from their natural shield of vegetation, the paper adds.

Researchers used GPS and a theodolite survey of land elevations at an island called Polder-32 in southwest Bangladesh and compared it with the Sundarbans. They found that the mean elevation of Polder-32 is 1.15 metres lower than Sundarbans.

The study therefore implicates direct human modification of the environment and not global sea-level rise as the most important agent of change in the western Ganges Brahmaputra tidal delta plain, says the paper.

The striking contrast between the tidal inundation patterns of these landscapes highlights the impact of sediment starvation and the historical loss of elevation, which has severely exacerbated the effects of tidal inundation, notes the paper.

However it is possible to recover some of the lost ground, say the authors adding that controlled breaching of embankments can restore elevation and relieve environmental problems. The silver lining for Bangladesh and the delta system remains the one billion tons of river sediment that may be effectively dispersed onto the landscape to alleviate elevation deficits. On the basis of our observations, a feasible management strategy from the physical-science perspective may be to systematically breach embankment sections to facilitate sediment delivery and elevation recovery.

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Embankments are sinking Bangladeshs islands

Microbiome Researchers Find Common Ground

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Guest Post from John Rawls Ph.D., associate professor of molecular genetics and microbiology

Illustration by Timothy Cook

Recent advances in genomic technology have led to spectacular insights into the complexity and ubiquity of microbial communities (the microbiome) throughout our planet, including on and within the human body.

The microbiome is now known to contribute significantly to human health and disease, regulate global biogeochemistry, and harbor much of our planets genetic diversity.

On November 21, 2014, more than 200 scientists, clinicians, engineers, and students gathered in the Trent Semans Center at the Duke University Medical Center to learn about cutting-edge microbiome research in an interdisciplinary symposium entitled The Human and Environmental Microbiome.

Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of this exciting field, symposium participants represented a broad range of basic and clinical science departments at Duke and other institutions across North Carolinas Research Triangle.

The symposium showcased microbiomes in a wide diversity of habitats, including the body surfaces of humans and other animals, plant roots, soil, dust, freshwater streams, coastal waters, and in vitro systems.

Despite the diversity of their experimental systems, participants shared many of the same experimental approaches and methodologies. For instance, microbial genomic sequencing was highlighted as a tool for understanding the life cycle of the parasites that cause malaria, as well as for identifying useful genes in symbiotic bacteria residing in the intestine.

Several abstracts presented at the symposium highlighted innovative new genetic and genomic approaches to understanding how microbial communities assemble and function, which could be widely applicable to other microbiomes.

In addition to shared methodologies, participants also reported on shared themes emerging from analysis of different microbiomes. For example, analysis of a marine environment in response to acute weather perturbation revealed many of the same ecological patterns observed in the human gut microbiome during a cholera outbreak.

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(WARNING GRAPHIC) Israel bombs beach killing four innocent children – Video

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(WARNING GRAPHIC) Israel bombs beach killing four innocent children
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Key portions of ACA at risk of repeal / Health Care Reform, Obamacare, Affordable Care Act – Video

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Key portions of ACA at risk of repeal / Health Care Reform, Obamacare, Affordable Care Act
Key portions of ACA at risk of repeal Republicans find support from a few Senate Democrats in repealing parts of the Medical Device Tax portion of the Affordable Care Act. Ed Schultz, Dr. Corey...

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5 ways to slash health-care costs

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While discontinuing group health insurance can be a hard sell to employees, they may be better off if you do. The average worker's contribution to a family plan for 2014 was $4,823, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. If, hypothetically, a moderate-wage team member is contributing $5,000 annually toward the cost of family health care obtained through your firm, that employee might be better off financially with an individual plan bought through the exchanges set up under the Affordable Care Act, said Michael Stahl, senior vice president at HealthMarkets Insurance Agency, a national insurance marketplace based in North Richland Hills, Texas.

If you shifted to the individual market, the employer contribution would disappear, he noted. Meanwhile, if workers qualified for subsidies, he said, they would pay, on average, less than $100 per month to cover their premiums. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) found that the average for 2014 plans, after subsidies were subtracted, was $82. Some employers offset that by giving the workers a pay raise, though this is counted as taxable income, he explained.

It is possible that the quality of plans provided on the exchange might also be better than what your firm can now afford to offer, as well, though that depends on whether you have been offering a so-called Cadillac plan with very rich benefits or one that is more limited with high deductibles.

"Every employer with under 50 employees should be offering money to buy individual plans vs. group plans," according to Paul Zane Pilzer, author of the book "The End of Employer-Provided Health Insurance: Why It's Good for You, Your Family, and Your Company," and founder of Zane Benefits, a firm in Murray, Utah. Zane Benefits helps small businesses reimburse employees for the cost of health care." Employers can do this by giving a raise or stipend or setting up a reimbursement plan under current federal rules, said Pilzer. The reimbursement plans operate under the premise, "Buy health insurance; show me the receipt; I'll pay you," he said.

However, employers need to be aware that under a recent guidance from the federal government, they cannot tell employees that a raise or stipend needs to be spent on health care, said Martin Haitz, vice president in the Corporate Benefits Group of Marcum Financial Services LLC. "Some employers were saying I'll give you X dollars or your health care," Haitz said. "Now they can't say, `You won't get the money if you don't use it on health care.'"

Instead of shifting to the individual markets, some firms prefer to opt for a high-deductible group plan and set up a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) to help offset employees' medical expenses. The employer can dictate the expenses they will reimburse for in the plan document and therefore limit their out-of-pocket exposure.

The advantage of an HRA over a health savings account (HSA) is that the plan can be structured so that if an employee does not use the money in an HRA, the money will still belong to the company. An HSA is another option, but it gives employers less control over how the money in an account is spent; the funds are made available to employees whether or not they incur any medical expenses, said Haitz.

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KSA health care firms to record high growth

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Saudi Arabias health care sector will continue to register high growth as companies expand their capacities, Al-Rajhi Capital said in a recent report. It also said that 2015 is expected to be a year of mixed sentiments for Saudi Arabia. There is high optimism among investors as the Kingdom plans to open up its equity market to qualified foreign institutional investors (FIIs) for direct ownership, while on the other hand, oil prices have dropped significantly and recovery is expected to be sluggish, said the report titled Saudi Arabia: Equity Market Outlook. A countercyclical budget for 2015 despite the drop in oil prices is likely to boost the nonoil sectors. Favorable demographics and an increase in wages will benefit the consumer-oriented sectors, especially the food sector. The health care sector will continue to register high growth as companies expand their capacities. The ongoing spending on housing and infrastructure will boost the cement sector, although the labor crisis and the high level of clinker inventories are likely to pose impediments. However, if oil prices do not recover, the petrochemical sector can see a decline in earnings as its product prices are linked to oil prices, said the report. Since the petrochemical sector contributes to around a third of the earnings in the Tadawul All Share Index (TASI), the overall earnings growth in 2015 is likely to be low. High dividend yields are likely to support the current price levels but any further decline in oil prices is a key risk. Our top picks are: SABIC, SAFCO, STC, Herfy, Al-Othaim, Maaden and Shaker, said Al-Rajhi Capital. Year of mixed sentiments: Saudi Arabia is likely to allow foreign investors to have direct ownership of stocks in 2015, which has heightened the optimism among investors. The TASI jumped 15 percent in the weeks following the announcement in mid-2014 and if empirical evidence is to be believed, the TASI is expected to climb again prior to the formal implementation. However, we feel any rally would be largely driven by sentiments rather than fundamentals. Meanwhile, the recovery in oil prices is expected to remain sluggish, which is likely to weigh on investor sentiments. Countercyclical fiscal expenditure: Despite the drop in oil prices by 50 percent in 2014, the fiscal expenditure for 2015 has been budgeted at SR860bn, the highest-ever for the Kingdom. This shows the Saudi governments intentions to continue investments for diversifying its economy. The large budget comes at a time when the overall growth has slowed down in Saudi Arabia as well as in many other countries. Therefore, we believe the move is countercyclical and is expected to boost the non-oil sectors. Outlook for nonoil sectors: Defensive sectors such as health care and food will witness healthy growth in 2015. Hospitals are expected to announce more expansion programs to their already rapidly increasing capacities. We do not expect a quick turnaround in the cement sector because of the huge existing inventories, restricted gas allocation issues, labor issues in construction etc. We are Neutral on the retail sector given its slowing same store sales growth and high valuation multiples. Net interest income of banks would benefit if the US Fed hikes its rates, while non-interest income would see mixed impact from lower consumer loan fees and higher brokerage fees in 2015. Outlook for petrochemical sector: The petrochemical sector is expected to see a decline in earnings on account of sluggish oil prices and demand slowdown in key economies. Since the Petrochemical sector contributes to around a third of TASIs earnings (and 20 percent of TASI Index) the overall earnings growth of the Saudi market is likely to be low. The sectors cyclical nature makes it wise to invest during troughs; however, we expect a sluggish recovery for oil prices and thereby, for the Petrochemical sector. However, we believe this is one of the most attractive entry points for a long-term investor. Top picks: Overall, 2015 is expected to be a year of mixed sentiments for Saudi Arabia. The countercyclical fiscal expenditure and high dividend yields are likely to support current price levels but further decline in oil prices remains the key risk. Among the companies, our top picks are SABIC, SAFCO, STC, Herfy, Al-Othaim, Maaden and Shaker. Al-Rajhi Capitals report also said: Even if the drop in oil prices continue, we believe that the government can sustain the current levels of expenditure even as budget turns into a deficit for longer periods considering the Kingdoms negligible public debt-GDP ratio and large government reserves built up over the years. In the medium term, the governments focus is likely to remain on building physical and social infrastructure and enhancing employment opportunities for citizens. It added: The health care sector will continue to remain one of the priority sectors for the government and private hospitals will rapidly scale up their capacities. However, we think the performance of the retail sector will slow down slightly given the sluggish same-store sales growth and high valuation multiples. The report said: The telecom sector is expected to continue facing low growth issues due to intense competition and saturation in market subscribers. However, the sector will continue to be an attractive dividend play in 2015. The issues around Mobily and Zain KSA have impacted the share price of STC as well. We think this is unjustified given that the company has been gaining strength over the past few quarters. We favor STC as one of the top picks for 2015. The report pointed out that all the listed hospitals have announced significant expansion plans and new projects across the Kingdom over the next 4-5 years. Despite these initiatives, demand continues to outpace supply. The sector will experience rapid growth as long as waiting periods at hospitals continue to remain high. It said: Mandatory insurance has been instrumental in the growth of private health care firms. Unlike Dubai or Abu Dhabi, insurance has so far been made mandatory to only expatriates and Saudi nationals (along with families) working in private firms. We believe that it is only a matter of time before insurance will be made mandatory for nationals as well.

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Minister promises better health care services

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During a tour of a number of health facilities in Al-Kharj, Health Minister Muhammad Alhayazie vowed to provide the best possible health care for the nation. The minister, accompanied by other high-profile health officials, inspected the areas health care facilities to understand the patients needs and the services provided to them, as well as the centers workflow, a ministry spokesman told Arab News. Alhayazie talked to hospital staffers about the governments efforts to meet the shortage in professionals in some specialties and committed to improve the health care system in the country. As part of the tour, the minister visited King Khalid Hospital and Prince Sultan Hospitals soon-to-be launched Cardiac Center. The tightly scheduled visit included a stopover at a new mental health hospital in the area and a new obstetrics and gynecology hospital, where the official was briefed on the facilitys medical equipment. The health minister lauded efforts made by the staff in these centers, but also urged them to provide the best medical care to patients and visitors so as to improve the countrys health. Citizens in the Al-Kharj governorate welcomed the minister's visit, saying it will help advance the health care system in the area. The visit will boost medical care services provided in these facilities and I am sure we will see marked improvement, said Mohammad Zeyad, a university student at Al-Kharj.

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Smoking, alcohol, gene variant interact to increase risk of chronic pancreatitis

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PITTSBURGH, January 8, 2015 - Genetic mutations may link smoking and alcohol consumption to destruction of the pancreas observed in chronic pancreatitis, according to a 12-year study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings, published today in Nature Publishing Group's online, open-access journal Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology, provides insight into why some people develop this painful and debilitating inflammatory condition while most heavy smokers or drinkers do not appear to suffer any problems with it.

The process appears to begin with acute pancreatitis, which is the sudden onset of inflammation causing nausea, vomiting and severe pain in the upper abdomen that may radiate to the back, and is typically triggered by excessive drinking or gallbladder problems, explained senior investigator David Whitcomb, M.D., Ph.D., chief of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, Pitt School of Medicine. Up to a third of those patients will have recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis, and up to a third of that group develops chronic disease, in which the organ becomes scarred from inflammation.

"Smoking and drinking are known to be strong risk factors for chronic pancreatitis, but not everyone who smokes or drinks damages their pancreas," Dr. Whitcomb said. "Our new study identifies gene variants that when combined with these lifestyle factors make people susceptible to chronic pancreatitis and may be useful to prevent patients from developing it."

In the North American Pancreatitis Study II consortium, researchers evaluated gene profiles and alcohol and smoking habits of more than 1,000 people with either chronic pancreatitis or recurrent acute pancreatitis and an equivalent number of healthy volunteers. The researchers took a closer look at a gene called CTRC, which can protect pancreatic cells from injury caused by premature activation of trypsin, a digestive enzyme inside the pancreas instead of the intestine, a problem that has already been associated with pancreatitis.

They found that a certain variant of the CTRC gene, which is thought to be carried by about 10 percent of Caucasians, was a strong risk factor for alcohol- or smoking-associated chronic pancreatitis. It's possible that the variant fails to protect the pancreas from trypsin, leaving the carrier vulnerable to ongoing pancreatic inflammation and scarring.

"This finding presents us with a window of opportunity to intervene in the diseases process," Dr. Whitcomb said. "When people come to the hospital with acute pancreatitis, we could screen for this gene variant and do everything possible to help those who have it quit smoking and drinking alcohol, as well as test new treatments, because they have the greatest risk of progressing to end-stage chronic pancreatitis."

Whitcomb's team has been implementing more personalized approaches to pancreatic diseases in the Pancreas Center of Excellence within the Digestive Disorders Center at UPMC and hopes to learn whether use of genetic information can, in fact, reduce the chances of chronic disease in high-risk patients.

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The study team includes Jessica LaRusch, Ph.D., Antonio Lozano-Leon, Ph.D., Kimberly Stello, Amanda Moore, Venkata Muddana, M.D., Michael O'Connell, Ph.D., Brenda Diergaarde, Ph.D., and Dhiraj Yadav, M.D., all of the University of Pittsburgh.

The project was funded by National Institutes of Health grants DK061451, DK077906 and DK063922, and the Conselleria de Industria e Innovacin, Xunta de Galicia, Spain.

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Smoking, alcohol, gene variant interact to increase risk of chronic pancreatitis

Study provides insights into the role of genetic variants in kidney disease

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Highlights

Washington, DC (January 8, 2015) -- New research provides insights into the ties between certain genetic variants and kidney disease in African Americans. The genetic association is one of the strongest ever reported for a common disease, and these latest findings may help improve diagnosis and treatment. The study appears in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

African Americans have a 4-fold increased risk for chronic kidney disease compared with European Americans. Recent work from several research groups has shown that much of this risk is due to genetic variations in a gene called apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1), which creates a protein that is a component of HDL, or good cholesterol. These variants arose tens of thousands of years ago in sub-Saharan Africa, and so are present in individuals who have recent sub-Saharan African ancestry. Approximately 5 million African Americans carry APOL1 risk variants, placing them at increased risk for kidney disease.

Jeffrey Kopp, MD (National Institutes of Health) and his colleagues investigated the role of APOL1 variants in a particular form of kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The team studied information on 94 patients with FSGS and found that patients who had APOL1 variants tended to have more advanced disease when they were diagnosed, which fits with prior observations that this genetic form of FSGS progresses rapidly. Previous research has shown that patients with two APOL1 variants respond to glucocorticoids with reductions in urinary protein excretion, but they nonetheless may experience progressive loss of kidney function. The present study showed a similar pattern with cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil. "New therapies targeting APOL1 injury pathways are needed, as standard therapies do not work for many people with this gene variant," said Dr. Kopp.

The investigators also found that 72% of self-identified African Americans in the study had APOL1 risk variants, similar to earlier findings. "We also found the APOL1 risk genotype in 2 individuals of Hispanic descent, which is well known, and in 2 individuals who self-identified as White, or European American, which has not been reported before. This last finding suggests that APOL1 risk variants can be present in individuals who self-identify in various ways," said Dr. Kopp.

In an accompanying editorial, Christopher Larsen, MD (Nephropath) and Barry Freedman, MD, PhD (Wake Forest School of Medicine) write that "the report by Kopp et al. enhances our understanding of a common etiology of the FSGS lesion seen on kidney biopsy in African Americans." They note, however, that the findings from the trial, although informative, are not encouraging due to the poor outcomes that patients with APOL1 variants often ultimately experience.

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Study co-authors include Cheryl Winkler, PhD, Xiongce Zhao, PhD, Milena Radea, PhD, Jennifer Gassman, PhD, Vivette D'Agati, MD, Cynthia Nast, MD, Changli Wei, MD, Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, Lisa Guay Woodford, MD, Friedhelm Hildebrandt, MD, Marva Moxie-Mims, MD, Debbie Gipson, MD, Aaron Friedman, MD, and Frederick Kaskel, MD.

Disclosures: The authors reported no financial disclosures.

The article, entitled "Clinical Features and Histology of Apolipoprotein L1-Associated Nephropathy in the FSGS Clinical Trial," will appear online at http://jasn.asnjournals.org/ on January 8, 2015.

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Study provides insights into the role of genetic variants in kidney disease

New study from Harvard compares design of fuel systems for soft robots

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IMAGE:Soft Robotics, a peer-reviewed journal published quarterly online with Open Access options and in print, combines advances in biomedical engineering, biomechanics, mathematical modeling, biopolymer chemistry, computer science, and tissue engineering... view more

Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, January 8, 2015-- By defining a set of key metrics to evaluate the fuel systems available to drive autonomous and wearable soft robots, a team of engineers and chemists are able to compare the advantages and limitations of current technology options. They assess various types of pneumatic energy sources and their benefits for specific applications in an article published in Soft Robotics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Soft Robotics website.

Michael Wehner and coauthors from Harvard University (Cambridge and Boston, MA), Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR), Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA), Robot G and I Research (Bedford, MA), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA), and Cornell University (Ithaca, NY), characterize the most advanced pneumatic energy systems designed to power untethered and wearable soft robots based on their energy density and flow capacity, as well as noise, toxic byproducts, application-specific requirements, and the time and additional parts needed for development. The goal of the study, entitled "Pneumatic Energy Sources for Autonomous and Wearable Soft Robotics," is to provide a framework for configuring fuel systems in soft robotics.

"As soft pneumatic systems start to gain acceptance in robotic applications, it is vital that the advantages and limitations of different energy systems are fully explored. This paper provides comparisons and analysis that will useful for anyone designing such systems," says Editor-in-Chief Barry A. Trimmer, PhD, who directs the Neuromechanics and Biomimetic Devices Laboratory at Tufts University (Medford, MA).

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About the Journal

Soft Robotics, a peer-reviewed journal published quarterly online with Open Access options and in print, combines advances in biomedical engineering, biomechanics, mathematical modeling, biopolymer chemistry, computer science, and tissue engineering to present new approaches to the creation of robotic technology and devices that can undergo dramatic changes in shape and size in order to adapt to various environments. Led by Editor-in-Chief Barry A. Trimmer, PhD, and a distinguished team of Associate Editors, the Journal provides the latest research and developments on topics such as soft material creation, characterization, and modeling; flexible and degradable electronics; soft actuators and sensors; control and simulation of highly deformable structures; biomechanics and control of soft animals and tissues; biohybrid devices and living machines; and design and fabrication of conformable machines. Tables of content and a sample issue can be viewed on the Soft Robotics website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing and Tissue Engineering. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

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New study from Harvard compares design of fuel systems for soft robots

From the Ground Up – GMOs Necessary To Feed The World

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GMO is an abbreviation for a genetically modified organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there.

Eighty per cent of our food contains some sort of GMO that you buy at the grocery store, and proponents of the technology point out theres not one incidence of human health issue. The USDA, the FDA, the CDC, and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization have all concluded that the technology is safe, and agricultural producers maintain that this technology is an absolutely necessary tool for them to be able to feed a growing world population. Travis Miller is the Interim Associate Director for State Operations for the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service.

Id encourage people, I like to do a garden myself, and Id encourage people to grow a garden but you cant feed the 300 million people in the United States all with back yard gardens, plus the 50% or more of our crop that we send overseas to feed other people. And GMOs have provided the technology that has reduced the pesticide use, has reduced the insect damage to our crops, has improved the quality of our crops, so that we do have the, its one of the many technologies that were now using to get the kind of yields we have to have to continue to feed the world.

Genetically Modified Organism technology is invaluable to plant breeders. If you look at what crops used to look like when we first started cultivating crops, the dont even resemble what we have today. And that was through traditional breeding technology, pollen from one source and pollen from another source. Problems that have plagued agriculture for decades are being addressed.

Now GMO is another important tool that a plant breeder can put in his tool box and say, oh, well what about this plant disease that we have, well heres a gene that I can take from a spinach plant and put in in a grapefruit and solve a disease thats going to take the citrus industry out.

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From the Ground Up - GMOs Necessary To Feed The World