Science Media Centre

Planning for future GM foods coming down the line, the food safety regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for suggestions for how it should consider applications for foods that have been made using new genetic techniques that aren’t currently covered by their laws. The current code only covers food produced by genetic […]

Over 100 Nobel laureates have signed their name to an open letter challenging Greenpeace to end its opposition to genetically modified food. The signatories urge Greenpeace to “recognize the findings of authoritative scientific bodies and regulatory agencies, and abandon their campaign against ‘GMOs’ in general and Golden Rice in particular”. Golden Rice is a beta-carotene […]

Genetically engineered crops are safe, but new regulations are needed as the definition of GE organisms becomes blurred, say US academies. An extensive study by the US-based National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has analysed the costs and benefits of genetically modified crops, drawing on almost 30 years of research. The key findings of the […]

Writing in Hawke’s Bay Today Professor Peter Kemp, Head of the Institute of Agriculture and the Environment at Massey University, pushes back on calls for a ban on genetically modified organisms. An excerpt (read in full here): Peter Kemp: Blanket GMO ban short-sighted It’s been fascinating watching signs appearing across Hawke’s Bay declaring it should […]

Scotland plans to ban the growing of genetically modified crops with its government intending to request that the country be excluded from European consents of GM crops. Our colleagues at the UK Science Media Centre gathered reaction from UK-based experts. Scottish National Party rural secretary, Richard Lochhead, said an opt-out would protect Scotland’s “clean and green […]

Is GM food safe to eat? Are humans responsible for climate change? Should we use animals in research? The views of scientists on these contentious questions are often very different from the public’s, according to a wide-ranging US survey, and highlight need for better dialogue. The Pew Research Center, in collaboration with the American Association […]

The European Parliament has passed new legislation allowing member states to make up their own minds on banning genetically modified crops. The new law gives EU member states the power to ban the cultivation of genetically modified crops even if they have been approved by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa). Read more in coverage […]

A genetic tweak that leads to mosquitoes producing mainly male offspring has the potential to rapidly knock back populations of the disease spreading insect. UK researcher developed a system which interferes with male mosquitoes’ ability to pass on the X chromosome — necessary for creating female offspring —  in their sperm. When introduced to caged […]

“Should Genetic Engineering play a part in New Zealand’s future?” That was the question at the heart of a debate hosted by Lincoln University this week. Respected broadcaster Kim Hill and panellists took part in the stimulating discussion on genetic engineering’s part in New Zealand’s future, featuring: Tony Conner, AgResearch; Jon Hickford, Lincoln University; Philip […]

A controversial study on the effects of GM maize on rats has now been retracted by the publishing journal. The study suggested that genetically modified round-up resistant corn could cause cancer in rats. The article by Gilles-Eric Séralini and colleagues was published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. The global network of Science Media Centres […]