Is Biopharming on the rise?

[b_d_41501]

Yeah, i got confused on the original post. lol. sorry guys.

[biostudent84]

No worries!

[DevGrp]

So there's no danger of biopharmed animals invading the market

But there is a danger of biopharmed food CROPS being released. Thats the real problem

It is already known that the US have failed to contain their GM crops and have contaminated non-GM farms and seed stocks. (see http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environm ... ageID=1315 )

Current GM crops, mainly Roundup ready and Bt producing plants aren’t such a problem as they are mostly harmless although(see the starlink story http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/940687.stm). Probably no one was hurt by this (there have been a few cases of people suing for allergic reactions in US courts but the medical evidence is inconclusive).

The big problem is the future. There are plans to produce all sorts of things in food crops. (Examples include vaccines and industrial enzymes) see http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/g ... d=23842700 Many of these things are really useful and worth while (vaccines for the third world) but there doesn’t seem to be enough planning or research into stopping their release into the general food chain or what the implications of this could be.
GM plant technology has the potential to be very beneficial to the world IF it is properly managed and regulated. A good start would be to avoid producing potentially harmful things in food crops