29/September/20

 

The biotech company Cibus has seemingly been confused over many years regarding whether the key mutation in its herbicide-tolerant canola was derived from gene editing or arose "spontaneously" in tissue culture. The French group Inf'OGM asked Cibus to clarify how it obtained its canola – whether via oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis (ODM) gene editing (a GM process) or random mutation in tissue culture (a process exempted from GMO regulations in the EU). Inf'OGM says Cibus's reply suggests its scientists have failed to master their tool. GMWatch believes that the reply is deliberately vague in its wording and suggests a possible reason. Inf'OGM; comment by GMWatch

 

 

Scientists are making progress in understanding the COVID-19 pandemic and the virus that causes it – yet there is virtually no aspect about which science has been able to provide certainty. In this Round Table, the European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER) will discuss the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the COVID-19 pandemic with a panel of three experts. They will provide insights from their own field of knowledge, after which they will engage in discussion with each other and the audience. Speakers: Dr Michael Antoniou on whether the virus might be a lab creation; Prof Ignacio Chapela on COVID-19 and culturally induced ignorance or doubt; and Prof Giuseppe Longo on how the pandemic relates to mechanistic views of nature. ENSSER

 

 

The European Commission has again ignored an objection by the European Parliament in approving a strain of glyphosate-tolerant soybean for use as food and feed across the EU, claiming that national governments’ indecision left it no choice. ENDS Europe (paywalled)