GMO Article Q’s

Articles:

http://www.nature.com/scitable/content/Transgenic-pollen-harms-monarch-larvae-97961

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/14/business/14WEED.html

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/topstory/8001/8001gov1.html

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/food-how-altered/

Distribute the four articles among your group members. Answer the questions 1-5 related to your article ONLY! Then as a group, discuss the answers to the questions 6-11 at the bottom and answer them individually on your paper.

______”Monarchs and Transgenic Pollen” from the Journal of Nature

1. How did the Bt corn pollen affect the survival of the larva?

2. What do monarch butterfly larvae eat? Do you believe they are generalists or specialists?

3. How did the Bt corn pollen affect the behavior of the larva?

4. How did the Bt corn pollen affect the growth rate of the larva?

5. Describe the scientific techniques used in this experiment.

______

“Widely Used Crop Herbicide Is Losing Weed Resistance” from the NY times

1. How do farmers benefit economically from using GM crops?

2. Why should you use Roundup with Roundup ready crops? (in other words, why can’t you use Roundup on regular crops?)

3. What plants have become resistant to Roundup?

4. Explain how weeds become resistant to weed killers (herbicides)?

5. How can farmers prevent resistance in weeds?

______

“What’s Hiding in Transgenic Foods?” from Chemical and Engineering News

1. What is Cry9C protein and what organism normally produces it?

2. Why is it difficult for the government to decide if Cry9C is an allergen?

3. Explain how scientists test to see if a protein could possibly be an allergen?

4. Most allergens tend to be _____.

5. What animal models are currently being used to test for allergens and why were these organisms chosen?

______

“Food: How Altered?” from National Geographic magazine

1. How have Atlantic salmon been genetically modified?

2. How many of these Atlantic salmon are sold annually?

3. Which three government agencies regulate genetically engineered crops and foods?

4. What are fumonisins and what effect do they have on humans and animals?

5. Explain one possible health benefit to eating Bt corn that is related to fumonisins.

______

6. How have plants been genetically altered?

7. Val Giddings, vice president for food and agriculture at the Biotechnology Industry Organization believes that “the lack of complete answers to all research issues should not prevent approval of all genetically engineered food products.” Do you agree or disagree with his comment? Explain your reasoning.

8. In the National Geographic article (section titled “Can biotech foods harm the environment?”) the author mentions the Cornell study read by one of your group members on monarchs and Bt pollen. Rick Hellmich, an entomologist with the Agricultural Research Service did a follow up study and said that “the butterflies are safer in a Bt cornfield than they are in a conventional cornfield, when they’re subjected to chemical pesticides that kill not just caterpillars but most insects in the field.” Do you agree with his statement or do you see another solution to protecting the monarch larvae? What are some other options to using pesticides?

9. Brainstorm pros and cons to using GM crops/foods. (List 3 of each)

10. (Individually decide, but discuss as a group) How do you feel now about GM crops/foods? Are you for or against them? Explain why.

11. Currently, there is no requirement to label GM foods. Would you want to know if the ingredients in your food are genetically modified? Explain why or why not.