Roundup Ready® corn:

A case study

Presentation by: Harlan Svoboda25 November 2014

PBIO 5500

Roundup Ready® corn

Genetically modified to be resistant to Roundup® herbicide

Active ingredient: glyphosate

Both developed by Monsanto

Why?Widely used

Photo: pixgood.com

Photo: sunprairiehybrids.com

How is it made?

1) Select Roundup-resistant gene (mepsps) via B. thuringiensis

2) Transfect E. colia. pDPG434 plasmid

b. NotI R.E. site

3) Isolate mepsps gene

4) Incorporate into Zea maysa. Microparticle bombardment

Photo: Monsanto, Sept. 2002

2-year study

200 Sprague-Dawley rats

3 treatment groupsRoundup Ready (GMO)

Roundup only (R)

GMO + R

No hypotheses

Large amounts ofunpublished data Photo: onpasture.com

Key Results

1. All treated groups died 2-3 times more than controls, and more rapidly

2. Sex hormonal balance was modified

3. Pituitary glands were the second most disabled organ

4. Liver congestions and necrosis were 2.5-5.5 times higher

Key Results

5. Females produced large mammarytumors more often

Source: Séralini et al. (2012)

Source: Séralini et al. (2012)

Key Results

6. Kidney nephropathies were also generally 1.3-2.3 greater

7. 76% of the altered parameters were kidney related

Source: Séralini et al. (2012)

Conclusions

Roundup Ready corn ANDRoundup herbicide(glyphosate) are toxicto the rats

Implications forhuman toxicity

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Critical of “the manner in which the experiments were planned, implemented, analyzed, interpreted and communicated.”

Just glyphosate, orwhole formulationcontamination?

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Arjó et al. Criticisms

Sprague-Dawley rats prone to tumors

Implausibility of inserted gene to produce a de novo toxin

Cells vs. organism

Experimental sample size

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Arjó et al. Criticisms

RR corn fed to livestockNo evidence of toxicity

Statistical significanceKaplan-Meier stats.

Requested a retraction

What do you think?