GERMANY: Evidence that GM genes jump species

HANOVER, Germany — Scientists have found evidence that genes used to
modify crops can jump the species barrier and cause bacteria and even fungi
to mutate.

One aim of Expo 2000 in Hanover last month was to popularise GM (genetic
manipulation) technology. But a young scientist from the University of
Jena declared at a media conference at the university's Hanover campus
during Expo 2000: “Our findings ... provide the first real evidence of
what many of us have feared. A lobby of trusts is keen to exploit GM technology,
but only a small minority of scientists is looking at the risk of horizontal
gene transfer.”

A four-year study led by Professor Hans-Hinrich Kaatz found that the
alien gene used to modify rape seed oil had transferred to bacteria living
in the guts of bees. The research poses serious questions for the biotech
industry, which pretends that the chances of gene transfer between species
are limited.

The results of the study, which has yet to be published, suggests that
all types of bacteria may become contaminated by genes used in genetically
modified organisms, including bacteria that live inside the human digestive
system. If this happened, it could affect the bacteria's role in helping
the human body fight disease, aid digestion and clot blood.

Colleagues of Kaatz at the Institute for Bee Research at the University
of Jena have been experimenting with honey bees in a field sown with GM
rape seed oil engineered to resist the herbicide glufosinate. They built
nets in the field with the transgenic rape seed and let the bees fly freely
within the net. At the beehives, they installed traps to remove the pollen
loads from the bees' hind legs and fed this pollen to young bees in the
laboratory.

The scientists then spread the contents of the bees' intestines onto
a growth medium. In some bacteria and in yeast from the gut they found
the pat-gene that confers resistance to the herbicide glufosinate. “This
happened rarely, but it did happen”, Kaatz told German TV ZDF on May 21.

The researchers at the campus media conference were afraid: “Prof Kaatz
is under pressure ... Our biggest concern is that the antibiotic-resistant
gene used in some genetically modified crops crosses over to bacteria.
If this happened it would leave our hospitals unable to treat major illnesses,
for example, meningitis and Escheria coli infections.”

These researchers said there is “widespread contamination” of all conventional
seeds in the US as well as in Europe. “But it's never too late to stop
more sinister catastrophes”, they said.

BY DR EKKEHARD JAENICKE

From GLW issue 409