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Biosafety research premiere at International Green Week

Darmstadt, 20 Jan. 2012 - Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has been funding biological safety research projects for 25 years. The projects investigate the behaviour of genetically modified plants in the environment. This year, the gmo-safety.eu project will be present at International Green Week as part of the BMBF stand. The focus is on research findings relating to the environmental safety of genetically modified Bt maize. more

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Honey bee gather maize pollen

Bt maize pollen has no effect on bee larvae

Scientists at the University of Würzburg’s Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology have for the first time investigated how well honeybee larvae cope with Bt maize pollen under controlled laboratory conditions. Pollen from Bt maize MON810 and from a Bt maize variety that produces three different Bt proteins was not found to have any harmful effect on the larval stages of the bees. The larval test is part of a biological safety research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). more

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Don Huber

Is glyphosate dangerous? Anti-herbicide campaign on shaky ground

Don Huber, a retired American professor of plant pathology, is currently in Germany on a lecture tour. He is warning people of the consequences of using the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate, also known under its brand name Roundup, which is used in conjunction with the cultivation of herbicide-tolerant GM crops. According to Huber, the herbicide leads to malnourished plants, to an increase in plant diseases and to significant declines in yield – claims that his former colleagues at Purdue University (USA) vehemently deny.more

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Butterflies not at risk from Bt maize

Mechthild Schuppener of RWTH Aachen University has investigated whether the small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies could be at risk from the cultivation of genetically modified Bt maize. After three years of research, the scientist concludes that the risk to butterflies from the Bt maize she studied is negligible. GMO Safety interviewed Mechthild Schuppener about the results of her research and has summarized the findings in a video. more

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MON810: Long-term cultivation does not result in an accumulation of Bt protein in the soil

Scientists from the Bavarian State Research Centre for Agriculture (Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft, LfL) and the University of Technology in Munich (TUM) have for the first time investigated what happens to Bt protein from genetically modified MON810 maize throughout the agricultural cycle – from cultivation to use of the plants as cattle fodder, to the spreading of liquid manure from these animals on the fields. The experiments were headed by Dr Martin Müller from the working group on gene transfer and GMO safety research at LfL’s Institute for Crop Science and Plant Breeding. more

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Effects of Bt maize on ‘stressed’ honeybees

Scientists have not so far been able to find any harmful effects of genetically modified Bt maize on healthy bees. But what happens if the insects have already been weakened by disease? In other words, what if they are exposed to several potential stress factors at the same time? This is a question scientists at the University of Würzburg are researching. more

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Nematode under the microscope

Are soil-dwelling nematodes sensitive to genetically modified Bt maize?

Sebastian Höss of the Institute for Biodiversity in Regensburg has been studying nematodes in agricultural soils for years. Nematodes are very important for soil fertility. In one research project, Sebastian Höss and his team are therefore investigating whether nematodes are sensitive to a particular type of GM maize. No indications of sensitivity have been found so far. The research acitivties are documented in a report and a video clip.more

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Male flowers forming on an early-flowering poplar

Do genetically modified trees pose a risk to the environment?

How safe are transgenic trees? What are the findings to date? GMO Safety discussed the issue with Matthias Fladung, Director of Genome Research and Deputy Director of the Institute of Forest Genetics at the Johann-Heinrich von Thünen Institute (vTI).more

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Relaunch of gmo-safety.eu

Since 8 June 2010 gmo-safety.eu has a new layout with clearly optimised functions. New editorial accents and a tighter menu guidance provide more transparency and a clear structure.more