วันอังคารที่ 10 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2552

Summarize

These studies have received wide attention, but an equally momentous achievement of genetic modification has been largely ignored for almost a decade.
First, that innovation is “Golden Rice”, a collection of new rice varieties that is bio-fortified, or enriched, by genes that express beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, which is converted in the body, as needed, to the active form.
Second, In developing countries, 200-300 million children of pre-school age are at risk of vitamin A deficiency, which can be devastating and fatal. Every year, about 500,000 children become blind as a result of vitamin A deficiency, and 70 percent die within a year of losing their sight. In theory, we could simply supplement children’s diets with vitamin A in capsules, or add it to some staple foodstuff, the way that we add iodine to table salt to prevent hypothyroidism and goiter.
Third, Golden Rice offers the potential to make contributions to human health and welfare as monumental as the discovery and distribution of the Salk polio vaccine. But one aspect of this shining story is tarnished. Intransigent opposition by anti-science, anti-technology activists-Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and a few other groups- has spurred already risk-averse regulators to adopt an overly cautious approach that has stalled approvals. There is absolutely nothing about Golden Rice that should require endless case-by-case reviews and bureaucratic dithering.
The Golden Rice story make it clear that we o not yet have the will and the wisdom to make that happen.

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