Top 10 New GMOs for 2007

From Wired Science News, a countdown of the top 10 organisms that didn't exist on Dec. 31, 2006.

1. Ashera GD hypoallergenic cat (although there seems to be some questions as to whether these really have been created -- see this link.)

2. Butanol-producing E. coli

3. Artful fluorescent tadpoles

4. Insulin-producing lettuce

5. Super CO2-absorbing trees

6. Rapid vaccine-making button mushrooms (funded by DARPA)

7. Glow-in-the-dark cats

8. Cancer-fighting Clostridium bacteria

9. Schizophrenic mice

10. Yeast with poison-sensing rat genes

For the full article, click here.

Sea Cucumbers -- they're not just for dinner anymore

Far from being a mere oriental delicacy, Sea Cucumbers are turning out to be the hottest new miracle organism -- not only are they being investigated to help regenerate our organs and bring eyesight to the blind, they may be able to stop the spread of malaria with transgenic mosquitoes, which could save millions of lives. Genetic engineering at its best.

How cool is that?

Bioethics Throwdown!

How's this for a bioethics throwdown?: Ron Green vs. Michael J. Sandel
Carlin Romano of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes about "Two polar, persuasive stands on reproductive genetics." A review of Green's Babies by Design: The Ethics of Genetics Choice vs. Sandel's The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering .

One thing they both agree on -- that: "We all need much greater literacy in the ethical concepts and scientific information necessary to make informed decisions about these choices, especially given, as Green reports, 'how fast the science is moving.'"

To read the whole review, click here.