WE WERE AWARE OF THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND WE WERE WHISTLING NONCHALANTLY….


By Polyxeni Nicolopoulou-Stamati Emeritus Professor of Environmental Pathological Anatomy, UoA Secretary of BOD, Mariolopoulos-Kananginis Foundation for Environmental Sciences Chairperson of ENSSER It is a fact that today, more than ever, our planet is experiencing dramatic changes like the ones that not only we but …

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Recombination between coronaviruses and synthetic RNAs and biorisk implications motivated by a SARS-CoV-2 FCS origin controversy


By Siguna Müller The urgent need for improved policy, regulation, and oversight of research with potential pandemic pathogens (PPPs) has been widely acknowledged. A 2022 article in Frontiers in Virology raises questions, reporting on a 100% sequence homology between the SARS-CoV-2 furin cleavage site …

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New Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs):Towards a “scientific precautionary principle”


By Giuseppe Longo Abstract: New Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Towards a “scientific precautionary principle”Giuseppe Longoa*a Centre Cavaillès, CNRS and Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France*Corresponding author: Giuseppe Longo, Email: AbstractTo the ordinary precautionary principle, we should add a more precise “scientific precautionary principle”. In …

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Buchvorstellung: 20 Jahre Whistleblower-Preis. Was wurde aus den Preisträger:innen und ihren Enthüllungen?


Seit 1999 haben IALANA und VDW jeweils alle zwei Jahre herausragende Whistleblower:innen mit dem Whistleblower-Preis geehrt. Dadurch sollte ihnen öffentlich Anerkennung für ihr mutiges Handeln ausgesprochen und gezeigt werden, dass die Gesellschaft auf Menschen wie sie angewiesen ist, um geheim gehaltene Fehlentwicklungen und Missstände …

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Agricultural GMOs and their associated pesticides: misinformation, science, and evidence


By Michael N. Antoniou, Claire Robinson, Irina Castro & Angelika Hilbeck Published in: Environmental Sciences Europe volume 35, Article number: 76 (2023) Abstract Misinformation has always existed, but it became a major preoccupation during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its ability to affect public …

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Terrestrial ecotoxicity of glyphosate, its formulations, and co-formulants: evidence from 2010–2023


By Szandra Klátyik, Gergely Simon, Marianna Oláh, Robin Mesnage, Michael N. Antoniou, Johann G. Zaller & András Székács Environmental Sciences Europe volume 35, Article number: 51 (2023) https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-023-00758-9   Abstract Glyphosate (GLY), the most widely used herbicide in the world, is frequently detected in …

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Reducing overall herbicide use may reduce risks to humans but increase toxic loads to honeybees, earthworms and birds


Abstract Background Pesticide use has been associated with risks for human health and an overall decline in biodiversity. Although herbicides are the most commonly used pesticides worldwide, they have received less attention in this debate. We investigated the extent to which long-term trends in …

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Pesticide Use and Associated Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Sugar Beet, Apples, and Viticulture in Austria from 2000 to 2019


Abstract The production of synthetic pesticides is energy intensive and can emit even more greenhouse gases (GHG) per kg than the production of synthetic fertilizers. However, this aspect is largely neglected when it comes to agriculture’s contribution to GHG emissions. Using official pesticide sales …

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Pesticide drift mitigation measures appear to reduce contamination of non-agricultural areas, but hazards to humans and the environment remain


Abstract Pesticide drift onto non-agricultural land is a common problem in intensively farmed regions, and national action plans have been established across Europe to prevent it. Here, we analyzed official data on pesticide residues in grass samples collected over six years to determine whether …

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Unexpected air pollutants with potential human health hazards: Nitrification inhibitors, biocides, and persistent organic substances


Abstract To better understand the influence of land use and meteorological parameters on air pollutants, we deployed passive air samplers in 15 regions with different land use in eastern Austria. The samplers consisted of polyurethane PUF and polyester PEF filter matrices, which were analyzed …

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Glyphosate Effects on Earthworms: Active Ingredients vs. Commercial Herbicides at Different Temperature and Soil Organic Matter Levels


Abstract Little is known about the non-target effects of glyphosate active ingredients (GLY) versus glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) formulations on soil organisms, and whether effects are influenced by environmental conditions. We investigated the avoidance behavior, biomass growth, and reproduction of earthworms (Eisenia fetida, E. andrei) …

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Potential to reduce pesticides in intensive apple production through management practices could be challenged by climatic extremes


Abstract Apples are the third most produced fruit in the world, but their production is often pesticide-intensive. Our objective was to identify options for pesticide reduction using farmer records from 2549 commercial apple fields in Austria during five years between 2010 and 2016. Using …

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Glyphosate-Based Herbicide Formulations with Greater Impact on Earthworms and Water Infiltration than Pure Glyphosate


Abstract Glyphosate is the most widely used active ingredient (AI) in thousands of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) worldwide. Short-term impacts of AIs or GBHs on earthworms are well known, but few studies have examined long-term legacy effects >3 months after application. In a pot experiment, …

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Nouveaux OGM : pour un « principe de précaution scientifique »


by Giuseppe Longo https://blogs.mediapart.fr/les-amis-de-la-generation-thunberg/blog/310723/nouveaux-ogm-pour-un-principe-de-precaution-scientifique Au principe de précaution, nous devrions ajouter un « principe de précaution scientifique ». Bref, que l’on ne peut pas agir sur la nature sur la base de principes qui sont manifestement faux. La science est l’invention de cadres théoriques …

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Recombination between coronaviruses and synthetic RNAs and biorisk implications motivated by a SARS-CoV-2 FCS origin controversy


by Siguna Müller HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY article Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol., 04 August 2023 Sec. Biosafety and Biosecurity Volume 11 – 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1209054 Read and Download the full article here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1209054/full The urgent need for improved policy, regulation, and oversight of research with potential …

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Blue Planet Law – The Ecology of our Economic and Technological World


By Maria da Glória Garcia, Margarida Silva https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-24888-7 This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access Promotes a future-oriented approach to Global Environmental Sustainability Delivers a sophisticated interdisciplinary approach to the law of our fragile Blue Planet Offers …

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Genotoxicity Assays Published since 2016 Shed New Light on the Oncogenic Potential of Glyphosate-Based Herbicides


By Charles Benbrook, Robin Mesnage and William Sawyer Agrochemicals 2023, 2(1), 47-68 https://www.mdpi.com/2813-3145/2/1/5 Abstract: Controversy over the oncogenicity of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) persists seven years after a 2015 IARC Monograph classified glyphosate/GBHs as “probably carcinogenic” to humans. Most regulatory authorities have concluded that technical …

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Integration of omics analyses into GMO risk assessment in Europe: a case study from soybean field trials


By Rafael Fonseca Benevenuto, Caroline Bedin Zanatta, Friedrich Waßmann, Michael F. Eckerstorfer & Sarah Zanon Agapito-Tenfen Environmental Sciences Europe volume 35, Article number: 14 (2023) https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-023-00715-6 Abstract In Europe, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are subject to an authorization process including a mandatory risk assessment. …

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Book “Beyond Climate Fixes: From Public Controversy to System Change”


Political elites have been evading the causes of climate change through deceptive fixes. Their market-type instruments such as carbon trading aim to incentivise technological innovation which will supposedly decarbonize or replace dominant high-carbon systems. In practice this techno-market framework has perpetuated climate change and social injustices, thus provoking …

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Toxicological Comparison of Pesticide Active Substances Approved for Conventional vs. Organic Agriculture in Europe


By Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, Thomas Durstberger, Johann G. Zaller Published in Toxics 2022, 10(12), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10120753 Published: 2 December 2022 (This article belongs to the Section Agrochemicals and Food Toxicology) Abstract There is much debate about whether the (mostly synthetic) pesticide active substances (AS) in …

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Are null segregants new combinations of heritable material and should they be regulated?


By Jack A. Heinemann, Katrin Clark, Tessa C. Hiscox, Andrew W. McCabe, Sarah Z. Agapito-Tenfen Published in Front. Genome Ed., 10 January 2023 Sec. Genome Editing in Plants Volume 4 – 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fgeed.2022.1064103 Through genome editing and other techniques of gene technology, it …

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A Roundup herbicide causes high mortality and impairs development of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)


By Nicolas Defarge, Mathias Otto, Angelika Hilbeck Published in Science of The Total Environment Volume 865, 20 March 2023, 161158 Available online 23 December 2022 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161158 Abstract Glyphosate has and is being used extensively in herbicide formulations worldwide. Thus, glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) substantially add …

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Reasons for Reinforcing the Regulation of Chemicals in Europe


By Erik Millstone and Peter Clausing European Journal of Risk Regulation (2023), 1–15 doi:10.1017/err.2022.41 Abstract The European Commission’s 2020 draft Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability set the ambitious goal of achieving a “Toxic-Free Environment”. Those ambitions were harshly criticised by a team based in Germany’s …

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Rethinking the drivers of biotechnologies: a paradigm for holistic climate change solutions


By Jack A. Heinemann and Tessa C. Hiscox Published in Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 59, December 2022, 101222 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2022.101222   Abstract Humanity is under pressure to identify sustainable climate change mitigation strategies that also progress developmental and environmental goals. Urgency creates greater …

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Petroleum in Pesticides: A Need to Change Regulatory Toxicology


By Gérald Jungers, Florence Portet-Koltalo, Julie Cosme and Gilles-Eric Seralini Toxics 2022, 10(11), 670; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10110670 Received: 16 September 2022 / Revised: 28 October 2022 / Accepted: 30 October 2022 / Published: 6 November 2022   Abstract Toxicological investigations of pesticides largely focus on the …

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Technical Report on EU “Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Needs and Priorities”


The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, ENISA, has published a report on “Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Needs and Priorities”. It discusses the challenges and perspectives for research and innovation in four cybersecurity fields: hyperconnected world, intelligent systems, cybersecurity in life sciences (biotechnology), and computational …

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Cytotoxic effects of Roundup Classic and its components on NE-4C and MC3T3-E1 cell lines determined by biochemical and flow cytometric assays


By Marianna Oláh, Eniko Farkas, Inna Székács, Robert Horvath, András Székács   Abstract: Cytotoxic effects of the market leading broad-spectrum, synthetic herbicide product Roundup Classic, its active ingredient glyphosate (in a form of its isopropylamine (IPA) salt) and its formulating surfactant polyethoxylated tallowamine (POE-15) …

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Invitation Conférences : « Pandémie, science et démocratie »


Conférences « Pandémie, science et démocratie » 18 juin 2022 15h-19h https://republique-des-savoirs.fr/events/event/conferences-pandemie-science-et-democratie/   Organisée par : Giuseppe Longo (Centre Cavaillès/République des savoirs/CNRS) Séance introduite et animée par Caroline Petit (Centre Cavaillès/République des savoirs/CNRS) Programme : Barbara Stiegler, Professeur de philosophie politique, Université Bordeaux Montaigne …

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Down to earth – why soils play a key role in ecosystem-based adaptation


Authors: Dr. Andrea Beste (Büro für Bodenschutz & Ökologische Agrarkultur), Neomi Lorentz There is an unprecedented interest in nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation. But something very important is often missing from discussions of such solutions: the role of healthy soils. As …

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Tensions between Natural and Utility Purpose of Farm Animals and Crop Plants


Struik, P.C.; Bos, A.; van Mansvelt, J.D.; Sprangers, D.; Zoeteman, K. Handling Tensions between Natural and Utility Purpose of Farm Animals and Crop Plants. Sustainability 2019, 11, 1019. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041019 Abstract We analyze the extent to which humans respect farm animals and crop plants and …

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Changing Ground: Handling Tensions between Production Ethics and Environmental Ethics of Agricultural Soils


van Mansvelt, J.D.; Struik, P.C.; Bos, A.; Daub, W.; Sprangers, D.; van den Berg, M.; Vingerhoets, M.; Zoeteman, K. Changing Ground: Handling Tensions between Production Ethics and Environmental Ethics of Agricultural Soils. Sustainability 2021, 13, 13291. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313291 Abstract Soils are an essential element in …

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France – portrait of an agriculture in transition


The French Council Presidency has made so-called “carbon farming” a priority. In the podcast, Dr. Andrea Beste talks about what to make of this and whether it has any effect on the climate in arable farming. From minute 8 in English https://soundcloud.com/foodforeurope/12-france-portrait-of-an-agriculture-in-transition Die französische …

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The pandemic and the « techno-fix »


Abstract: The current pandemic was an announced possibility. Its possible causes were known: destroyed ecosystem niches, declining biological diversity, intensive farming, abuse of genetic and biologic manipulations. This paper deals with some aspects of the biological (and social) history of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic …

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Book Review: Programming Evolution: A Crack in Science


Giuseppe Longo reviews the book “A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution” by Nobel Prize winner, Jennifer Doudna, and Samuel Sternberg Abstract: Nobel Prize winner, Jennifer Doudna, and Samuel Sternberg survey recent advances in a pioneering area of …

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Rarely Recognized Antibody Diversification in Covid-19 Evolution to Counteract Advanced SARS-CoV-2 Evasion Strategies, and Implications for Prophylactic Treatment


By Siguna Müller Front. Physiol., 03 August 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.624675 The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic underscores the importance of finding effective and safe ways to combat the virus, and to optimally understand the immune response elicited upon natural infection. This likely involves all components of …

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Herbicides: Chemistry, Efficacy, Toxicology, and Environmental Impacts


The book Herbicides: Chemistry, Efficacy, Toxicology, and Environmental Impacts addresses contemporary debates on herbicide toxicology. Edited by Robin Mesnage and Johann Zaller and including contributions from Michael Antoniou, Nicolas de Sadeleer and András Székács, a strength of this book is its multidisciplinarity. Internationally recognized …

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The post-market environmental monitoring of GM maize in the EU has a limited capacity to identify adverse effects


Abstract The EU legislation requests post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) of a genetically modified (GM) organism even if its pre-market risk assessment indicated negligible risks. It has been claimed that the monitoring of the only currently commercially cultivated GM plant in the EU, Bt MON810 …

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In-depth comparative toxicogenomics of glyphosate and Roundup herbicides: histopathology, transcriptome and epigenome signatures, and DNA damage


By Robin Mesnage, Mariam Ibragim, Daniele Mandrioli, Laura Falcioni, Fiorella Belpoggi, Inger Brandsma, Emma Bourne, Emanuel Savage, Charles A Mein, Michael N Antoniou doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.12.439463 Conclusions Taken together, the results of our study show that Roundup herbicides are more toxic than glyphosate, activating mechanisms …

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Trans-disciplinary diagnosis for an in-depth reform of regulatory expertise in the field of environmental toxicology and security


By: Joël Spiroux de Vendômois, Jean-Paul Bourdineaud, Arnaud Apoteker, Nicolas Defarge, Emilie Gaillard, Corinne Lepage, Jacques Testart & Christian Vélot Published in: Toxicological Research (2021) Abstract: Repeated health and environmental scandals, the loss of biodiversity and the recent burst of chronic diseases constantly remind …

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Improved strategies to counter the COVID-19 pandemic: Lockdowns vs. primary and community healthcare


COVID-19 pandemic mitigation strategies are mainly based on social distancing measures and healthcare system reinforcement. However, many countries in Europe and elsewhere implemented strict, horizontal lockdowns because of extensive viral spread in the community which challenges the capacity of the healthcare systems. However, strict …

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Book publication: Herbicides: Chemistry, Efficacy, Toxicology, and Environmental Impacts


ENSSER members Robin Mesnage, András Székács, Michael Antoniou and Nicolas de Sadeleer have contributed to this book: Herbicides: Chemistry, Efficacy, Toxicology, and Environmental Impacts addresses contemporary debates on herbicide toxicology. The reader is offered a comprehensive overview of this complex topic, presented by internationally …

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Facing the 2020 pandemic: What does cyberbiosecurity want us to know to safeguard the future?


by Siguna Müller published in Elsevier’s Biosecurity and Health: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bsheal.2020.09.007   Abstract As the entire world is under the grip of the coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19), and as many are eagerly trying to explain the origins of the virus and cause of the pandemic, …

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Why did EFSA not reduce its ADI for aspartame or recommend its use should no longer be permitted?


by Erik Paul Millstone and Elisabeth Dawson published in Archives of Public Health: https://archpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13690-020-00489-w Abstract On behalf of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Kass and Lodi recently published a letter purporting to ‘refute’ our July 2019 analysis of EFSA’s December 2013 assessment of …

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IAASTD+10: ten years on from the largest agricultural assessment ever


In 2009, ca. 400 authors contributed to the unique “International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development” (IAASTD). Now, a group of former authors and review editors of the IAASTD, including two ENSSER members, Jack Heinemann and Angelika Hilbeck, decided to commemorate …

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Geocentrism vs genocentrism: theories without metaphors, metaphors without theories


by Giuseppe Longo and Matteo Mossio Published in Interdisciplinary Science Reviews ABSTRACT Through the comparison between two major, long-lasting theoretical frameworks – geocentrism and genocentrism – we discuss the different epistemological role played by metaphors in physics and biology. Throughout its history, physics developed …

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Stacked genetically modified soybean harboring herbicide resistance and insecticide rCry1Ac shows strong defense and redox homeostasis disturbance after glyphosate-based herbicide application


by Caroline Bedin Zanatta, Rafael Fonseca Benevenuto, Rubens Onofre Nodari & Sarah Zanon Agapito-Tenfen published in Environmental Sciences Europe volume 32, Article number: 104 (2020) View the full article and download the pdf   Abstract Background World agricultural production of genetically modified (GM) products, in particular, the …

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Timing is everything: Survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salarpostsmolts during events of high salmon lice densities


by Thomas Bøhn| Karl Øystein Gjelland| Rosa M. Serra-Llinares| Bengt Finstad|Raul Primicerio| Rune Nilsen| Ørjan Karlsen| Anne D. Sandvik| Ove T. Skilbrei|Kristine Marit S. Elvik| Øystein Skaala| Pål A. Bjørn DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13612 Abstract 1. Atlantic salmon in aquaculture act as reservoir hosts and vectors …

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Broadening the GMO risk assessment in the EU for genome editing technologies in agriculture


By Katharina Kawall, Janet Cotter & Christoph Then Environmental Sciences Europe volume 32, Article number: 106 (2020)   Abstract Genome editing techniques, especially the CRISPR/Cas technology, increase the possibilities and the speed of altering genetic material in organisms. So-called genome editing is increasingly being …

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Italian Documentary on the origins of SARS-CoV-2 with interview of molecular geneticist Dr Michael Antoniou


Documentary by the Italian journalist Paolo Barnard with an interview with the molecular geneticist Dr Michael Antoniou about the possibility that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is a genetically engineered creation that escaped from a lab. The interview was published on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WQp2Aqr1ps …

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Confusing biological rhythms and physical clocks – Today’s ecological relevance of Bergson-Einstein debate on time


Abstract The reflections on the nature of time in Relativity Theory will be hinted in reference to the new bridges recently proposed by Connes and by Rovelli’s “perspectival” approach, two major steps towards a unification of quantum, thermodynamical and relativistic times. The so called …

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Genetic engineering endangers the protection of species


Genetic engineering endangers the protection of species Subtitle: Why the spread of genetically engineered organisms into natural populations has to be prevented Autor(s): Christoph Then This report is primarily concerned with the consequences of genetic engineering interventions into evolutionary processes. Leading scientists working in …

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New scientific study highlights non-monotonic dose-response curves and low-dose effects of bisphenol A


Maël Montévil, Nicole Acevedo, Cheryl M. Schaeberle, Manushree Bharadwaj, Suzanne E. Fenton, and Ana M. Soto published a paper in the context of the Clarity BPA study that is significant for current debates on the regulation of endocrine disruptor, and that you might find …

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The Story behind COVID-19: Animal Diseases at the Crossroads of Wildlife, Livestock and Human Health


Article on the impacts of viruses on wildlife, livestock and human health   Prof J Godfroid and Prof N de Sadeleer published an article (special issue on Covid in the European Journal of Risk Regulation) on the zoonotic origin of COVID-19 and, generally speaking, …

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GMO regulations and their interpretation: how EFSA’s guidance on risk assessments of GMOs is bound to fail


The article “GMO regulations and their interpretation: how EFSA’s guidance on risk assessments of GMOs is bound to fail” by Angelika Hilbeck, Hartmut Meyer, Brian Wynne & Erik Millstone, published in Environmental Sciences Europe volume 32, Article number: 54 (2020) may be viewed here …

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Spatio‐temporal controllability and environmental risk assessment of genetically engineered gene drive organisms from the perspective of EU GMO Regulation


The article by Dr Christoph Then, Dr Katharina Kawall, and Dr Nina Valenzuelawas published on 6 April 2020 in the  journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management of the Society of Environmental Assessment and Management. Please find the abstract here: https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ieam.4278 Please find the article …

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Overview of genome editing applications using SDN-1 and SDN-2 in regard to EU regulatory issues


Brochure by TestBiotech Authors: Katharina Kawall, Juliana Miyazaki, Andreas Bauer-Panskus, Christoph Then Overview of genome editing applications using SDN-1 and SDN-2 in regard to EU regulatory issues – New methods of genetic engineering (genome editing) and their potential impact on nature protection and the …

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Risk assessment of genetically engineered plants that can persist and propagate in the environment


Risk assessment of genetically engineered plants that can persist and propagate in the environment. By Andreas Bauer-Panskus, Katharina Kawall, Juliana Miyazaki, Christoph Then AND: Rendering of the sustainable pulse. 


Just published: GMOs and ROUNDUP: Similar long term toxicities due to glyphosate formulations


JUST PUBLISHED – February 2020 ​VIENT DE PARAÎTRE – Février 2020 (in french below) GMOs AND ROUNDUP: SIMILAR LONG TERM TOXICITIES DUE TO GLYPHOSATE FORMULATIONS Glyphosate is associated with carcinogenic petroleum additives and heavy metals in pesticides (formulations, which are always mixtures). This penetrates and bioaccumulates …

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Shotgun metagenomics and metabolomics reveal glyphosate alters the gut microbiome of Sprague-Dawley rats by inhibiting the shikimate pathway


Robin Mesnage, Maxime Teixeira, Daniele Mandrioli, Laura Falcioni, Quinten Raymond Ducarmon, Romy Daniëlle Zwittink , Caroline Amiel, Jean-Michel Panoff, Fiorella Belpoggi , Michael N Antoniou https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/870105v1.full.pdf Abstract: There is intense debate as to whether glyphosate can interfere with aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in microorganisms …

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The Introduction of Thousands of Tonnes of Glyphosate in the food Chain—An Evaluation of Glyphosate Tolerant Soybeans


by Thomas Bøhn and Erik Millstone Foods 2019, 8(12), 669; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8120669 Abstract: Glyphosate-tolerant (GT) soybeans dominate the world soybean market. These plants have triggered increased use of, as well as increased residues of, glyphosate in soybean products. We present data that show farmers have …

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Insufficient risk assessment of herbicide-tolerant genetically engineered soybeans intended for import into the EU


By: Juliana Miyazaki, Andreas Bauer-Panskus, Thomas Bøhn, Wolfram Reichenbecher & Christoph Then Published: Environmental Sciences Europe volume 31, Article number: 92 (2019) DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-019-0274-1   Abstract The introduction of herbicide-tolerant (HT) genetically engineered (GE) soybeans has raised new challenges for the European risk assessment …

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Review: Limitations in the evidential basis supporting health benefits from a decreased exposure to pesticides through organic food consumption


By Robin Mesnage, Ioannis N. Tsakiris, Michael N. Antoniou, Aristides Tsatsakis https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cotox.2019.11.003 Abstract Consumer demand for organic food is mostly based on the belief that organic products are healthier because they are less contaminated with pesticides. We explain why health benefits from a decreased …

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Are Market GM Plants an Unrecognized Platform for Bioterrorism and Biocrime?


By Siguna Müller Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol., 29 May 2019 Sec. Biosafety and Biosecurity Volume 7 – 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2019.00121 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2019.00121/full This article discusses a previously unrecognized avenue for bioterrorism and biocrime. It is suggested that new gene editing technologies may have the potential to …

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Paper: EFSA’s toxicological assessment of aspartame: was it even-handedly trying to identify possible unreliable positives and unreliable negatives?


A new paper of Erik Millstone et al. has been published in Archives of Public Health. A copy of the paper is attached below, along with copies of two appendices.   A dossier of supporting documentation is available. The paper and appendices are available on …

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Laboratory tests with Lepidoptera to assess non-target effects of Bt maize pollen: analysis of current studies and recommendations for a standardised design


By Andreas Lang, Marina Lee, Matthias Dolek, Julitta Berchtold and Mathias Otto   Abstract: Background and approach: Common standards for laboratory studies of non-target organisms are recognised as prerequisite to assist the risk assessments regarding the evaluation of environmental effects of transgenic crops. Here, …

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Press Release: New study: Herbicides (glyphosate, dicamba) & antibiotic resistance


A new study finds that bacteria develop antibiotic resistance up to 100,000-times faster when exposed to the world’s most widely used herbicides, Roundup (glyphosate) and Kamba (dicamba) and antibiotics compared to without the herbicide. This study adds to a growing body of evidence that …

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Comment by Ricarda Steinbrecher on Kyrou et al 2018 in Nature Biotechnology: Gene drives breakthrough needs urgent restraint


A research development that crashed a population of caged mosquitoes could enable elimination of non-target species, says Dr Ricarda Steinbrecher Gene drive researchers associated with Target Malaria and funded by US DARPA, the GATES Foundation and the UK BBSRC have just managed to crash …

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Report – Gene-edited organisms in agriculture: risks and unexpected consequences


In recent years, there has been much discussion of how gene editing techniques, such as CRISPR, can broaden the scope of genetic engineering in agriculture. However, it’s becoming clear that gene editing techniques are error prone. This new report from Friends of the Earth …

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Estimating acute mortality of Lepidoptera caused by the cultivation of insect-resistant Bt maize – The LepiX model


Article by LorenzFahse, Phillip Papastefanou, and Mathias Otto   Abstract The cultivation of Bt maize, genetically modified to be resistant to insect pests, has led to intense scientific and political debate about its possible adverse impacts on biodiversity. To better address this question we …

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Study: Impacts of glyphosate-based herbicides on disease resistance and health of crops: a review


By Daisy A. Martinez, Ulrich E. Loening, and Margaret C. Graham.   Abstract: Based on experimental data from laboratory and field, numerous authors have raised concern that exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) may pre-dispose crops to damage by microbial pathogens. In this review, we …

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Chemical Pesticides and Human Health: The Urgent Need for a New Concept in Agriculture


By Polyxeni Nicolopoulou-Stamati1*, Sotirios Maipas1, Chrysanthi Kotampasi1, Panagiotis Stamatis1 and Luc Hens2 1 Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece, 2 Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO), Mol, Belgium doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2016.00148 Published in 2016 in frontiers in …

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