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Mae-Wan Ho (born 12 November 1941 in Hong Kong) is, according to Tim Gardam of Channel 4, a leading scientific authority with critical views on genetic modification. According to Polly Curtis of The Guardian, she is a reader in genetics and biophysics at Open University in the United Kingdom.
Mae-Wan Ho has authored or co-authored a number of publications, including 10 books, such as The Rainbow and the Worm, the Physics of Organisms (1993, 1998), Genetic Engineering Dream or Nightmare? (1998, 1999), and Living with the Fluid Genome (2003).
Dr. Ho has expressed concerns about the spread of altered genes through horizontal gene transfer, that the experimental alteration of genetic structures may be out of control. One of the biggest concerns is if the antibiotic resistant gene used in some GM crops crossed over to bacteria. "If this happened it would leave us unable to treat major illnesses like meningitis and E coli."
Dr. Ho and colleague Joe Cummins of University of Western Ontario have argued that a sterile gene engineered into a crop could be transferred to other crops or wild relatives. "This could severely compromise the agronomic performance of conventional crops and cause wild relatives to go extinct". They said that this process could also produce genetic instabilities, "leading to catastrophic breakdown", and concluded that we simply have no data to assure us that this has not happened or cannot happen.
Bibliography
- Mae-Wan Ho. The rainbow and the worm, the physics of organisms, Singapore; River Edge, NJ: World Scientific, 1998. ISBN 981024813X.
- Mae-Wan Ho. Genetic engineering: dream or nightmare? Turning the tide on the brave new world of bad science and big business, New York, NY: Continuum, 2000. ISBN 0826412572.
- Mae-Wan Ho. Living with the fluid genome, London, UK: Institute of Science in Society; Penang, Malaysia: Third World Network, 2003. ISBN 0954492307.
- Mae-Wan Ho, Sam Burcher, Rhea Gala and Vejko Velkovic. Unraveling AIDS: the independent science and promising alternative therapies, Ridgefield, CT: Vital Health Pub., 2005. ISBN 1890612472.
References
- Tim Gardam, Director of programmes, Channel 4, "Seeds of discontent at C4", The Guardian, March 18 2000. Reprint. Accessed 2008-06-09.
- Polly Curtis, "Exploitation on the agenda at ethics forum", The Guardian, February 22, 2002. Reprint. Accessed 2008-06-09.
- Antony Barnett, "GM genes 'jump species barrier', GM food: special report", The Guardian, May 28 2000. Reprint. Accessed 2008-06-09.
- Donald MacLeod, "Who's listening? Will public opinion on genetically modified crops make any difference to the government?", The Guardian, May 19 2003. Reprint. Accessed 2008-06-09.
External links
- Institute of Science in Society web site. Accessed 2008-05-31.