A picture is worth a thousand words they say.
Here is one:
By terryhallinan at 2012-06-25
And what is in Dr. Kuang's laboratory?
By terryhallinan at 2012-06-25
Mostly bright young people bent more on saving the world rather than poisoning and destroying it.
These are pictures of the Hypusine Project that has a primary mission of defeating cancer but let the laboratory tell its own story.
The primary research interest of Dr. Chen's laboratory is on the chemical basis of cellular growth regulation as it relates to tumor differentiation, cell transformation, cell aging, and neuronal development.
If anyone thinks they can find anything here about poisoning the planet a la Monsanto, they are welcome to have a go at it.
Now below the fold maybe we can get down to the serious sidelight of genetic modification and saving the planet that still interests some kossacks though sometimes it is hard to tell.
Here is one of my favorite GMO's:
By terryhallinan at 2012-03-20
This picture of our genetically modified wolf is actually a "borrowed" one of a look-alike that is little different. Both are arguably more like their ancestral wolves than other dog GMO's but all are more suitable to cohabitation with humans and advancing human civilization than their wild ancestors.
Most readers will probably already have noticed a crucial difference between the wolf GMO and any hypusine GMO.
When the first dog evolved, a new species was born. When any eukaryotic organism has a gene inserted that produces hypusination, nothing new has been created. Normal hybridization practices can do the same transformation.
So why bother?
The answer is quite simple. The artistry of the hybridizer is anything but simple and normal. It is a complex and years-long process of trial and error to create a desired strain of plant or animal with desired trait or traits. Now imagine the complexity of creating hypusine hybrid banana that is already a rare hybrid of two very different inedible parents. And for what purpose?
Hyposine GMO's are simply stronger, healthier, more productive and longer lived than their weaker kin.
So how come the weak inherited the earth?
I actually asked that question of the discoverer.
He gave the correct answer.
"No one knows," said the professor.
Best, Terry