Can't Get Seeds for Independent Research?

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One of the most lame complaints levied by those opposed to trangenic technology is that scientists just can't get seeds to do the independent research.  I've noted 3-4 ways that seeds may be obtained in this blog over time.

It is the laziest complaint- a sure sign of people not even willing to do cursory leg work, and simply parrot the junk people tell them.  I can get seeds in a few days- they are as close as your local seed catalog.  Just for fun, I looked in Hummert's catalog today.


The 2014 catalog has transgenic seeds for sale.  


They only sell 'roundup ready' sweet corn, but that's still something.  Anyone wanting to seriously examine the product certainly could, and any of the half-dozen or so scientists that claim that this is evil technology could do it too-- if they wanted to. 



Top of page 16- Oh, I guess it is pretty easy to get. 

Of course, there are a few technical issues at play.  First, you'll have to sign a contract to buy them that will keep you from propagating them and even doing research.  We'll come back to that.  Second, there is no comparable isogenic line (the line without the transgene) so it is hard to make a direct comparison.

These are the two goalposts that will be moved here. 

What about the contract?  Here's what I'd do if I had some evidence of GM harm from preliminary experiments.  I'd buy a few different lines, but a few non-GM lines and do the experiments.  When the results came back, I'd publish them.  Then I'd get my Nobel Prize! 

Afraid of being sued for researching the seeds?  Well, GE Seralini's famous lumpy rat retracted paper claimed to use Monsanto GM corn.  Even after that debacle there's no news that he has been sued for using the seeds off of contract (in a way, BigAg probably doesn't mind giving them enough rope). 

So why hasn't there been any independent research?  Because any scientist that looks at this issue does not see any evidence of harm.  What scientist is going to dedicate time, money and resources to test a hypothesis that makes no sense?  What postdoc or grad student is going to actually want to do this kind of work?  What funding organization is going to support it?  

The bottom line is that seeds can be obtained and tested.  Nobody wants to do it.  Nobody except for the armchair internet scientists that know more than the rest of us. 







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