Federal Court Says Hawaii Counties Can't Ban GMOs or Pesticides

Federal Court Says Hawaii Counties Can't Ban GMOs or Pesticides

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down several Hawaii county ordinances limiting or altogether banning the use of pesticides and GMO products. The court held the local laws attempted to legislate an area already comprehensively covered by state or federal law and those local laws were preempted by state and/or federal laws.

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Gene Editing Regulation in the EU

Gene Editing Regulation in the EU

Gene editing (GE) is a game-changer for those in science, agriculture, or really for anyone who eats food. Heat, disease, and drought resistant cattle, corn, pigs, and barley are already in the works. They are a way forward for farmers trying to feed our growing population in a changing climate. Right now the EU is struggling to decide how to regulate GE organisms--by reviewing the product, or by asking questions about the creation of the product. I think the EU--and the US--should follow Canada's lead and should regulate GE organisms based on the actual product. 

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Can Gene Engineering Help Stop the Zika Virus?

Can Gene Engineering Help Stop the Zika Virus?

A UK company has genetically modified a line of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and released them into the wild. These are the pests responsible for the zika virus outbreak currently ravaging Central and South America and a few western African countries. Can genetic modification stop the spread of this nasty disease?

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More Thoughts on Animal Gene Editing: Federal and State Regulation

More Thoughts on Animal Gene Editing: Federal and State Regulation

The governmental response to genetically-edited animals is and will continue to be a key consideration. This post explores existing and proposed regulations and laws affecting genetically-edited animals.

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Animal Gene Editing: the Science of Gene Editing for a Non-Scientist

Animal Gene Editing: the Science of Gene Editing for a Non-Scientist

Hornless dairy cattle, mosquitoes resistant to malaria, mice cured of muscular dystrophy, PRRS-resistant pigs, fast-growing salmon, livestock that require less food and have less of an environmental footprint—these are just a few examples of advantages created by the new technological tool known as gene editing. 

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