Agbiotech: history and mythology
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BOOK REVIEW http://biotech.nature.com • DECEMBER 2001 • VOLUME 19 • nature biotechnology Germ Zappers By Fran Balkwill & Mic Rolph Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; $8.95, 32pp, paperback ISBN 0-87969-598-6, 2001 Enjoy Your Cells By Fran Balkwill & Mic Rolph Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, $8.95, 32pp, paperback ISBN 0-87969-584-6, 2001 Baa! By Cynthia Pratt Nicolson & Rose Cowles Kids Can Press; $6.95, 40pp, paperback ISBN 1-55074-886-6, 2001 If recent terrorist attacks generated anxiety in adults, then they likely terrified most children. For parents anxious to explain the “bio” in bio-terrorism, a book written by Professor Fran Balkwill and beautifully illustrated by Mic Rolph might provide some help—at least with the basics. Germ Zappers guides children of ages 7 and upwards through a voyage among psychedelic cyto-invaders. But what should be a whistle-stop tour gets distracted by a little too much sightseeing, with its attempts to explain defense and immune responses—a challenge even at graduate level. The coverage of microorganisms is sound, although the designation of bacteria as “friends” and viruses as “loathsome enemies” might encourage kids to use this as a justifica- tion to avoid washing—let’s hope not. The book is ambitious in its scope and will likely appeal only to the brightest of children, despite its attempt to demonstrate how to pro- nounce those difficult science words (e.g., “special chemicals called cytokines (sigh-toe-kines)”). I was left wondering whether the target age group (the 7’s rather than the “upwards”) really need to know the names of every lymphocyte. Can scientists such as Balkwill, who is also professor of can- cer biology at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry (London), remove themselves suffi- ciently from their specialism to write at this level? However, another of her books in the same series assuaged my concerns. Enjoy Your Cells is fun and fascinating. The phonetics are less evident and the stories more convincing, although the author still insists on informing children about new-tro- fils and mack-row-fages. This is the sort of chil- dren’s book that will encourage the reader to find out more. “The most interest- ing book you’ll ever read about genes and cloning” is how the third of the stocking fillers is billed. But Baa!, written by Cynthia Pratt Nicolson, finds it hard to live up to its extravagant boast. Baa! does explain genetics and cloning with clarity, using exciting real- life stories to bring the topic to life for young readers: the capture of the Unabomber, links between the genetic disorder porphyria and vampires, and the potential benefits and threats from widespread pre-implantation genetic testing are all used as examples. However, the illustra- tions—such an important com- ponent of a publication targeting ages 9–14—are dowdy. The char- acters also fail to reflect the diver- sity of the human gene pool: basketball player Michael Jordan is cited as an example of how both genes and dedication can determine success, but other characters of color are con- spicuously absent. And where are the women scientists? One other point of contention ... if the world’s first cloned mice were produced in Hawaii, the first cloned calf in Texas, and Blacksburg, Virginia is the “cloned pig capital of the world”, why no mention of Edinburgh, birthplace of Dolly the Sheep, the doyenne of clones, and presumably the impe- tus for the book’s title? 1101 Peter Finegold is a senior project manager in the Medicine in Society Program at The Wellcome Trust, London, UK ([email protected]). Baa! Humbug! Christmas stocking fillers for budding biotechnologists Peter Finegold Lords of the Harvest: Biotech, Big Money, and the Future of Food By Daniel Charles Perseus Publishing; $26.00, 368 pp, hardcover ISBN 0738202196, 2001 Lords of the Harvest documents the develop- ment and commercialization of genetically engineered crops. From before the first suc- cessful plant cell transformations in 1983 to the current public debate over so-called GM foods, Daniel Charles has painstakingly paint- ed a big picture of the agricultural biotechnol- ogy industry. A daunting task, no doubt, but one that Charles, who had spent a decade cov- ering the topic as a technology correspondent with National Public Radio and Washington correspondent for New Scientist, was obviously up for. Taking advantage of his nonpartisan position as a journalist overlooking the biotech battle, Charles traveled “unimpeded between the bristling barricades” on either side of the “war over genetically engineered plants.” As a result, his book is a refreshingly unbiased and thorough chronicle of the birth and formative years of the young agbiotech industry. All the major scientific advances in molecu- lar and cell biology that made the genetic engi- neering of plants possible are touched on in Lords of the Harvest. Brief histories of many of the world’s most important crops—corn, soy- beans, cotton, potatoes, and rice—and the seed and chemical industries that grew up around them, put the new technology in historical per- spective. And Charles gives enough back- ground on the biochemical nature, extensive Agbiotech: history and mythology Belinda Martineau Belinda Martineau is a former staff scientist at Calgene and the author of First Fruit: The Creation of the Flavr Savr Tomato and the Birth of Biotech Food (McGraw Hill, 2001). © 2001 Nature Publishing Group http://biotech.nature.com © 2001 Nature Publishing Group http://biotech.nature.com
Transcript of Agbiotech: history and mythology
BOOK REVIEW
http://biotech.nature.com • DECEMBER 2001 • VOLUME 19 • nature biotechnology
Germ ZappersBy Fran Balkwill & Mic Rolph
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; $8.95,32pp, paperback
ISBN 0-87969-598-6, 2001
Enjoy Your CellsBy Fran Balkwill & Mic Rolph
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, $8.95,32pp, paperback
ISBN 0-87969-584-6, 2001
Baa!By Cynthia Pratt Nicolson & Rose Cowles
Kids Can Press; $6.95, 40pp, paperbackISBN 1-55074-886-6, 2001
If recent terrorist attacks generated anxiety inadults, then they likely terrified most children.For parents anxious to explain the “bio” inbio-terrorism, a book written by ProfessorFran Balkwill and beautifully illustrated byMic Rolph might provide some help—at leastwith the basics. Germ Zappers guides childrenof ages 7 and upwards through a voyageamong psychedelic cyto-invaders. But whatshould be a whistle-stop tour gets distractedby a little too much sightseeing, with itsattempts to explain defense and immuneresponses—a challenge even at graduate level.The coverage of microorganisms is sound,although the designation of bacteria as“friends” and viruses as “loathsome enemies”might encourage kids to use this as a justifica-tion to avoid washing—let’s hope not.
The book is ambitious in its scope and willlikely appeal only to the brightest of children,despite its attempt to demonstrate how to pro-nounce those difficult science words (e.g., “special chemicals called cytokines (sigh-toe-kines)”). I was left wonderingwhether the target age group (the 7’s ratherthan the “upwards”) really need to know thenames of every lymphocyte. Can scientistssuch as Balkwill, who is also professor of can-cer biology at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital andQueen Mary’s School of Medicine andDentistry (London), remove themselves suffi-ciently from their specialism to write at thislevel? However, another of her books in thesame series assuaged my concerns. Enjoy YourCells is fun and fascinating. The phonetics are
less evident and the stories more convincing,although the author still insists on informingchildren about new-tro-fils and mack-row-fages.This is the sort of chil-dren’s book that willencourage the reader tofind out more.
“The most interest-ing book you’ll everread about genes andcloning” is how thethird of thestocking fillersis billed. ButBaa!, writtenby CynthiaPratt Nicolson,finds it hard tolive up to itse x t r a v a g a n tboast. Baa!does explaingenetics andcloning withclarity, usingexciting real-life stories to bring the topic to life for youngreaders: the capture of the Unabomber, linksbetween the genetic disorder porphyria and
vampires, and the potential benefits andthreats from widespread pre-implantation
genetic testing are all used asexamples. However, the illustra-tions—such an important com-ponent of a publication targetingages 9–14—are dowdy. The char-acters also fail to reflect the diver-
sity of thehuman genepool: basketballplayer MichaelJordan is cited asan example ofhow both genesand dedicationcan determinesuccess, butother charactersof color are con-spicuously absent.
And where are the women scientists? Oneother point of contention ... if the world’sfirst cloned mice were produced inHawaii, the first cloned calf in Texas, andBlacksburg, Virginia is the “cloned pigcapital of the world”, why no mention of
Edinburgh, birthplace of Dolly the Sheep, thedoyenne of clones, and presumably the impe-tus for the book’s title?
1101
Peter Finegold is a senior project manager in the Medicine in Society Program at The Wellcome Trust, London, UK([email protected]).
Baa! Humbug! Christmas stocking fillers for budding biotechnologistsPeter Finegold
Lords of the Harvest: Biotech, Big Money, andthe Future of Food
By Daniel CharlesPerseus Publishing; $26.00, 368 pp, hardcover
ISBN 0738202196, 2001
Lords of the Harvest documents the develop-ment and commercialization of geneticallyengineered crops. From before the first suc-cessful plant cell transformations in 1983 tothe current public debate over so-called GMfoods, Daniel Charles has painstakingly paint-ed a big picture of the agricultural biotechnol-ogy industry. A daunting task, no doubt, butone that Charles, who had spent a decade cov-
ering the topic as a technology correspondentwith National Public Radio and Washingtoncorrespondent for New Scientist, was obviouslyup for. Taking advantage of his nonpartisanposition as a journalist overlooking the biotechbattle, Charles traveled “unimpeded betweenthe bristling barricades” on either side of the“war over genetically engineered plants.” As aresult, his book is a refreshingly unbiased andthorough chronicle of the birth and formativeyears of the young agbiotech industry.
All the major scientific advances in molecu-lar and cell biology that made the genetic engi-neering of plants possible are touched on inLords of the Harvest. Brief histories of many ofthe world’s most important crops—corn, soy-beans, cotton, potatoes, and rice—and the seedand chemical industries that grew up aroundthem, put the new technology in historical per-spective. And Charles gives enough back-ground on the biochemical nature, extensive
Agbiotech: history and mythologyBelinda Martineau
Belinda Martineau is a former staff scientistat Calgene and the author of First Fruit: TheCreation of the Flavr Savr Tomato and theBirth of Biotech Food (McGraw Hill, 2001).
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© 2001 Nature Publishing Group http://biotech.nature.com
nature biotechnology • VOLUME 19 • DECEMBER 2001 • http://biotech.nature.com
BOOK REVIEW
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employment, and environmental conse-quences of certain conventional pesticides togive lay readers a foundation from which toappreciate the genetically engineered cropsthat can potentially replace various hazardousproducts of the green revolution.
Out of necessity, Charles gives cursorycoverage to these myriad topics, and molec-ular biologists may find it irksome to have“gene promoter” defined four or more timesin the text. Others will view a few of Charles’explanations for why events transpired theway they did as insufficient. To claim that theFood and Drug Administration requestedthat Calgene conduct animal feeding studies“just in case something interesting happenedto the rats fed Flavr Savr tomatoes,” forexample, is too cavalier a way to explain asearch for “pleiotropic” effects that mighthave occurred as a result of the genetic engi-neering process. But detailed descriptions ofphenomena like insertionalmutagenesis are beyond thescope of this book. There issimply too much otherground to cover.
More than providing a dryhistorical account gleanedfrom newspaper articles,patents, SEC filings, courtdocuments, and other gov-ernment papers, Charles hasturned an “epic into simply astory—the kind of tale onetells about a slightly crazyuncle with all his quirks andcontradictions.” And he hasdone so largely through thevoices of the approximately300 scientists, entrepreneurs,and environmental activists he interviewed forthe book—people who actually producedpieces of this historical puzzle. Lords of theHarvest is perfused with personalities andinside information. Readers will learn not onlyhow John Sanford’s gene gun influencedtransformation capabilities in corn and soy-bean, but also how pesky squirrels influencedthe invention of the gun itself. Biotech busi-ness strategies and deals are often described bythe CEOs who diagrammed the original plays,some of whom mince no words in their post-game commentary:“Once you’ve pissed in thesoup, you pissed in the soup!”
Those familiar with the field will enjoy thepersonal details: that a prominent academi-cian cut off his ponytail before presenting sci-ence to Washington bureaucrats; a Monsantoscientist was initially against developingRoundup Ready crops; and an FDA official(apparently) started the name-calling(“troglodytes,” “intellectual Nazis”) all toocommon in the current biotech foods debate.Most of this story’s real-life characters are
identified, but unnamed sources, often reveal-ing parts played by unnamed participants, addan additional air of intrigue to some of themost amusing scenes.
I recommend Lords of the Harvest not sim-ply as a survey course on agbiotech made vividthrough interviews of the historical figuresinvolved, but because it contains a few usefullessons. The first is that agricultural products,even genetically engineered ones, are not“pharmaceuticals or chemicals or any factory-made product.” And, because they are notwidgets, agricultural products are “destined toannoy and frustrate the grandest ambitions ofgenetic engineers.” Many industrial scientistshave, of course, already learned this lesson thehard way.“You’re producing products outside,for God’s sake! The wind blows, the rain falls,the sun shines … it’s a crappy business! End ofstory. It’s a crappy business!” sighs JohnBedbrook, formerly of DNA Plant
Technologies, now atMaxygen.
The other lesson, howev-er, is one that has yet to belearned by participants onboth sides of the biotechfoods controversy. WhileCharles agrees that the dis-pute involves facts, he is con-vinced that the debate ismore about seductive, pas-sionately held myths. It isthe “agrarian populist” story(corporate giants and cityslickers exploit honest vul-nerable farmers) mirroredby the “free-market conserv-ative” version (opponents ofcapitalism resort to fear-
mongering in an effort to undermine privateenterprise in agriculture). It is also a “tale ofprogress … expanding the boundaries ofhuman possibility,” versus the “story of unpre-dictable, threatening technology unleashedupon an unsuspecting world through humanfolly.”
Especially in light of his position as a well-informed yet conscientiously nonpartisanobserver of the biotech foods debate, I canonly hope that he will convince others that heis right. Scientists, particularly, should “learnwhere the myth of agriculture ends and realitybegins” and drop their preconceptions that“aren’t really about agricultural biotechnologyat all.” Perhaps then, more effort will be puttoward providing society with the additionalcold hard facts necessary to substantiate thebenefits of, and allay justifiable concerns relat-ed to, specific products of this new technology.When that happens, I will join Daniel Charlesin being “optimistic that the chaos of publicargument might actually yield an outcomethat is both reasonable and wise.”
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