[연구용역 입찰공고] 유전자변형생물체(LMO) 자연환경 모니터링 및 사후관리 연구
http://www.nier.go.kr/eric/portal/kor/nf/nier-nf-04.page?boardId=NIERNF04&bltnNo=13572542589780&command=READ

===========

전국 22곳 GMO 유출돼 자라…생태계 교란 우려

한겨레 등록 : 2013.06.04 20:27 수정 : 2013.06.04 21:41
http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/environment/590491.html

옥수수·면화 등 3년새 14곳 늘어
항만~소비지역 이동경로 따라
“지역 고유종 유전자 훼손” 지적

* GMO : 유전자조작 작물

국내에서는 재배가 허용되지 않는 유전자조작 작물(GMO)이 외국에서 수입돼 유통되는 과정에서 자연환경에 유출된 사례가 최근 크게 늘어난 것으로 나타났다. 이렇게 유출된 작물 속의 조작된 유전자는 생태적으로 가까운 거리에 있는 근연종 식물 등을 통해 환경에 섞여들어 생태계에 위협이 될 수도 있다.

국립환경과학원이 최근 작성한 ‘유전자변형생물체(LMO) 자연환경 모니터링 및 사후관리 연구보고서’를 보면, 지난해 환경과학원이 수입 유전자조작 작물이 하역되는 전국의 주요 항만과 유전자조작 작물 가공공장 주변, 사료용 유전자조작 작물의 소비지인 축산농가 주변, 항만과 최종 소비지 사이의 유전자조작 작물 이동경로 주변 등에서 옥수수, 콩, 면화, 유채 등 4가지 대표적 수입 유전자조작 작물 시료 626개를 채취해 유전자 분석을 한 결과, 19개 지역의 42개 시료에서 조작된 유전자가 확인됐다. 종류별로 보면 옥수수가 경기도 평택·용인시, 강원도 원주시와 철원·횡성군, 충북 음성군 등 6개 시·군의 7곳에서 발견돼 가장 많았고, 면화가 3개 시·군의 7곳, 유채가 5개 시·군의 5곳에서 발견됐다.

지난해 새로 확인된 유전자조작 작물의 환경 유출 사례는 2009년부터 2011년까지 확인된 사례와 견줘 크게 늘어난 것이다. 환경과학원의 보고서를 보면, 2009년 조사에서 유전자조작 작물이 확인된 곳은 전국에서 8곳, 2010년과 2011년 조사에서는 각각 10곳이었다. 연도별로 중복된 곳을 빼면, 지금까지 유전자조작 작물이 하나라도 발견된 지자체는 2009년 8곳에서 2012년 누적 집계 22곳으로 늘어났다.

발견된 유전자조작 작물들은 대부분 보관이나 운반 중에 땅에 떨어진 씨앗에서 발아해 개체수가 많지 않았으나, 일부 축산농가 주변에서는 군락을 이룬 상태로 발견되기도 했다.

이렇게 유출된 유전자조작 작물에 의한 환경피해가 국내에서 확인된 사례는 아직 없다. 하지만 환경과학원은 이 보고서에서 “유전자변형생물체가 생태계에 미치는 영향에 대한 우려점은 이들 작물을 먼저 재배한 지역이나 주변에서 여러차례 보고됐다”며 △토양 미생물상의 변화 △해충 저항성 유전자에 의한 목적하지 않은 초식성 절지동물의 죽음 △먹이사슬의 파괴 △생물다양성 감소 등을 예시했다.

인천항에서 가까운 인천광역시 중구 북성동의 한 공장 주변에서 발견된 유전자조작 유채. 국립환경과학원 제공

이병윤 국립생물자원관 식물자원과장은 “식물에서 가까운 종은 생식적으로 완벽하게 격리가 되지 않기 때문에 변형된 유전자가 옮겨질 가능성이 있으며, 그렇게 될 경우 원래 자연에 있는 고유 유전자가 발현이 되지 않는 등 훼손되는 결과를 낳을 수 있다”고 말했다.

서재화 환경과학원 바이오안전연구팀 연구관은 “유전자변형생물체에 들어 있는 해충·제초제 저항성 유전자가 의도되지 않은 식물에 들어갈 가능성도 있지만, 유전자변형 작물은 개발을 할 때 대부분 불임 처리를 하기 때문에 환경 중에 유출되더라도 큰 피해로 이어지지는 않을 것”이라고 말했다.

이에 대해 환경운동연합 최준호 국장은 “유전자조작 작물의 인체 건강 위협은 논란이 있을 수 있지만, 생태계에 심각한 위협이 된다는 데 대해서는 논란의 여지가 없다. 정부는 유전자조작 작물의 환경 중 유출에 대한 안전관리를 더욱 철저히 하고, 관련 정보를 투명하게 공개해야 한다”고 지적했다.

김정수 선임기자 jsk21@hani.co.kr

Coalition’s feedback on the 15 April 2013 Report of the High Level Working Group (HLWG) on Western Ghats

일명 <몬산토 보호법>으로 불리는 H.R933의 735번 항목이 미국 의회를 통과하였습니다.
이 조항이 <몬산토 보호법>이라 불리는 이유는 유전자조작(GM) 기업들이 GM종자와 작물을 
제조하고 판매하며 배포하는데 따르는 소송에 대해 면죄부를 주는 것이기 때문입니다.
이 법안으로 인해서 앞으로 법원에서 어떤 판결이 나오더라도 몬산토를 비롯한 유전자조작
기업들은 계속 GM작물을 생산할 수 있게 되었습니다.

이 법안은 2013년 3월 오바마가 통과시켰는데, 아직 검증이 되지 않은 위험한 생물체를
통제할 수 있는 권한을 기업에게 주는 결과를 초래했습니다. 

현재 미국에서 상업적으로 재배되고 있는 옥수수, 콩, 면화, 사탕무, 유채 등의 작물은 90%
이상 유전자조작 종자입니다. 이 종자를 만들어낸 기업은 바로 몬사토를 비롯한 GM 기업
입니다. 몬산토는 해마다 수백만 달러를 로비자금을 GM 특허를 옹호하기 위해 사용하고
있습니다. 이러한 로비에 힘입어 몬산토 출신이 정부 요직에 기용되는 회전문 인사가
성행하게 되었습니다.

그동안 GM작물은 농약의 사용을 줄이기는 커녕 오히려 슈퍼잡초와 슈퍼곤충의 출현을
가속화하고 있다는 비판을 받아왔습니다. 

===============================================

EarthTalk: Protecting Monsanto

Published 10:52 am, Monday, May 6, 2013

http://www.dariennewsonline.com/news/article/EarthTalk-Protecting-Monsanto-4491598.php

More than 90 percent of U.S.-grown corn, soybeans, cotton, sugar beets and canola are derived from seeds genetically engineered by Monsanto and other companies to resist pests. Some safe food advocates believe that, instead of reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides, GE seeds are having the opposite effect in what has become a race to keep faster and faster developing ìsuperweedsî and ìsuperbugsî at bay. Photo courtesy of iStockPhoto Photo: Contributed Photo

Dear EarthTalk: What is the “Monsanto Protection Act” and why are environmentalists so upset about it? — Rita Redstone, Milwaukee

The so-called Monsanto Protection Act is actually a provision (officially known as Section 735) within a recently passed Congressional spending bill, H.R. 933, which exempts biotech companies from litigation in regard to the making, selling and distribution of genetically engineered seeds and plants.

President Barack Obama signed the bill and its controversial rider into law in March 2013 much to the dismay of environmentalists. It means that Monsanto and other companies that supply the majority of the nation’s crop seeds can continue to produce GE products regardless of any potential court orders stating otherwise. Opponents of GE foods believe that giving such companies a free reign over the production of such potentially dangerous organisms regardless of judicial challenge is a bad idea — especially given how little we still know about the biological and ecological implications of widespread use of GE crops.

Today more than 90 percent of the corn, soybeans, cotton, sugar beets and canola planted in the U.S. is derived from seeds genetically engineered by Monsanto and other companies to resist pests and thus increase yields. Aviva Shen of the ThinkProgress blog reported that, instead of reducing farmers’ use of toxic pesticides and herbicides, GE seeds are having the opposite effect in what has become a race to keep faster and faster developing “superweeds” and “superbugs” at bay. With Congress and the White House refusing to regulate GE crops, the court system has remained a last line of defense for those fighting the widespread adoption of genetic engineering — until now, that is, thanks to H.R. 933.

Monsanto isn’t the only seed company heavy into genetic engineering, but it is the biggest and most well-known and spends millions of dollars each year on lobbyists to keep it that way. Critics point out that the company has spent decades stacking government agencies with its executives and directors. “Monsanto’s board members have worked for the EPA, advised the U.S. Department of Agriculture and served on President Obama’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations,” reported the group Food & Water Watch. “The prevalence of Monsanto’s directors in these highly influential positions begs a closer look at how they’re able to push the pro-GE agenda within the government and influence public opinion.”

“The judicial review process is an essential element of U.S law and serves as a vital check on any federal agency decision that may negatively impact human health, the environment or livelihoods,” reported Food Democracy Now! “Yet this provision seeks an end-run around such judicial review by preemptively deciding that industry can set its own conditions to continue to sell biotech seeds, even if a court may find them to have been wrongfully approved.”

Another concern of safe food advocates now is getting the government to require food makers to list GE ingredients clearly on product labels so consumers can make informed choices accordingly. “Not only is (GE) labeling a reasonable and common sense solution to the continued controversy that corporations like Monsanto, DuPont and Dow Chemical have created by subverting our basic democratic rights,” added Food Democracy Now!, “but it is a basic right that citizens in 62 other countries around the world already enjoy, including Europe, Russia, China, India, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.”

Contacts: ThinkProgress, www.thinkprogress.org; Food & Water Watch, www.foodandwaterwatch.org; Food Democracy Now!, www.fooddemocracynow.org.

Dear EarthTalk: What exactly are Asian carp and why are they such a big problem lately? — Lori Roudebush, Portland, Ore.

Seven species of carp native to Asia have been introduced into United States waters in recent decades, but it’s four in particular — bighead, black, grass and silver — that worry ecologists, biologists, fishers and policymakers alike. Introduced in the southeast to help control weeds and parasites in aquaculture operations, these fish soon spread up the Mississippi River system where they have been crowding out native fish populations not used to competing with such aggressive invaders. The carps’ presence in such numbers is also compromising water quality and killing off sensitive species such as freshwater mussels.

Asian carp are hardy, lay hundreds of thousands of eggs at a time and spread into new habitat quickly and easily. To wit, they can jump over barriers such as low dams. Also, flooding has helped the fish expand into previously unattainable water bodies. And fishers using young carp as live bait have also facilitated the fish’s spread, as have boats going through locks up and down the Mississippi.

The federal government’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force considers the Asian carps to be nuisance species and encourages and supports “active control” by natural resources management agencies. Federal and state governments have spent millions in tax dollars accordingly to prevent the carp from making their way into the Great Lakes, but an elaborate underwater electric fence constructed to keep them out has not worked as well as hoped, and policymakers are reviewing other options now.

Friends and neighbors of the Great Lakes are particularly concerned about the impact Asian carp could have on the region’s $7 billion/year fishing industry. In 2009 the states of Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin filed suit in federal court against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District seeking measures to prevent Asian carp from moving through the Chicago Area Waterway System into Lake Michigan. While a federal district court dismissed the lawsuit last December, it could resurface in a future appeal.

Regardless of whether the states can keep the Mississippi and Great Lakes systems segregated, Asian carp are expected to keep spreading throughout other parts of the U.S. through river systems that connect up with the Mississippi directly or otherwise. Federal researchers estimate that even if Asian carp are kept out of the Great Lakes, they could affect freshwater fisheries in as many as 31 states representing some 40 percent of the continental U.S.

In the meantime, state and federal agencies are monitoring the Mississippi and its tributaries for Asian carp and testing various barrier technologies to prevent their further spread. For instance, the National Park Service is collaborating with the state of Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources to construct new dams that are high enough to prevent Asian carp from jumping over. The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee has funded DNA monitoring in potentially affected water bodies whereby researchers can determine whether the troublesome fish are present just by the biological footprints they leave behind. Individuals can do their part by not transporting fish, bait or even water from one water body to another, and by draining and rinsing boats before moving them between different water bodies.

Seven species of carp native to Asia have been introduced into United States waters in recent decades, but it’s four in particular — bighead, black, grass and silver — that worry ecologists, biologists, fishers and policymakers alike. Introduced in the southeast to help control weeds and parasites in aquaculture operations, these fish soon spread up the Mississippi River system where they have been crowding out native fish populations not used to competing with such aggressive invaders. The carps’ presence in such numbers is also compromising water quality and killing off sensitive species such as freshwater mussels.

Asian carp are hardy, lay hundreds of thousands of eggs at a time and spread into new habitat quickly and easily. To wit, they can jump over barriers such as low dams. Also, flooding has helped the fish expand into previously unattainable water bodies. And fishers using young carp as live bait have also facilitated the fish’s spread, as have boats going through locks up and down the Mississippi.

The federal government’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force considers the Asian carps to be nuisance species and encourages and supports “active control” by natural resources management agencies. Federal and state governments have spent millions in tax dollars accordingly to prevent the carp from making their way into the Great Lakes, but an elaborate underwater electric fence constructed to keep them out has not worked as well as hoped, and policymakers are reviewing other options now.

Friends and neighbors of the Great Lakes are particularly concerned about the impact Asian carp could have on the region’s $7 billion/year fishing industry. In 2009 the states of Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin filed suit in federal court against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District seeking measures to prevent Asian carp from moving through the Chicago Area Waterway System into Lake Michigan. While a federal district court dismissed the lawsuit last December, it could resurface in a future appeal.

Regardless of whether the states can keep the Mississippi and Great Lakes systems segregated, Asian carp are expected to keep spreading throughout other parts of the U.S. through river systems that connect up with the Mississippi directly or otherwise. Federal researchers estimate that even if Asian carp are kept out of the Great Lakes, they could affect freshwater fisheries in as many as 31 states representing some 40 percent of the continental U.S.

In the meantime, state and federal agencies are monitoring the Mississippi and its tributaries for Asian carp and testing various barrier technologies to prevent their further spread. For instance, the National Park Service is collaborating with the state of Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources to construct new dams that are high enough to prevent Asian carp from jumping over. The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee has funded DNA monitoring in potentially affected water bodies whereby researchers can determine whether the troublesome fish are present just by the biological footprints they leave behind. Individuals can do their part by not transporting fish, bait or even water from one water body to another, and by draining and rinsing boats before moving them between different water bodies.

Contacts: Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, www.anstaskforce.gov; National Park Service, www.nps.gov; Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, www.asiancarp.us.

EarthTalk is by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss of E — The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to earthtalk@emagazine.com.

Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Threatens, GenScript Supports Researchers in Impending Battle with Rush Gene Service

PISCATAWAY, N.J., April 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — This week the World Health Organization reported three cases in which humans were infected with Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Virus in China. These are the first reports of the H7N9 strain infecting humans. Currently, it is unclear whether or not the virus can be spread via human-to-human contact, however genetic sequences for the virus have been published, and the Center for Disease Control has reported the start of vaccine development for the virus.

The foundation of vaccine development is often the identification and re-construction of the parts of the viral genome sequence that encode for antigens capable of eliciting the necessary immune response to fight the live virus. Gene synthesis is a powerful tool for vaccine development, enabling the rapid construction of any vector expressing an antigen capable of eliciting the necessary immune response.

GenScript is committed to arming researchers with the necessary custom bioreagents, such as synthetic DNA, to accelerate research to prevent the spread of disease. As proof of this commitment, GenScript recently became the fastest global biotech company to complete synthesis of a key H7N9-related gene on April 5th, in only four days, using our Rush Gene Synthesis Service [http://www.genscript.com/express_gene_synthesis.html?src=home ]. In the effort to accelerate critical research, GenScript has now synthesized over 30 crucial H7N9-related genes in our collaborations with prestigious institutions including the NIH, CDC, and Chinese Academy of Science, as well as leading vaccine centers in the United States and research organizations in Hong Kong and Japan.

Whether or not an H7N9 outbreak will occur remains to be seen, but at GenScript, we know that the best way to prevent the spread of disease is to be prepared.

*GenScript follows strict regulatory compliance procedures when synthesizing and delivering any type of DNA sequence known to encode for infectious disease. End users of these sequences must have appropriate regulatory clearances.

About GenScript

Founded in 2002, GenScript is a leading biology CRO specializing in the delivery of customized, biology research services including gene and peptide synthesis, protein expression, antibody generation and drug discovery/development. GenScript is headquartered in Piscataway, NJ, has subsidiaries in Europe, Japan, and China, and has over 1,300 employees, who are dedicated to providing biology research services and products to 86 countries worldwide.

SOURCE: GenScript USA Inc.

========================
GenScript, Rush Gene Service로 조류독감 A(H7N9) 대비