Transgenes in Mexican maize: Desirability or inevitability?

Transgenes in Mexican maize: desirability or inevitability?

F or several years, there has been uncertainty about the presence of transgenes in maize landraces in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The first report of their presence in this region was that of Quist and Chapela (1, 2), who based their results on samples obtained in 2000; these findings were later called into doubt because of the methodology used. However, further studies by the Mexican governme...

Transgenes in Mexican maize: molecular evidence and methodological considerations for GMO detection in landrace populations

A possible consequence of planting genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in centres of crop origin is unintended gene flow into traditional landraces. In 2001, a study reported the presence of the transgenic 35S promoter in maize landraces sampled in 2000 from the Sierra Juarez of Oaxaca, Mexico. Analysis of a large sample taken from the same region in 2003 and 2004 could not confirm the existe...

Unwanted transgenes re-discovered in Oaxacan maize.

Hospital Readmission: Quality Indicator or Statistical Inevitability?

Hospital readmission rate has been a long-considered quality of care indicator in adult medicine, albeit with mixed reviews. As we begin to grapple with the quality significance and preventability of readmissions in pediatrics, however, we are outpaced by movement in the insurance industry. Section 3025 of the Affordable Care Act requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reduce...

Dispersal of Transgenes through Maize Seed Systems in Mexico

OBJECTIVES Current models of transgene dispersal focus on gene flow via pollen while neglecting seed, a vital vehicle for gene flow in centers of crop origin and diversity. We analyze the dispersal of maize transgenes via seeds in Mexico, the crop's cradle. METHODS We use immunoassays (ELISA) to screen for the activity of recombinant proteins in a nationwide sample of farmer seed stocks. We e...