Mexican GM maize study questioned
In an unprecedented move, Nature — one of the world’s leading science journals based in London — has disavowed an article by Igancio Chapela and David Quist published in the journal last November which had found native varieties of corn grown in remote regions of Mexico to have been contaminated by transgenic DNA (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 6 December). “Nature has concluded that the evidence available is not sufficient to justify the publication of the original paper,” an “editorial note” said earlier this month. The 11 April issue of Nature contains two articles which highlight basic errors in the study. Inter alia, Nick Kaplinsky of the University of California, Berkely, questioned the methodology used, arguing that one of the conclusions that transgenes were “jumping around the genome” of Mexican corn “would have changed some basic assumptions about biotechnology, if correct”. While acknowledging some mistakes, Chapela and Quist stood by their main finding regarding the presence of transgenic DNA fragments in Mexican native corn varieties, and accused biotechnology advocates of wanting to undermine the study. “To read Nature you would think our entire research had gone south,” said Chapela. “That is not the case. Our main statement, that there is GM contamination, is not contested by the critics.” The Mexican Government has commissioned two reports on this issue, which are expected to be released shortly.
“Scientist claims vendetta over GM research,” THE HERALD, 4 April 2002; “Journal Editors Disavow Article on Biotech Corn,” WASHINGTON POST, 4 April 2002; “Still more on the Mexican GM maize scandal,” ETC, 5 April 2002.