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To: DeaconBenjamin

How can this be? Most of the people there don’t use antibiotics.


7 posted on 02/16/2013 12:43:09 PM PST by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
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To: freekitty
How can this be? Most of the people there don’t use antibiotics.

Hopefully I've made this clear.

One way is as a side effect of using GM crops. Plasmids that carry antibiotic resistant genes are used to create and are found in GM crops. These genes are transferred to 'wild' bacteria and pathogens. 'horizontally', that is by passing normal reproduction. Proponents of GM crops have denied that this would be possible.

"The majority of GM crops already released commercially or field trialled in the open environment carry antibiotic resistant genes derived from the synthetic plasmids that were used for genetic modification. "

"Genetic engineering uses plasmids – extra-chromosomal DNA molecules that naturally exist in bacteria and other unicellular species – for propagating and manipulating DNA sequences in research and in genetic modification of plants and animals"

More details fro the article:

"Horizontal gene transfer, the hidden hazards of genetic modification

The transfer of genes directly into the genetic material of cells, bypassing normal reproduction, is referred to as horizontal gene transfer, to distinguish it from the usual vertical gene transfer that occurs in natural reproduction within the same species or in some cases between closely related species."
9 posted on 02/16/2013 3:28:10 PM PST by khelus
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