At present, the genetically modified rice on the market is mainly already
Transgenic rice containing BT63 that has obtained safety certificate but is not allowed to go on the market. BT is a kind of protein from microorganism, which kills LEPIDOPTERA insects (such as the culprit of many rice diseases and insect pests), but it is harmful to people.
Harmless (because the human digestive system is different from insects, BT is directly and completely decomposed after entering the human body). Moreover, the BT protein of this transgenic rice is mainly expressed in stems and leaves, but hardly expressed in rice, and
After rice is ground into polished rice, it is mainly endosperm, and the content of protein in it is even less, and the content of BT protein is even less. In addition, the sterility of transgenic rice itself is absurd, and it will also lead to sterility of other rice after hybridization.
This statement is purely deceptive. It is even less likely to cause infertility in mammals and humans.
So from this perspective, genetically modified rice is harmless.
but
However, due to the transfer of foreign genes, there may be potential risks to the gene regulation system of rice itself, whether there will be gene drift and whether this gene will produce new eggs with unknown functions after accidental mutation.
White? What if there is a transposon near the insertion site, and the gene jumps to other genomic positions with the transposon? Wait a minute. In addition, before the gene regulatory network of rice itself is thoroughly studied, it is rashly transferred.
Will a foreign gene affect other regulatory networks?
In short, these risks or potential uncertainties make people worry or even fear genetically modified rice because of the unknown.
To sum up, at present, eating genetically modified rice is harmless, but there are potential risks and unknown factors. In short, genetic modification is the general trend and inevitable, but now technology and scientific research need to be further improved, so we will not eat it for the time being.