Bio-Engineered Rice Uses Human Genes

gliph writes "Yahoo news has a piece about a small biogenetics firm that is using genetically engineered rice containing human genes to help fight diarrhea. From the article: 'Ventria's rice produces two human proteins found in mother's milk, saliva and tears, which help people hydrate and lessen the severity and duration of diarrhea attacks, a top killer of children in developing countries.'"

Comments

Re:Ethics vs survival

[Whiney Mac Fanboy]

When clean water is not always at hand, diseases such as dysentery are easy to catch. Although this rice is no cure, it can help prevent the loss of fluids associated with this disease and help save lives.

It's not like they're going to ship the rice for the local farmers to grow - from tfa:

The company says the chance of its genetically engineered rice ending up in the food supply is remote because the company grinds the rice and extracts the protein before shipping.

And its not like they're going to give it away for free:

Ventria owns product and enabling technology rights from its internal development effort and by license, assignment, or exclusive option agreements as follows:

        * 5 issued United States patents relating to protein expression and products
        * 4 foreign patents relating to protein expression and products
        * Over 10 filings relating to ExpressTec
        * Over 10 filings for the products, their formulations,

So, we've got a new method of manufacturing proteins by extracting them from GM rice. US rice farmers are worried that it will affect trade with anti-GM nations. Environmentalists are worried about it for the usual GM worries (cross pollination with wild rices, unknown future side affects, species jumping, etc).

I think the way to cure dysentry is like many other posters have said, to fix infrastructure.

Re:Old recipe for stopping diarrhea

[RajivSLK]

In 2002, diarrhea seems to be the6th leading cause of death world wide. The third leading cause in children under 5 (second if you discount children whom do not survive birth).

Re:Product's name:

[Zontar_Thing_From_Ve]

OK, I'll bite. Unlike what appears to be the majority of Slashdotters, I actually am a Christian and yes I do go to a church that you would call "fundamentalist". While we don't use that description ourselves, it is accurate. So I think I am qualified to give a non-troll answer.

Yes, you are being ridiculous. Nobody would consider such rice to be "human". I feel sorry for you because you are either stupid enough to actually think we might think a few human genes makes something human or you are just a sadly misinformed person with regards to how religious people think.

Personally, while I am not in particular in favor of genetically modified food for reasons that have nothing at all to do with religion, I would not be surprised if some Christians objected to this rice. Not because it is "human" but because the creators are "playing God" or some such nonsense. Personally, I think that God gave us brains to use to make our lives better through advances in science and medicine. If I was going to get on board with genetically modified food, this would probably the be the one I'd support.