Slashdot Mirror
Scientists Genetically Engineer the World's First Blue Chrysanthemum (sciencemag.org)
sciencehabit shares an article from Science magazine: True blue flowers are a rarity in nature -- they occur only in select species like morning glories and delphiniums. Now, researchers have created a genuinely blue chrysanthemum by adding two genes to the normally pink or reddish flower. The advance could be applied to other species -- and it may mean that florists wanting to hawk blooms of blue will no longer have to dye them...
The next step for Noda and his colleagues is to make blue chrysanthemums that can't reproduce and spread into the environment, making it possible to commercialize the transgenic flower. But that approach could spell trouble in some parts of the world. "As long as GMO [genetically modified organism] continues to be a problem in Europe, blue [flowers] face a difficult economic future," predicts Ronald Koes, a plant molecular biologist at the University of Amsterdam who was not involved with the work.
The next step for Noda and his colleagues is to make blue chrysanthemums that can't reproduce and spread into the environment, making it possible to commercialize the transgenic flower. But that approach could spell trouble in some parts of the world. "As long as GMO [genetically modified organism] continues to be a problem in Europe, blue [flowers] face a difficult economic future," predicts Ronald Koes, a plant molecular biologist at the University of Amsterdam who was not involved with the work.
... where I was at that moment.
I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
And scientists are just starting to create designer humans.
"My own suspicion is that the Universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose" JBS Haldane
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Anyone got a pic of the flower?
I think the real reason for the necessary "next step" is not concerns about spread of blue flowers into the environment (what could be the harm?) but the inability to control the supply the flowers. So while I find the science interesting, I call BS where I see transparent stab at anti-GMO over making the plant sterile, when clearly the whole thing is an example of GMO.
Blue? HA! That's NOTHIN'! This guy on Amazon has seeds that turn RAINBOW:
https://smile.amazon.com/Loveb...
Amazing what a bit of photoshop and some gullible people will do for your pocket book, eh?
Informed individuals don't have a problem with GMOs, they have a problem with companies that want absolute control of GMOs. While this is a novel thing they have made, the vast majority of GMOs are to make plants resist increasingly caustic herbicides/pesticides. The problem with this is that despite how much you clean it, trace amount of the herbicides/pesticides remain on the plant and if ingested then become part of you and there is no real research into the long term effects of this. What's worse is that herbicides/pesticides don't just land on the crops, trace amounts are in the air which can be enough to kill unmodified plants. On top of that, being unable to use seeds from a previous generation of plant forces a continual dependence on a corporation which is only harmful to everyone but the GMO owner.
TL;DR: GMOs are fine but corporations are assholes who don't care if you live or die.
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
"The next step for Noda and his colleagues is to make blue chrysanthemums that can't reproduce and spread into the environment"
Now where have I heard that before ?
Purple loosestrife comes to mind...
Ah yes ! Now I remember ! "Nature finds a way"
Now what could possibly go wrong ?
Transgenic experiments are contra the nature.
I recommend "natural selection" instead of transgenic experiments.
yes I'll take the bouquet of "green" flowers please
So... Most flowers that look blue are somehow not really "genuine" blue? Could we get some explanation of that? Our local bluebells and bluebonnets look pretty darn blue to my eyes. (I did once find a few mutant "pinkbonnets", by the way! They were cute.)
The word "blue" has held varied meanings, and what computer systems today define as blue -- the B in our RGB scheme -- would have been regarded as indigo or violet in the not-too-distant past.
There's a how-many-billion-dollar gardening industry already, mostly based on plants that easily propagate. You already know for sure, that you don't need to cripple the product in order to sell it.
But now they're using the possibility of DRM as an excuse to not go to market yet. i.e. they could have patent on the gene and already have every legal protection they need, and the law would have been sufficient to promote the progress of the useful arts and sciences. But some fuckwit got DRM in his head, and now progress is retarded instead.
They have just made an excellent case for outlawing DRM. If DRMing the product would have been illegal (i.e. the company pays equity-destroying fines and at least one person goes to prison) then they wouldn't do it. And then they could just bring the product to market, make a fortune, and the law would have made something cool available.
But no. Cannot be brought to market, because of DRM.
If we want IP law to work, and to serve its original purposes, then we need to outlaw DRM.
"True blue flowers are a rarity in nature -- they occur only in select species like morning glories and delphiniums."
Come to S. Texas in the spring. You left out hydrangea, bluebonnets, and blue bells. These are blue in my opinion, despite whatever "true blue" means.
Next the Blue Bunny that brings me Ice Cream!
So they won't have to worry about the GMO flowers turning them into autistic zombies.
The Japanese do eat chrysanthemums, so since this was their idea clearly they don't have a problem either.
I'm hoping for red, white and blue GMO dandelions.