Is there a difference between a gene-edited organism and a ‘GMO’? The question has important implications for regulation
By Henry Miller, M.S., M.D., and Kathleen Hefferon, Ph.D The controversy over genetically engineered organisms (sometimes called “genetically modified organisms,” or “GMOs”) is genuine, not faux — but only because of uninformed, exaggerated concerns about the most recent techniques’ “newness.” What is faux and disingenuous are the arguments put forth by genetic engineering’s opponents. Humans have been modifying the DNA of our food for thousands of years (even though we didn’t know that DNA was mediating the changes until the 20th century). We call...