November 08, 2023

GLP podcast/video: BBC corrects botched organic farming report; Happy 41st birthday, GMO insulin! Scientific American a ‘scientific sewer’?

38 minutes

Facing intense criticism from experts, the BBC was pushed to correct a deeply misleading story about the benefits of organic farming. Genetically engineered insulin turned 41 this year. Let's take a look back at the importance of this groundbreaking drug. According to one biologist, Scientific American has become a "scientific sewer."

Podcast:

Video:

Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 242 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* BBC corrects its misleading educational site hyping the benefits of organic and the alleged environmental problems of GMOs

In an error-ridden report on the benefits of organic farming, the BBC alleged that conventional agriculture poses a serious risk to biodiversity and human health, owing to its use of "synthetic" pesticides and other chemicals that can increase pollution. Science for Sustainable Agriculture, self-described as a "pro-science think-tank," lodged a complaint with the news network, urging it to remove the misleading claims from its BBC Bitesize website, which is geared toward undergraduate college students. After reviewing the matter, BBC editors updated the website and issued a correction. It's a great example of experts holding the media accountable, and reporters taking steps to ensure the accuracy of their coverage.

* Happy 41st birthday, genetically-engineered insulin. Your approval by the FDA in 1982 took 5 months. How many years would it take now?

We used to retrieve insulin from the pancreases of slaughtered cows and pigs to treat diabetics, who don't produce enough of the hormone naturally to maintain their blood sugar within healthy limits. That all changed in the 1970s with the advent of genetic engineering. Using this recombinant DNA technology, scientists coaxed GE bacteria into producing virtually unlimited quantities of human insulin, which proved to be safer and more effective than its counterpart derived from animals. Former FDA official Dr. Henry Miller, who oversaw the agency's medical review of the novel drug, recounts how significant this development was for public health, and what regulators today should learn from the story.

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By Cameron English

4.2

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