GM Bacterium and these poor foals.

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missieh

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Just picked this up on Facebook. Sick.

"The Dutch Minister of Environment has agreed on a genetically engineered (GM)-vaccination study in foals from the age of 3 days through 6 months of age.

They use a GM-bacterium. The little horses will stay with their mothers in stables and on grassland. The manure with the GMO in it will be absorbed into the land. The little horses shall eventually be killed (for the purpose of biopsy) after the study is done".

Here is the link

http://thepersianhorse.wordpress.co...hen-killed-for-biopsies-please-sign-petition/
 
Facepalm, that's the least useful link ever.

Given that it is in foals from 3w to 6 months, I suspect it will be a trial of a gm variant of Rhodococcus equi, which causes rattles - a purulent pneumonia common in breeding farms in temperate climates worldwide. It causes massive fatality and debilitation and is of economic significance to the horse breeding industry. It's very similar in pathology to TB - i.e. horrifically unpleasant for the foal.

The GM strain will be a potential vaccine - a live attenuated vaccine similar in principle to the BCG used for TB. And get this - this is not the first study of its kind - and none of the others have destroyed the world yet :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Pretty hard to find the original press release about it (possibly as I don't speak Dutch) but the petition site has more info in Dutch which references R. equi articles written by an eminent Dutch scientist in the field who worked on genetic modification of equi for potential vaccine development.

http://www.gentechvrij.nl/veulen.html
 
jesstickle said:
Sounds like an excellent plan :)

ETA: I've just noticed you're an East Angular person, so now I love you double! :D
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Haha, well when I say East Angular, I'm only just East Angular, but I didn't want to put "Essex" because I don't want to be written off as a chav :mad: lol. You're Cambridgeshire right? Much nicer part of the country!

should add, I'm not stalking but I think you mentioned it on the thread about the 4 year old looking for a rider?! (Unless I've lost my marbles :p)
 
I need a new job next year, I'm hoping to find one in Cambridge (still not stalking!), one of the nicest cities in the UK!

btw, loving how we've bastardised this thread from a pseudo-sci post into a chat! :D
 
JFTD said:
I need a new job next year, I'm hoping to find one in Cambridge (still not stalking!), one of the nicest cities in the UK!

btw, loving how we've bastardised this thread from a pseudo-sci post into a chat! :D
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Cambridge is great. And tonnes of jobs here. I would recommend if you work in biotech :)

MurphysMinder said:
If only that jesstickle lives in Cambridgeshire and JFTD is nearly a chav! :p
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Haha, I think most people already knew I lived here, but the fact JFTD is practically a chav is news to me :p :D
 
MurphysMinder said:
If only that jesstickle lives in Cambridgeshire and JFTD is nearly a chav! :p
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HAHA! I live in Essex, I grew up in Glasgow - both of which are very much open to stereotypes which I don't really fit :p I'll have to resort to saying I was born in Surrey in future :D Until I move somewhere nicer :D:D:D

Jesstickle, I'm in academia atm, but looking to move into pretty well any field that will have me and support my horses! So yes, Biotech is always an option, and there's no shortage of that up your way :D
 
I cant C&P the petition in English it wont right click) but the concern seems to be allowing the bacterium into the soil as not enough research has been done presumably on how long the bacterium lives in manure and on grassland

Intervet apparently said foals would be sold afterwards
 
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Cuffey said:
I cant C&P the petition in English it wont right click) but the concern seems to be allowing the bacterium into the soil as not enough research has been done presumably on how long the bacterium lives in manure and on grassland

Intervet apparently said foals would be sold afterwards
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Can I stress that the bacterium in question would be GM only in that a small region of DNA would be removed from the genome - normally one or two genes involved in the infection process, so that the bacterium is less fit to survive in the host (and often in the environment also). We're not talking about creating hyper virulent mutants that will pose a significant threat to the environment. These trials are usually run in controlled environments - not on your local stud farm.

I'd be surprised if the foals were sold - normally they would be euthanased for pm to assess any damage to their lungs. But you seem to have found more info, Cuffey - care to link to it?

I'm talking generically on the basis of what I've seen, if there's more information available about the specifics of this trial I'd like to see it.
 
it's handy when you are around JTFD, saves us having to do any typing :p can just go ^^^ wot she said :).

Will keep well out of your new love nest with jesstickle though ;)
 
BonneMaman said:
A good debate always has two sides to the arguement ..... ;)
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I can't see the other side. All I can see is scare mongering and people (who set up the petition) who don't like the use of animals in research.

Actually I can see that side, it's not nice and no-one likes it. But if someone would like to set out any logical aversions to this specific trial, then we can have a debate.

But in my opinion, people who set up petitions where they don't explain what's happening and only supply information about poor little foals who are being killed by the big nasty government while they pollute the environment with nasty GM bacteria aren't really looking for a debate...
 
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