Thanks to all who came to talk about GMOs at the seminar with Drs. Allen and Wagner. We had a small, cozy discussion where both student and faculty brought up their concerns about GMOs, the exaggeration of GMO concerns in the media, what policies (like labeling or classifying subgroups of GMOs differently) should be enacted, how corporations are influencing policy and science, and why scientists should learn to better communicate science to the public. The overall consensus in the group appeared to be that there is no clear cut answer: some usage of GMO seem perfectly fine and produce wonderful success stories, while others are more questionable in terms of both health and ethics. We agreed that GMOs should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

As the seminar began, we watched the below two videos to initiate our conversation. Should anyone have missed the seminar or would like to rewatch the videos, please take a look:

How Are GMOs Created by GMO Answers (6 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G-yUuiqIZ0

 

Genetically Modified Organisms and Food Explained by milesofchange (6 min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-4RR7XDyHs

Feel free to make comments about the seminar or about GMOs at large in the comments. Thanks again to Dr. Wagner, Dr. Allen for giving us expert opinions, BioCOM and the biology department for supporting our events, and to the students for participating (and best of luck on all your midterms!).