Transgenic organisms: should we use them or not?: Transgenic Organisms: Biological and Social Implications. Edited by J. Tomiuk, K. Wöhrmann and A. Sentker. Birkhauser, Basel. 1996. Price sFr. 88,-/DM 108. ISBN 3-7643-5262-0.

Abstract

The production and use of transgenic organisms is controversial in western societies, and has been actively debated by various groups and in various media ever since the potential risks involved in producing transgenic organisms were first brought to general attention by a group of scientists in the early 1970s. Today it is mainly the concern of the general (consumer) public that slows down the speed of widespread introduction of transgenes in society. Meanwhile, the technical development in the scientific community and in the R & D groups of large companies proceeds rapidly, as witnessed by the regular hot news items that sweep through the public media. As usual with developments that on the one hand promise interesting economic gains for some and on the other hand have or seem to have a large impact on our society or on nature, risk assessment studies and certainly the ethical discussion tend to lag behind. One of the prerequisites for proper risk assessments as well as for a successful ethical discussion is the availability of good information. This book is meant as a contribution to the field by providing an overview of the state of the art with respect to biological and social phenomena related to the use of transgenic organisms. The book results from a meeting of scientists in 1995 in Germany and is one in a series, as is explained in one of the chapters written by the editors, where the history and progress in the study of risk assessment is discussed. A remarkable feature of the book that struck me when glancing over the contents pages is that all chapters have either a German (co)author or an author working in a German-speaking country, but this appears not to affect the general value of the book. It only shows that the topic is relatively hot in that part of Europe. Most chapters deal with the biological side. Fundamental molecular–genetic aspects are addressed in chapters on gene-silencing as a mechanism behind the often encountered instability of transgene expression, and on transposable elements as possible mechanisms of horizontal gene transmission. Mechanisms of horizontal transfer are considered further in separate chapters on the situation in bacteria (among themselves) and insects (via baculo viruses). Oddly placed between the chapters on bacteria and insects is a chapter on transgenic crop plants, which unfortunately is little more than a student course in theoretical population genetics. A similar limitation holds for a chapter on effects of transgenes on coevolutionary processes: the general set-up brings little news for the average JEB reader. Informative with respect to risk assessment aspects are the chapters on biological containment of bacteria and on possibilities for monitoring their presence in the soil, as well as a chapter on plants that uses the Weed Beet example to illustrate both the strength and the weakness of current biosafety research. Most chapters end with pointing out factors that need to be taken into account in future research. In the last part of the book attention shifts towards aspects of human health, economics and public opinion. Classical and modern plant breeding methods are compared from the point of view of the breeder, with the conclusion that they are complementary. Introduction of genetically modified food is discussed from a historical and procedural perspective. The state of the art in the HUman GenOme project is described and discussed with respect to its usefulness to human health care. Finally, the role of the media in shaping public opinion and ethical aspects is discussed. Although the chapter on ethical aspects calls for making explicit one’s assumptions and premises when discussing what to allow and what not, the book as a whole gave me no stimulus to develop my own ethical point of view. The atmosphere in the book is either scientifically neutral or implicitly positive towards the new technology. The significance of the book is not so much to inspire one to develop an individual point of view on the matter (although to my mind this is very important to do), but to provide a factual basis of knowledge. Most chapters give a good description of their respective fields, and together they cover many relevant aspects of the introduction of transgenic organisms in society. As such, the book is informative for someone who wants an introduction into the field of facts surrounding transgenic organisms.