Research suggesting genetic elements from plants make it into eater's bloodstream turns out to be a 'false positive'
Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 12:31
in Biology & Nature
In 2011 and 2012, research from China's Nanjing University made international headlines with reports that after mice ate, bits of genetic material from the plants they'd ingested could make it into their bloodstreams intact and turn the animals' own genes off. The surprising results from Chen-Yu Zhang's group led to speculation that genetic illness might one day be treated with medicinal food, but also to worry that genetically modified foods might in turn modify consumers in unanticipated ways.