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Comment and Life

Biotechnology – is it moving too fast?

By David Suzuki

20 September 2006

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

David Suzuki

Imagine bacteria that could spread through our bodies to scavenge mercury or other pollutants and then extrude them from a pimple. Or plants that continue to photosynthesise under very low light conditions, or food crops that can survive in highly salinated soils. Such boons are the promise of biotechnology. We expect to be able to manipulate life at its most basic level to help solve some of our most pressing problems, such as food security, habitat loss and pollution. Yet dazzling as such prospects are, I believe we should be cautious about diving into the deep end of…

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