US military is the leading funder in gene editing technology with the potential capabilities of altering global ecosystems.
Emails obtained by environmental advocacy group (ETC) revealed that the pentagon has been secretly funding 'gene drive' studies.
More than 1200 emails via a foia request, were obtained by ETC group. Has now put gene drive research being conducted by DARPA under the microscope.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has received at least 100 million from the US department of defense into the controversial gene drives technology. An extra 35 million more than previously reported.
This put the US military heads above the rest in funding and developing gene modifying technology.
The technology is capable of splicing DNA strands in order to insert, alter, or remove targeted traits, and “drive” them through a population by ensuring all the offspring of the targeted organism inherit the alteration.
Proponents of this technology say it could potentially wipe out malaria-spreading mosquitos. But as pointed out by the critics, these could have unforeseen environmental consequences.
“You may be able to remove viruses or the entire mosquito population, but that may also have downstream ecological effects on species that depend on them,” the Guardian cited one UN official as saying.
“Gene drives are a powerful and dangerous new technology and potential biological weapons could have disastrous impacts on peace, food security and the environment, especially if misused,” said Jim Thomas, co-director of ETC Group. “The fact that gene drive development is now being primarily funded and structured by the US military raises alarming questions about this entire field.”
Emails also revealed one group of US military advisers, conducted two classified studies on genome editing and gene drives. One study focuses on potential military applications of gene drive technology an the other on agriculture and involved outside input from a Monsanto exec.
Gene drive promotion and development has also received assistance from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation gave $1.6 million to the public relations firm Emerging Ag to exert influence on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the key body for gene drive governance.
After calls in 2016 for a global moratorium on the use of gene drive technology, CBD sought input from scientists in an online forum.
Also in the emails obtained by ETC group, Emerging Ag recruited more than 65 experts, including a Gates Foundation senior official, a DARPA official, and scientists who had received DARPA funding, in an attempt to covertly influence the UN body.
A UN moratorium on gene drive tech would halt DARPA's planned to release GM mosquitoes into Africa.
While claiming potential health benefits, any application of such powerful technologies should be subject to the highest standards of transparency and disclosure. Sadly, this doesn’t appear to be the case,” Mariam Mayet, executive director of the African Centre for Biodiversity, told ETC. “Releasing risky GM organisms into the environments of these African countries is outrageous and deeply worrying.”
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