Agricultural research, or a new bioweapon system?
Abstract
Agricultural genetic technologies typically achieve their agronomic aims by introducing laboratory-generated modifications into target species' chromosomes. However, the speed and flexibility of this approach are limited, because modified chromosomes must be vertically inherited from one generation to the next. In an effort to remove this limitation, an ongoing research program funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) aims to disperse infectious genetically modified viruses that have been engineered to edit crop chromosomes directly in fields. This is genetic engineering through horizontal transfer, as opposed to vertical inheritance. The regulatory, biological, economic, and societal implications of dispersing such horizontal environmental genetic alteration agents (HEGAAs) into ecosystems are profound. Further, this program stipulates that the means of delivery of these viral HEGAAs into the environment should be insect-based dispersion (1). In the context of the stated aims of the DARPA program, it is our opinion that the knowledge to be gained from this program appears very limited in its capacity to enhance U.S. agriculture or respond to national emergencies (in either the short or long term). Furthermore, there has been an absence of adequate discussion regarding the major practical and regulatory impediments toward realizing the projected agricultural benefits. As a result, the program may be widely perceived as an effort to develop biological agents for hostile purposes and their means of delivery, which—if true—would constitute a breach of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).
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References and Notes
1
Broad Agency Announcement Insect Allies, Biological Technologies Office, HR001117S0002, 1 November 2016; www.fbo.gov/utils/view?id=40638c9e7d45ed8310f9d4f4671b4a7b.
2
BTI receives DARPA “Insect Allies” Award. EurekAlert! (2017); www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-07/bti-brd072717.php.
3
Penn State team receives $7M award to enlist insects as allies for food security (2017); http://news.psu.edu/story/495037/2017/11/20/research/penn-state-team-receives-7m-award-enlist-insects-allies-food.
4
Ohio State scientists make plant virus system “turn on its head” with insect research (2017); www.thelantern.com/2017/12/ohio-state-scientists-to-make-plant-virus-system-turn-on-its-head-with-insect-research/.
5
Insect Allies: How the Enemies of Corn May Someday Save It (2017); https://cals.ncsu.edu/news/insect-allies-how-the-enemies-of-corn-may-someday-save-it/.
6
DARPA Enlists Insects to Protect Agricultural Food Supply & Commodity Crops. R&D Mag. (2016); www.rdmag.com/news/2016/10/darpa-enlists-insects-protect-agricultural-food-supply-commodity-crops.
7
J. S. Cory et al., Nature 370, 138 (1994).
8
Dr. Blake Bextine, Insect Allies; www.darpa.mil/program/insect-allies.
9
Report of the Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, Geneva (2012); http://undocs.org/en/BWC/MSP/2012/5.
10
Z. Ali et al., Mol. Plant. 8, 1288 (2015).
11
K. Musiychuk et al., Influenza Other Respir. Viruses. 1, 19 (2007).
12
DARPA:Safe Genes; www.darpa.mil/program/safe-genes.
13
DARPA:Young Faculty Awards 2017; www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/for-universities/young-faculty-award.
14
United States of America, Strengthening of the BWC, Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, Geneva (2018); http://undocs.org/en/BWC/MSP/2018/MX.5/WP.3.
15
J. W. Schoen, Pentagon kills ‘terror futures market.’ msnbc.com (2003); www.nbcnews.com/id/3072985/t/pentagon-kills-terror-futures-market/.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Science
Volume 362 • Issue 6410 • 5 October 2018
Pages: 35 - 37
Copyright
Copyright © 2018, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
This is an article distributed under the terms of the Science Journals Default License.
Duality of research
R. G. Reeves et al. wrote an article entitled "Agricultural research, or a new bioweapon system?" (1). As far as we know, duality of physical phenomena can be simply observed. For example, Peltier devices have been used for cooling and heating. Providing the temperature difference between two sides of a Peltier device can generate electric power which is called Seebeck effect. LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) can be used as sensors or cameras. In other words, PC screen or TV screen can be used as camera sensor. The physical phenomena or their components always have duality. The result of peaceful research can be used for developing dangerous weapons. Any technology for human-aid systems or weapons can be dual-used. All we need to do is to create regulations (laws) and rigorous checking systems against unethical technology uses (2).
References:
1. R. G. Reeves et al., Agricultural research, or a new bioweapon system?, Science 05 Oct 2018: Vol. 362, Issue 6410, pp. 35-37
2. George Lucas, The automated battlefield, Science 27 Apr 2018: Vol. 360, Issue 6387, pp. 386
The Insect Allies Program: Further risks to be addressed
In their commentary "Agricultural research, or a new bioweapon system?" (5 October 2018, pp. 35-37) on the risks associated with the Insect Allies Program, Reeves at al. (1) raise a number of important issues. Here follow some other relevant issues that should be added to their list. (a) The technology requires the release of a huge number of insects. A sound cost-benefit analysis is required. [Biological and Integrated Pest Management approaches use different species and practices (2)]. (b) Plants need to suffer prior damage by insects in order to get infected by GM viruses Damage weakens plants and exposes them to the attack of pests (i.e., bacteria and fungi) (3). (c) Insects are known to harbour and transmit a vast range of viruses, bacteria and fungi. Interaction of GM viruses with this "ecosystem" should be addressed. (d) The species used to deliver the GM viruses are phytophagous insects, which are eaten by a several animals (i.e., other insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals and, in some regions, humans too, as in the case of grasshoppers). The risks posed by GM viruses to biodiversity deserve to be addressed.
In 1976, Erwin Chargaff (whose studies contributed to the discovery of DNA) published a paper in Science that was prophetically entitled "On the dangers of genetic meddling" (4). Chargaff forecasted that a deregulated genetic-engineering rush could pose extreme risks to the future of humans, and called for a public debate on the issue. He warned that "you cannot recall a new form of life.", and feared we were in the process of carrying out "an irreversible attack on the biosphere". Before Chargaff's fears turn into future nightmares, we have to urgently address what seems to be a bio-technological drift. Biotechnology cannot be left to improvisation and anarchy, and at the mercy of human stupidity, which, as Albert Einstein warned, is infinite.
(1) G. Reeves et al., Science, 362, 35-37 (2018).
(2) J-P. Deguine et al., Crop protection from agrochemistry to agroecology. CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, USA (2009)
(3) J-L. Dangl & J.D.G. Jones. Nature, 411, 826–833 (2001).
(4) E. Chargaff. Science, 192, 938 (1976).