饶毅的孤独和科学家的社会责任

 

饶毅最近有关转基因 动植物博文引起一些争议 。 他在发表前， 曾寄给我。 我回复时，没有就文章的内容作评论，因为他写的大部分是些“common sense”。我仅简短的评论道这些论题更应该由权威的机构和科学家团体来回答。

 

奇怪的是，在有关转基因食物安全性等公众和媒体关心的问题上，中国的权威机构和科学家团体在媒体和公众里声音几乎听不着。 与此不同， 在美国和欧洲，权威机构和科学家团体会针对社会关心的有关科技的问题给与及时的指导性意见。 例如，美国科学出版社曾于2004年出版由美国医科学学院和美国科学院国家研究理事会等主持的有关转基因作物"危害与风险"的考察报告和检验方法。 在此报告中，作者陈述说：转基因作物 “ carry the potential for introducing unintended compositional changes that may have adverse effects on human health”。 同时，作者根据现有的研究结果，作出了“To date, no adverse health effects attributed to genetic engineering have been documented in the human population”的表述。 在欧洲， 欧盟食品安全局（ EFSA ）2006 年曾裁定一种涉及转基因，改变了其淀粉成分的马铃薯不会对人体健康造成损害。等等。 这些意见，并非强制你接受，却可以帮助公众作出自己的理智判断。

 

中国有关科学机构的无作为，突显了饶毅的孤独。

 

饶毅转基因博文 见 http://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=2237&do=blog&id=463690

 

美国科学出版社发布转基因作物“危害与风险”考察报告和检验方法的部分内容：

 见“ http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309092094

“Findings

All new crop varieties, animal breeds (see the cloning subreport), and microbial strains carry modified DNA that differs from parental strains. Methods to genetically modify plants, animals, and microbes are mechanistically diverse and include both natural and human-mediated activities. Health outcomes could be associated with the presence or absence of specific substances added or deleted using genetic modification techniques, including genetic engineering, and with unintended compositional changes.

The likelihood that an unintended compositional change will occur can be placed on a continuum that is based on the method of genetic modification used (see Figure ES-1). The genetic modification method used, however, should not be the sole criterion for suspecting and subsequently evaluating possible health effects associated with unintended compositional changes.

All evidence evaluated to date indicates that unexpected and unintended compositional changes arise with all forms of genetic modification, including genetic engineering. Whether such compositional changes result in unintended health effects is dependent upon the nature of the substances altered and the biological consequences of the compounds. To date, no adverse health effects attributed to genetic engineering have been documented in the human population.

 

欧盟食品安全局（ EFSA ）2006 年曾裁定的报道见

http://www.biotech.org.cn/news/news/show.php?id=31422

 

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