Monsanto Acquires 'Gene Silencing' Pharmaceutical Technology

The Monsanto company has forged a new partnership with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company whose primary focus seems to be on figuring out how to best crack the genetic code so as to manipulate the way genes inherently express themselves. And based on the agreement the two companies have made publicly with one another, it appears as though Monsanto is planning to utilize Alnylam’s proprietary gene-silencing technologies in its emerging agricultural pursuits, which will likely spawn a whole new category of problems for humanity and the planet at large.

In a recent press release, Monsanto disclosed that it has officially obtained “worldwide, exclusive rights” to use Alnylam’s platform technology and intellectual property (IP) in its own agricultural products, and particularly in its new “BioDirect” line of products designed to treat seeds and crops with what the company has dubbed “biopesticides.” Monsanto apparently sees something exceptionally valuable in Alnylam’s technologies that it does not currently possess, and is now seeking to leverage it for the purpose of expanding its own market share. But what is it?

Monsanto may want to turn food crops into gene-altering ‘drugs’

In a nutshell, Alnylam specializes in a technology known as RNA interference (RNAi) that involves deliberately silencing the expression of genes throughout the body for the purpose of preventing the production of proteins that some scientists believe are responsible for causing disease. By artificially blocking production of these proteins, RNAi technology is believed to have the potential to effectively block the development of disease, which is why many major drug companies have also signed on as strategic partners with Alnylam.

But Monsanto is an agricultural company, not a pharmaceutical company, which begs the obvious question as to why this multinational company has suddenly decided to shell out nearly $30 million with promises of perpetual royalty payments to gain access to this emerging technology. As it turns out, Monsanto has plans to roll out all sorts of new genetically-modified (GM) crops, crop pesticides and herbicides, and various other technologies with built-in RNAi modifications, which could turn future GM food crops into “drugs.”

Many modern varieties of wheat, for instance, are problematic for people with gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease because they produce unnaturally high levels of a wheat protein known as gluten. By integrating genetic changes using RNAi; however, companies like Monsanto could theoretically produce a GM wheat variety that does not contain any gluten at all, which they could then market as the solution to gluten insensitivity.

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By Ethan A. Huff, NaturalNews

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Ian W.

1:56PM PST on Dec 9, 2012

Ok
I re-read your comment more carefully.' You think" GOOD.

Now , why do you think this would be advantageous for anyone? Explain

Sorry and THANKS

IW

December 9
send a green star

1:53PM PST on Dec 9, 2012

To Maria A

Monsanto is no friend of mine and I have written extensively about it's potential disastrous effects, trouble it causes farmers and how to get rid of it.

But the worst thing possible is to take the story to far; loosing your credibility altogether in a worthy fight.

Where do you get "any" fact about "killing off large parts of the population?" Even if this is what is happening you should list it as "your idea" or a "fact",

IW

Maria A.

6:39AM PST on Dec 9, 2012

To bad the FDA is headed by former Monsanto executives. As it is, we may never see testing, regulating, or labeling of GMO products. We will never see a ban on GMOs in the U.S. Now, with RNAi manipulation of our foods, I don't believe this will ever see testing, regulating or labeling. I think Monsanto (and other companies/corporations) are actually trying to kill a large portion of the population.

Dale O.

1:51AM PDT on Oct 22, 2012

Oh noms,...people and kittehs of the world await with baited non-GMO breath (or those lucky enough to eat organic as to avoid unlabelled GMO foods in various parts of the globe). Monsanto Land and some others just don't want people to know by not labelling...why not?) We await with baited breath to see what the long term effects of the latest acquisition from its greedy tentacles will bring us. The long term effects of GMO foods are not known and here they are forging ahead and unleashing even more unknown horrors upon us.

Little surprise, Paul K that Monsanto has a children's 'activity' book out pontificating the 'wonders' of GMO food...have to get to the youngsters early as conversion makes easy supplicants. Since Europe/others ban GMO seeds...wait for it, a man dressed in black in the darkness of the night, a Monsanto agent sowing GMO seeds into organic fields and then when the crop is contaminated - charging the farmers money as they now have their copywronged genetic horror show in their fields. Conspiracy or...reality? Their desire to dominate and change the natural genetic code of plants...anything is possible. Bring on Day Of The Triffids with Monsanto as its main course! Noms!

October 22
send a green star

Jennifer C.

12:23AM PDT on Oct 22, 2012

Thanks.

Jules W.

9:50AM PDT on Oct 19, 2012

Thanks for sharing. Boycott Monsanto !!!!

October 19
send a green star

Gloria D.

4:40AM PDT on Oct 19, 2012

See this open your eyes...Monsanto isnt new it had been working backstage for severa decades!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spoucYXa3-A&feature=related

Nimue P.

12:17AM PDT on Oct 19, 2012

Boycott Monsanto.

Sue M.

2:45PM PDT on Oct 15, 2012

thanks