Saturday September 12, 2009, 5:33 pm
Anyone who has picked dandelions as a child will be familiar with the white liquid that seeps out of the stalks as you break them off. Viscous, sticky – and a much sought-after material: natural latex. Around 30,000 everyday products contain natural rubber, everything from car tires, catheter tubes, latex gloves to tops for drinks bottles. Car tires, for instance, would not be elastic enough without the incorporation of natural rubber. The bulk of this material comes from rubber trees in Southeast Asia.

Rubber produced in this way can, however, cause allergic reactions, which is clearly an issue with clinical products. A fungus is also creating concern for rubber cultivators. In South America the infection is now so widespread that large-scale cultivation has become virtually impossible. The disease now also appears to have taken root in Southeast Asia’s rubber belt. Fungicides still provide at least temporary protection. But if the fungus disease was to reach epidemic proportions, chemical crop protection would be rendered useless – experts fear that the natural latex industry could collapse if that were to happen.

Researchers are therefore turning to other sources – such as the Russian dandelion. Germans, Russians and Americans produced rubber from this plant during the Second World War. Once it is cut, latex seeps out, albeit difficult to use as it polymerizes immediately. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME in Aachen have now come a step nearer to large-scale rubber production from dandelions.

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Saturday September 12, 2009, 5:37 pm
This is just too much. Dandelions have to be one of the most invasive plants on the face of the earth. They have succeeded in genetically modifying it, With the controls we have seen exercised on other transgenic plants trials, even if it is never approved, you can probably expect to find them growing in your neighbourhood in just a few years.

Sunday September 13, 2009, 3:44 pm
I am terrified. My bees depend on dandelions for the first spring food but it has been proven that GMO plants have been one of the three causes for deaths of 61% of North American honey bees over the last three years. There is nothing to stop the spread of dandelions and if these altered dandelions get mixed up with regular dandelions, we may lose so many more bees. We depend on honey bees for pollination of all fruits and some vegetables,. This scientific adventure may destroy most of our agricultural production of fruits and some vegetables. The complete destruction of the honey bee and it vital pollination could be looming in the near future because of this idiotic plan.

Sunday September 13, 2009, 3:52 pm
Karen your article and comments show real green star thinking but I am not allowed to give you one because I have done so within the last week.

Sunday September 13, 2009, 4:02 pm
Here in Jersey we still have some mutated dandelions from 3 mile Island fall out.

Sunday September 13, 2009, 4:25 pm
Dandelions grow and survive on every single continent in the world!!! This is scary this is one tough plant species.
Thank you Karen!!! I can't send a green star either have already done so this week.

Tuesday September 15, 2009, 8:13 am
Thannnxxx.. at least something good can come out of something as invasive as these little plants...

Tuesday October 13, 2009, 6:27 pm
genetically modified :(