^age 6/The Battalion/Tuesday, November 30, 1983
Genetic engineering sparks controversy
fa
by Steve Thomas
Battalion StaflF
In the laboratories of Texas
V&M, scientists work diligently to
mlock the secrets of genetic en-
Jineering, believing each step
hey take is a positive one for man-
tind.
But not everyone agrees.
“We are in danger of treating
tinman beings as animal stock
ather than respecting their digni
ty,” J. Robert Nelson, professor of
theology at Boston University,
was quoted as saying in Time
magazine last June.
Nelson was part of a group of
national religious leaders, includ
ing Evangelist Jerry Falwell,
Bishop James Armstrong and the
leaders of the Southern Baptist
Convention, who signed a seven-
point declaration asking congress
to ban genetic experiments that
might change human characteris
tics.
“I’m not convinced that genetic
engineering will ever be used to
manipulate the human genome
(genetic structure),” James E.
Womack, associate professor of
veterinary pathology and genetics
at Texas A&M, said.
Womack said scientists can ex
periment and make mistakes with
lab animals and even farm anim-
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als, but he said “with humans, you
can’t make mistakes.” Thus he
feels the idea of science genetical
ly manipulating humans into “su
permen” is unrealistic.
Assistant Professor of Bichemis
try and Genetics James R. Wild of
Texas A&M agreed with Womack,
saying control of the human
genome “can’t happen. ’’
Genetic engineering will have a
great impact on humans, Wild
said: “but I don’t believe there will
be any genetic perfection of man.”
Humans, he said, are simply too
complex.
Don H. Lewis, professor of
veterinary microbiology and para
sitology, said scientists working
with genetic engineering have to
deal with one miniscule character
istic at a time, and changing any
human trait would require alter
ing many different characteristics.
“The possibility of being able to
do that,” he said, “is very, very
remote.”
The organizer of last June’s
appeal to congress was Jeremy Rif-
kin, 38, a Reform Jew and a writer
on economic and social issues. Rif-
kin’s latest book “Algeny” speaks
out against all forms of genetic en
gineering — plant, animal and
human.
Rifkin says genetic engineering
is ecological roulette: any mistake
will be irretrievable.
Womack feels the public has a
right to be concerned.
been mutated to the point that
there is virtually no chance of
them ever breeding in any en
vironment other than the special
one created for them in the labora
tory.
“I’m sometimes distressed that
the voices leading the public are
not scientifically informed,” he
said, but added that scientists
should be held accountable for
their work.
Garret M. Ihler, professor and
head of the department of medical
biochemistry, said he feels the
most worriesome danger of gene
tic engineering is that govern
ments may want to use it as a
weapon.
Lewis echoed Womack, saying
the bacteria have certain growth
requirements not usually found in
nature.
“So there’s no hazard,” he said,
of them escaping and growing.
thing that makes up a cell otic
than the nucleus.
The cytoplasm contractedalu
gus because of a genetic weahu
that Browning said had been4;.
overed a few years earlier
another country, but simplyt
been shrugged offby U.S. ai
turists. Because there were
many millions of the plants
ly next to each other, the lringi|
spread like wildfire.
gp ! |
Zero possibility?
“Now, let’s not say that can’t
happen, ” he added, “but it is very,
very, very unlikely.”
Had the plants been diversife
(i.e. some fields of Texas Mi
Sterile Cytoplasm, somec
lar cytoplasm) Browning saidij
catastrophy could have
avoided.
“Most scientists are not in
terested in creating things that
will kill you better,” he said. But if
a government or a society wanted
to have genetically created infec
tious materials, he said they could
do it.
Wild, who is chairman of the
Institutional Biological Safety
Committee at Texas A&M, said
anyone who wants to experiment
in genetic engineering here must
first go before his committee and
get approval.
“Diversity is the only assuran
against genetic vulnerability;
disease in major crops," he sail
Above all, Ihler said: “I think
we can’t predict the future.”
To just stop genetic research,
he said, would be crazy.
“It’s better to guide it,” Ihler
said, “than to try to block it.”
All the genetic engineering pro
jects here are working on safe
questions, he said. The four con
tainment facilities on campus are
for extra safety, he said, and in
case more dangerous organisms
are used for higher level experi
ments.
Womack responded in chons
saying “it’s been the diversity;
our germ plasm in all speciesfe
kept us alive all these ages.”
So is genetic engineering ji;
fied?
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We have:
“How much benefit does some
thing have to give you,” Womack
said, “before it’s worth pursuing
and running the risk that some
one’s going to abuse it? It’s a tough
question.”
John Artie Browning, professor
and head of the department of
plant sciences, pointed out a spe
cial consideration in the area of
genetic hazards — the epidemic.
“I think it is imperative that!
we have the capability to rein
human suffering, thatwedosy
Duane C. Kraemer, professon
veterinary physiology and plt!|
inacology and of animal sdei
said.
“The potential for g
great that it seems to me wen
to get with it,” he added.
Another area of concern in
genetic engineering is the escape
of dangerous elements from a
laboratory, causing wide-spread
infections. Scientists at Texas
A&M are confident this problem
has been effectively surmounted.
Womack said bacteria have
Browning offered the Southern
Com Leaf Blight of 1970 in which
over $1 billion of com was lost
nationwide as an example of this
danger. This particular type of
corn possessed the Texas Male
Sterile Cytoplasm, a genetic hyb
rid cytoplasm that facilitates re
production. Cytoplasm is every-
And what about the chai
from the opposition that sciei
through genetic engineeringis®|
tangling itself with God’s 1
ness?
“There’s no contradiction
that,” Lewis says, “science isp
of God’s business.”
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Katie Sampeck’s tough sche
dule of training and showing
horses just doesn’t give her
enough time to go to regular
school five days a week.
she’s also taking college-level
courses in organic chemistry and
calculus and making good grades,
although she only attends class
three hours a day, four days a
week.
MSC Town Hall
presents
The answer for her and about
140 other well-heeled high school
students in Dallas and Houston is
an alternative school where all in
struction is from one teacher to
one student.
“She’s brilliant,” says Alexan
der director David Bowlin, “and I
expect her to get advanced place
ment in all of her first-year college
Katie is enrolled in the Alexan
der School in Dallas. Last year she
showed a national champion
Gene Phillips, who recently re
tired after accrediting schools for
Appaloosa and also helped train a
thoroughbred race horse. But
the Texas Education Agency for 22
years, said the one-to-one con
cept, while expensive, reduces
learning time significantly.
“When a student is one-ti
he will accomplish in three
what normally takes five. The
dents are getting tremendoi
attention from the teacher
opposed to a kid in a regularcl™
sroom,” he said.
Phillips said the most nolifi
able thing about the
School is that it eliminates 4i
competition found in ordte
schools.
“It’s more like golf than footli. persbnalit
with the student competi:|then com
against himself. This is thepo#|couple’s
of the school,” he said. home, po
Tennis professional Sams John
Giammalva faced a similar pr« jockey a
lem in Houston before hisgradBlWednesc
tion last year. He needed t Sberrell h
education, but he didn’t havetii
for regular classroom work
Unit
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His wil
tion Mom
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to harm 1
,*/SEEKING SCHOOL
OF HAIR DESIGN
His solution was the Ale:
Smith Academy, run by D4 mitted
Arnold. Bayshore
Arnold said the one-to-onea He chep
cept in Texas developed weekend
part-time tutorial servicefoM Police
by two Delta Airlines pilots, ftfianiod th;
Smith and Lou Alexander.
“The Alexander Smith seri
started in 1968 and we sir
evolved, pioneering the
tive school concept,” Arnold
“We were the first alternat
school accredited in Texas
Dave Bowlin used to workfor
before he went to Dallas
formed his own school.”
Thursday, December 8
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Rudder Auditorium
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Arnold said although he i|
Bowlin exchange references,f
schools are not connected*
mally.
Bowlin’s school caters!
failing student as well asthei^
standing one, while Arnold?
his school deals primarily w
highly sophisticated group»
rious students interested in
lege preperatory work.’’
At both schools, the parenSf
students have to have a M
money. Bowlin’s yearly turf
$5,300, comparable to a
high school tuition at St. M®]
an exclusive boy’s prep schtf
Dallas.
MC
Roll c
Arnold’s tuition for a ye)i|
$6,000, equivalent to a yea
private Texas university.
Phillips notes that the]
teacher ratio depends on (
mics, and the economics (
from the commitment parfj
place on education.
“You’ll have the least numb
pupils with the teacher you 1 !
afford. If there’s little valuepb
on education, there will be aid J
kids in the class. Where t
real value placed on educab
your classrooms are going!
smaller,” he said.
C
Bowlin said his school <
teaches the basics — math,!
ce, English and social sciea ;
and students attend a 45-n;fa
class in each course Mo^
through Thursday.
Re