GMO or NO GMO?

Genetic editing technologies like CRISPR (basic intro video)are possibly the most powerful tech ever seen on this planet. They place control over the very functions of life in the hands of humans.

Biologists say the characteristics of life include:

• responsiveness to the environment
• growth and change
• ability to reproduce
• have a metabolism and breathe
• maintain homeostasis
• being made of cells
• passing traits onto offspring

DNA impacts every one of these, and can be made to enhance, hinder or prevent each of them in turn. Ergo, it can end life, or potentially create life where there was none.

The Human Genome Project turned the mystery of DNA into a word document. CRISPR puts the insert and delete keys in the hands of anyone with $500.00 and a bit of know-how.

If that's not power - I don't know what is.

When Moonwatcher, Actor Dan Richter in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, first picks up a bone (the high-technology of his time) his first act was to use the tech to gather food.

His second act was to murder for resources.

One could wonder if things have not changed much since his day of tooth and claw. Recently someone asked me about the "Epicyte gene", so looked into it a bit.

“Scientists have created the ultimate GM crop: contraceptive corn. Waiving fields of maize may one day save the world >from overpopulation.”

“The pregnancy prevention plants are the handiwork of the San Diego biotechnology company Epicyte, where >researchers have discovered a rare class of human antibodies that attack sperm.”

There's lots of opinions and rumors on the web about the Epicyte Gene:

"Monsanto Bought it."
It's already in corn being sent to Africa."
Studies show GMO corn is reducing fertility in rats."
Eating the corn won't affect one's ability to reproduce, the corn must be processed to create a gel that is then used as a contraceptive."
It's part of the elite plan to depopulate the world."
The scientists publishing scary results did bad experiments."
The scientists publishing scary results did good experiments."
The FDA guys approving its' use are ex-heads of Monsanto."

There's a ton of fear and strong opinions on this subject and GMOs in general. For myself, I can certainly see "why the concern". We people want to know if the bone is being used to get us all some better food, or murder others for their resources.

If the AGE project is successfully launched, we see a way issues like this can be dealt with in a much “cleaner” and less opinion-more-fact-based way.

Bear in mind, what I'm about to propose isn't something we intend to do, organize or oversee. It's something we intend to suggest to our community of people who've been sequenced with us, and therefore control the funding and direction of the overall project. They are the real (planned) powers that be – and the people that can make this idea happen.

The idea is simple: The Epicyte gene has a very exact structure (DNA signature). It's pretty impossible to mistake it for the GMO corn gene Cry1Ab that promotes insect resistance. The project could if it wanted to, buy a few dozen of these devices:

They're called SmidgIONs and Designed for use with a smart phone in any location. In Africa (or anyplace else) a lightly video-trained person could smash up some corn, add some liquid and feed this pocket DNA sequencer the goods. In a short time we would KNOW if the Epicyte gene had been introduced to that corn or not. End of discussion, and no need to torture & execute a bunch of helpless rats.

We might envision a “citizens watchdog arm” of the AGE Project spread around the world and able to monitor the global food and water supply for biological-nefariousness.

Wouldn't that be cool?

We think so, but our project has a long way to go to get viable. Like most startups we're lacking a few things, and lack of those things could end the project at any time. We need Public Awareness & Financial Support.
If we're able to get the awareness, the support will follow – so you can easily help make this real. The project is like the baby pictured – helpless on its' own.

We need 2 mouse clicks from you, and everyone you know.
Click this link to our EOS-Hackathon competition video (that will get us known if we get to compete). Then Click the thumbs up button and give us a like.
We'll take it from there, but you're going to have to...

“Open the Pod Bay Doors, Hal.”

As Always, Thank You for Your Kind Consideration,
~Greg