Birmingham scientists speak out on the great GM debate. If it were simply a matter of ideological warfare, there might be little to worry about. But for researchers such as Professor Nigel Brown and others in the School of Biosciences , the stakes in the Great GM Debate are far higher than we might imagine. There is, primarily, the issue of scientific freedom. Of course, the folk in white coats should be answerable to the tax-paying public that funds their research.
Accountability is essential.
In short, here is a new technology with a range of as yet unknown effects on ecosystems and farming practices. This is where Nigel Brown and most other biological scientists become uncomfortable. An analogy that springs to mind is the use of animals in pharmacology. Without using animals to test the effects and side-effects of novel drugs, there would be no new treatments available. Few, if any, humans would volunteer to be guinea pigs - and it would not be ethical to use human subjects anyway.