Food for Thought: The Current State of Genetically Modified Foods

Though some may consider genetic engineering a recent development, humanity has  been altering the DNA of our crops for millennia. As farmers historically chose plants with the highest yields and the largest fruits, those phenotypes were propagated during the next planting season. Over time, this has led to the drastically domesticated crops we rely on today.

However, the recent introduction of new technologies has allowed scientists to replicate this selection much more quickly than before, creating favorable hybrids and crops with specific traits. We call these offshoots Genetically Modified Crops, or GMCs, and they have distinct advantages and drawbacks.

Better for Everyone: Subunit Vaccines of the Future

Schematic of the HIV Viron Showing the gp120/gp140 Type I Fusion

Glycoprotein Assesmbly

Medicines are only useful to the extent that they can reach at-risk populations. Unfortunately, when it comes to some of the world's most deadly viruses, sending effective vaccines into the developing world has proved difficult. Luckily, a new generation of vaccines, the subunit vaccines, promises improved access for men, women, and children living beyond the reach of the refrigeration "cold-chain" that has traditionally limited distribution. That subunit vaccines are also safer and less expensive than other varieties has made them the focus of intense research efforts that are beginning to bear fruit. Recent work from the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases published in the journal Nature, for example, describes a strategy that could be used to bring subunit vaccines for diseases like HIV, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus into reach.