UW scientists create pollution-sucking trees

[TechBear_Seattle]

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Super trees that suck up and destroy toxic chemicals from the air and water faster than regular trees are the latest creation by scientists at the University of Washington.

When the scientists stick a rabbit gene into poplar trees, the trees become dramatically better at eliminating a dozen kinds of pollutants commonly found on poisoned properties.

The trees could prevent the need for digging up tons of soil or pumping out millions of gallons of water for treatment and disposal. They naturally render a list of cancer-causing pollutants -- benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), vinyl chloride, chloroform -- non-toxic.

But while the poplars could benefit cleanup projects, they raise a multitude of ecological and ethical concerns.


Read more: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/335572_transgenic16.html

[LiberalEsto]

1. How about trees that suck up rethugs?

Surely they're a form of dangerous pollution
:evilgrin:

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Now that would make for an Outer Limits episode

Several evil, Republican voting (is that redundant?) developers want to tear down an ancient grove and put up a parking lot. A group of modern day druids cast a spell which allows the trees to defend themselves; the trees come to life and begin to hunt down the developers.

Or maybe a novel.... :hi:

[lonestarnot]

4. Ewww yes where do we buy them?

[baldguy]

2. But St Reagan proclaimed trees created pollution!

[LiberalEsto]

6. He claimed that trees kill!

After stating in August 1980 that "trees cause more pollution than automobiles do," Reagan came to a campaign rally where there was a tree decorated with this sign: "Chop me down before I kill again."

[comtec]

5. WTF?!?!!?

Im all for making super trees... but I thought it was IMPOSSIBLE to mix animal and plant genes!

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. Genes only synthesize proteins

There is nothing to prevent taking a sequence of DNA from one lifeform and splicing it into a different lifeform; it is never anything more than a sequence of DNA. Getting it to express is the difficult part.

You will never see a mouse with leaves or a tree that grows crops of rat's tails; that would be impossible. But there is nothing to prevent creating a cotton plant that grows spider silk. Or, apparently, a poplar that can absorb and store high levels of benzene that would otherwise kill it.

[Odin2005]

18. I'm a Biotech major and I'll just say you are very ignorant about molecular biology.

All living things use the same genetic code so genes can be moved from one genome to the other and the gene can still function.

[rAVES]

8. These super trees will destroy us all!!!

[Jackpine Radical]

9. That may not be as funny as you think.

Genetic engineering makes me very nervous.

[NickB79]

14. At least hybrid poplars don't seed

They can only spread by root runners, so containing them would simply require you to cut down the GE-poplar grove and spray any suckers popping up with Round-Up.

[Odin2005]

19. It's mainly companies like Monsanto that abuse the technology that are the problem.

The technology itself is just fine as long as it's properly regulated. Know any diabetics who need to take insulin shots? that insulin came from genetically engineering E. coli.

[Javaman]

11. I, personally, welcome our new super tree overlords. nt

[Jackpine Radical]

21. The Triffids are coming, the Triffids are coming!

[KurtNYC]

20. I've seen where this could lead...

[Javaman]

10. so 30 or 100 years from now, when oil is gone and anything that requires very high heat

can not be smelted, will they turn to wood for their needs? and will this carbon eating triffid be so dense with CO2 that when they burn a few of them, they are right back to where we are today?

my head hurts.

[The Stranger]

12. "At the far end of town where the grickle-grass grows . . . "

[Trillo]

13. Uh oh, do they breed like rabbits?

Is this the beginning of Ents?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. Ethical concerns?

Ecological concerns OK. But ethical concerns?

[Odin2005]

16. "Ethical Concerns" = BS rhetoric about "playing God" brought up by fundies and luddites.

[Odin2005]

17. That is a brilliant idea. It reminds me of what they do in the book "50 Degrees Below"...

...by Kim Stanley Robinson. In the book they genetically engineer a lichen that lives on trees to suck up carbon dioxide and sequester it into the trees.

[Uncle Joe]

22. They have another advantage as well,

if you cut off a branch and carry it with you, they bring good luck.