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The Séralini affair is the name for the controversy about a particular experiment conducted by French molecular biologist Gilles-Éric Séralini. Séralini fed Monsanto's RoundUp-tolerant NK603 genetically modified maize (called corn in North America), as well as glyphosate, to rats and published results which claimed that the corn and the herbicide were toxic to the animals in the journal ''Food and Chemical Toxicology'' 2012 .〔 (Republished in ''Environmental Sciences Europe'', 24 June 2014, infra)〕 The group's conclusions and experimental design were heavily criticized, along with its publication strategy.〔 At the press conference announcing the publication of the paper, Seralini displayed photographs of rats with large tumors, and emphasized his cancer findings.〔 The press conference received extensive coverage in the media; "within hours, the news had been blogged and tweeted more than 1.5 million times. At the press conference, Séralini also announced that he was releasing a book and a documentary film on the research. Séralini required journalists to sign a confidentiality agreement before viewing the study in advance of the conference. The confidentiality agreement prohibited them from contacting other researchers in advance of the conference. The press conference and publication occurred a few weeks before the vote on California Proposition 37 (2012), which called for labelling genetically modified food. After the paper was published, scientists and regulatory agencies concluded that the conclusions of the paper to be invalid on the basis of the experimental design; each arm in the study had too few rats to obtain useful data in a lifetime study of Sprague-Dawley rats, which get cancer at a high rate over their lifetime.〔 Other publicly funded long term studies uncovered no health issues.〔 In November 2013, ''Food and Chemical Toxicology ''(FCT), retracted Séralini's paper after the authors refused to withdraw it.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-journals/elsevier-announces-article-retraction-from-journal-food-and-chemical-toxicology )〕 In June 2014 Séralini republished the article in in the journal ''Environmental Sciences Europe'', which did not conduct any further peer review. Reviewers instead checked that the content of the paper matched the previously peer-reviewed version. ==Background== Gilles-Éric Séralini is a professor of molecular biology at the University of Caen in France. He is founder and president of the scientific advisory board of the Committee of Research and Independent Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN), which is publicly opposed to genetically modified food (GM food).〔"HH", CRIIGEN, 12 November 12, 2008 (Profile, Pr Gilles Eric Séralini – President of the Scientific Board – Molecular Biology Professor )〕〔 Séralini founded CRIIGEN because he judged that studies on GM food safety were inadequate, and questioned their acceptance.〔 In 2004, Monsanto sought approval in Europe to introduce corn rootworm resistant (MON 863) Bt maize, which led to controversy over acceptance by regulatory bodies of industry-funded toxicity studies and over their study design. Séralini was on the committee that reviewed MON 863 for the French government.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Comité de Recherche et d'Information Indépendantes sur le génie Génétique )〕 He was a major figure in those controversies and continues to be a critic of toxicity study design.〔 In 2004, the genetically modified organism (GMO) Panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended the approval of MON 863. Its report and referenced changes in blood cell parameters and in kidney weights of tested rats.〔 Greenpeace sued for release of the rat feeding studies that Monsanto had provided. Monsanto contested the suit in order to protect its trade secrets.〔 In June 2005 a German court ordered the release of the original study.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=MON863 maize: Court orders disclosure of all documents. No secrets in safety matters )〕〔Monsanto, 2002. 13-Week Dietary Subchronic Comparison Study with MON 863 Corn in Rats Preceded by a 1-Week Baseline Food Consumption Determination with PMI Certified Rodent Diet #5002 (Monsanto full rat study )〕 With the full study in hand, critics of GM foods, including Séralini and Jeffrey M. Smith, pointed to differences in kidney size and blood composition, suggesting that the observed differences, as well as the study designs, challenged the regulatory concept of substantial equivalence.〔Jeffrey M. Smith January 2008. (Study reveals GM threats ) Biophile Magazine, Issue 6.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Séralini affair」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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