By John Travis
As a European-led outcry against genetically engineered food gains momentum, scientists continue to look for new—and potentially safer—ways to tinker with the genes of plants.
In a method that may prove more acceptable to a reluctant public, investigators have now created herbicide-resistant corn by subtly altering one of the plant’s own genes rather than by adding a new gene.
To endow commercial crops with a novel trait, such as herbicide resistance or freeze tolerance, genetic engineers traditionally first find some other plant with the desired quality.