＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
<2020/10/7 postscript>“Nobel Prize in Chemistry” to two “genome editing” researchers.
Sweden’s Royal Academy of Sciences announced today that it will award the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to two female researchers from the United States and Europe who have developed a new method of “genome editing” that can efficiently modify the genome (all genetic information) of an organism.
They are Emmanuelle Charpentier, 51, from France and director of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology (Germany), and Jennifer Doudna, 56, a professor at the University of California, Berkley, USA.
There are multiple types of genome editing technologies, and the “Crisper Cas9,” which they jointly developed in 2012, is significantly easier to handle and was recognized as having “a revolutionary impact on life science.
We have long found “safety” issues with “genetically modified foods” and have often seen labels that say, “This food does not contain GMOs.”
Genome editing” has suddenly gained a lot of attention since Chinese scientists announced the ‘birth of genetically engineered babies’ last November.
１．What is “genetically modified?”
Living organisms have a helical string called DNA that carries “genetic information,” and “genes” are those that perform specific functions. A specific function is the function of making a specific protein.
Genetic modification” refers to ”the discovery of a gene with properties that could be used by humans and its incorporation into the DNA of another organism.”
The term “genetic modification” is “Genetic Modification” (abbreviated as GM) in English. Genetically Modified Organisms” is ‘Genetically Modified Organisms’ (GMO).
Genetically Modified Food” is ”food made from a specific genetically modified organism (GMO).
GM foods” include herbicide-resistant soybeans, corn, and rapeseed, and pest-resistant corn and potatoes, which have been imported into Japan since 1996. However, in response to consumer and other concerns about safety, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) revised the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) Law in April 2001, requiring labeling of “GM agricultural products and foods made from them. For example, “Soybeans (genetically modified)” is now required to be labeled as such.
However, soy sauce, edible oils and fats, mashed potatoes, and potato starch are not required to be labeled because “DNA and proteins resulting from genetic modification are broken down and removed during the processing process.
There are various methods of genetic modification, but the most commonly used is the Agrobacterium method. Agrobacterium” is a type of bacteria found in the soil that has the ability to incorporate its own genes into plants.
It is the “plasmid” (a type of gene) in Agrobacterium that acts as the “vector” (carrier).
The procedure for “genetic modification” is as follows.
① extract a “plasmid” from the “Agrobacterium,”
② connect it to the target gene (using enzymes to cut and paste the gene),
③ put it back into the “Agrobacterium,” and
④ infect the “Agrobacterium” with the plant, so that the target gene is carried by the “plasmid” and gene is delivered into the plant.
２．What is “genome editing?”
Genome editing” is ”a technology to modify any gene on the genome. It is the use of DNA-cutting enzymes called “artificial nucleases” to destroy or insert target genes. A genome is the entire genetic information that defines an organism’s species.
Conventional “genetic modification” technology involves inserting genes from other organisms, such as microorganisms, to create varieties that are resistant to pesticides and insect pests. Because only limited functions, such as disease resistance, can be added, and genes from other organisms are introduced, there are deep-seated concerns about the safety of the technology.
On the other hand, breeding using genome editing is considered safe because it modifies the genes of the crop itself, mainly by cutting genes to stop them from working.
Genes can also be used to freely change flavor and nutritional qualities, making it easy to develop varieties that are highly beneficial to consumers in a short period of time.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has decided that genome editing is not subject to regulation on the grounds that it is indistinguishable from naturally occurring mutations or conventional breeding. The Ministry intends to allow the sale of such products without undergoing a safety review as long as information on the modified genes and the presence or absence of harmful substances is reported to the Ministry.
The ministry will begin accepting applications as early as this summer.
３．Problems with the Start of Distribution of “Genome-Edited Foods” in Japan
There is a debate in many countries over how to handle “genome-edited foods.”
In the United States, the Department of Agriculture issued a policy in March 2018 not to regulate the cultivation of genome-edited foods, and cultivation has actually begun. However, they have not yet begun selling the foods.
Meanwhile, in Europe, the Court of Justice issued a policy in July 2018 to regulate “genome editing” as well as “genetic modification,” and discussions are underway.
I think that we will not know if there is a problem with the safety of “genome editing” (whether it is harmful to health or not) until after many years of verification, so it is necessary to impose a labeling requirement for “genome edited foods” as well as “genetically modified foods” to at least leave room for consumers to make a choice.
If the product is distributed in Japan this summer, it will be the first of its kind in the world, but since it is a new technology, I believe it is necessary to carefully examine whether or not there are any safety issues.