The Year in Ideas; Genetically Modified Saliva

The Year in Ideas; Genetically Modified Saliva

query.nytimes.com

British and Swedish researchers took the harmless Lactobacillus zeae bacterium commonly found in yogurt and added a gene to it that enables it to produce antibodies. Thus armed, the Lactobacillus then goes hunting for Streptococcus mutans and poisons it by sticking the antibodies to its surface. In theory, human saliva could be stripped of its meanest bug.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm torn between "That would be really cool and helpful to mankind!" and "Man that sure sounds like we are messing with Mama Nature too much and headed for the Omega Man scenario".

Toward the end of the article another scientist is altering Streptococcus to emit ammonia that would kill the "bad" strep and supposedly help teeth regenerate enamel.

Sure could be a vehicle to put other things in our hygene products and foodstuffs.

query.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Somehow I missed the article date - It's from 2002. I'm sure this topic was talked about before - sorry y'all.

[edit on 24-5-2008 by primus2012]

[edit on 24-5-2008 by primus2012]