The AP’s Biotech writer Paul Elias reports from a Toronto industry meeting that a new fiber called Ingeo could give synthetics like nylon or polyester a run for their money. It’s made from sugars derived in large part from genetically modified corn and fermented into a material resembling plastic. However, as one reads deeper, it becomes clear that the genetic modification has nothing specifically to do with providing superior fibers, which would be fascinating. It is simply a consequence of the manufacturer’s indifference to what kind of corn it uses. A lot of US corn has extra genes for pest resistance and the like, so in it goes. The Tracker is posting this because it seems to use the GM angle to pique interest, yet GM debates are peripheral to the product and any biotech innovation they reflect. Instead it’s about hand-wringing greens who might have to choose between petro-fabrics and GM-fabrics (after all even a lot of cotton is GM). And this leaves unexplored two, potentially more interesting angles: how does this new stuff stack up against cotton and the synthetics performance-wise, and is there any word on crops whose genes are jiggered to make fiber-friendly plastics or similar feedstock from the get-go?
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