Октябрь 2005 г.

Российская наука и мир (по материалам зарубежной электронной прессы)

CONTENTS / ОГЛАВЛЕНИЕ


• Using Glow-Beetles help to find microbes
• Cerebral Attack Against Burn
• Emotionally Labile Interlocutors Are More Susceptile To Fear And Anger
• Asteroid Impact May Wipe out Life on Earth in 2035 — Russian Scientists
• Wind is swaying the Earth
• Project to build bridges between Russian and European innovation
• Cleansing Light
• Papaya Heals Burns
• Russians to Partner With NASA Astrobiology Institute
• Russian, Eurasian Scientists to Attend Chemical Engineer Conference
• Création d'un laboratoire européen associé entre la France et une organisation internationale intergouvernementale, constituée d'Etats de l'ancien bloc socialiste
• Russian-Style Hunting For Helicobacter Pylori
• Grippe aviaire: les scientifiques russes proches de la création d'un vaccin
• Le programme spatial russe dévoilé
• Sulfur In Gasoline - On-Line Analysis
• Transformer Alga
• Russia is cautious about GM foods
• GM soy affects posterity, or misuse of science?

Государственный департамент США пригласил более 40 представителей химических институтов России, Казахстана и Украины принять участие в ежегодной встрече американских инженеров-химиков, которая будет проходить с 31 октября по 4 ноября в Цинциннати.

Washington - The U.S. State Department has invited more than 40 representatives of chemical institutes in Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine to attend an annual meeting for American chemical engineers October 31 to November 4 in Cincinnati.
The scientists and engineers have been invited to the conference to help foster partnerships with U.S. industry and to promote awareness of the capabilities and knowledge of Eurasian experts, the State Department said October 18.
They are expected to "present [their] latest research findings and discuss regional business opportunities," the U.S. Bio-Chem Redirect Program, which is overseen by the State Department Nonproliferation Bureau's Office of Proliferation Threat Reduction, said on its Web site.  The annual meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers expects to draw more than 4,000 scientists and engineers from around the world. 
During the meeting, the chemical experts from Eurasia are scheduled to participate in several sessions, including three oral presentations aimed at highlighting science, technology and commercial opportunities in Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The themes of these presentations are: "Opportunities and Challenges: Doing Business in Russia and Eurasia", "Environmental Monitoring and Remediation" and "Drug Development, Toxicology Testing and Synthesis."
The Eurasian experts were invited to the conference by the Nonproliferation Bureau, in conjunction with the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow and Science and Technology Center in Ukraine.
Since its inception in 1998, the U.S. Bio-Chem Redirect Program has provided more than $85 million to fund more than 200 research projects in public health, agriculture and environmental monitoring and remediation.
More information on the conference is available on the Bio-Chem Redirect Program Web site and on the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Web site. 

Российские и европейские научные центры намерены создать объединенную лабораторию по изучению нейтрино, темной материи и сверхтяжелых элементов. Создание подобной лаборатории стало результатом тридцатилетнего сотрудничества в области ядерной физики и физики высоких энергий.

L'IN2P3-CNRS (1), le Dapnia-CEA (2) et le JINR (3) créent le Joint underground laboratory in Europe (Joule), qui rassemble les équipes du Laboratoire souterrain de Modane (CNRS/CEA) et celles du Dzhelepov laboratory of nuclear problems du JINR Dubna (en Russie). La création du laboratoire "Joule" sera officiellement signée le 24 octobre 2005. Cet événement fait suite à 30 ans de coopération dans le domaine de la physique nucléaire et de la physique des hautes énergies.
Le Joint underground laboratory in Europe (Joule) sera dedié à la recherche sur les propriétés des neutrinos, de la matière noire et des éléments super lourds. Il associera les équipes du laboratoire souterrain de Modane (IN2P3/CNRS et Dapnia/CEA), situé dans le tunnel de Fréjus, et celles du Dzhelepov laboratory of nuclear problems du JINR Dubna, dont les experts viendront notamment à Modane pour travailler sur les instruments et détecteurs.  
La création de ce laboratoire résulte de 30 ans de collaboration : après un premier accord passé en août 1972 suivi d'un second en novembre 1992, la coopération se poursuit non seulement avec la création du laboratoire, mais aussi avec la mise en place d'un partenariat renforcé en physique nucléaire. Du côté français, la collaboration se concrétisera par la participation du JINR aux recherches du Ganil (4) sur les noyaux exotiques et au consortium européen qui se crée autour de Spiral 2, projet d'élargissement de l'équipement Spiral, le système de production d'ions radioactifs accélérés en ligne du Ganil. Du côté russe, l'IN2P3 et le Dapnia participeront à l'étude et la recherche des éléments lourds et superlourds faites à Dubna et seront associés au consortium international du Flerov laboratory of nuclear reactions, l'un des sept laboratoires du JINR.
(1) IN2P3 : Institut national de physique nucléaire et de physique des particules
(2) Dapnia : Département d'astrophysique, de physique des particules, de physique nucléaire et de l'instrumentation associée de la direction des sciences de la matière du CEA.
(3) Joint institute for nuclear research : cette organisation internationale intergouvernementale, fondée en 1956 par de nombreux états de l'ancien bloc socialiste (Arménie, Azerbaïdjan, Biélorussie, Bulgarie, Cuba, Tchéquie, Géorgie, Kazakhstan, République démocratique de Corée, Moldavie, Mongolie, Pologne, Roumanie, Russie, Slovaquie, Ukraine, Ouzbékistan et Vietnam) étudie les propriétés de la matière. Constituée aujourd'hui de sept laboratoires, elle est devenue un grand centre scientifique multidisciplinaire qui développe des recherches fondamentales en physique des particules et physique nucléaire.
(4) Grand accélérateur national d'ions lourds (IN2P3/CNRS et CEA), à Caen.

3 октября 2005 года Нобелевский комитет присудил премию по медицине и физиологии австралийским ученым Барри Маршаллу и Робену Уоррену за открытие микроба Helicobacter pylori, играющего важнейшую роль в возникновении язвенной болезни желудка и 12-перстной кишки. В лаборатории ИНВИТРО (Обнинск) это достижение уже используется.

Due to the 2005 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine received by Robin Warren and Barry Marshall, the name of the Helicobacter pylori bacterium is now a buzz word. According to contemporary overview, the bacterium gets into the stomach with food and water. In adverse conditions (stress, malnutrition, genetic factors, etc.), the bacterium invades the wall of the stomach or the duodenum under the mucous membrane and produces toxins destroying the walls. This is how gastritis originates, turning into ulcer.
It is fair to say that the Helicobacter pylori bacterium does not cause gastritis and ulcer with all their hosts. There will always be some percentage of people resistant to some bacterium or virus. But if gastritis or ulcer symptoms are clear, then it is sufficient to determine the Helicobacter pylori presence to start treatment (which is by the way well-developed).
Previously, to diagnose the disease, patients had to endure an extremely unpleasant procedure (gastroscopy) -swallowing a stomach pump. The procedure is not only unpleasant, but also dangerous: it traumatizes the larynx and esophagus. Besides, a stomach pump can bring some infection in the patient's organism if it has not been properly sterilized.
Researchers from the Branch of the Karpov Physicochemical Research Institute (Obninsk) suggest their own technique for hunting the Helicobacter pylori. The technique is based on the bacterium's propensity, the bacteria is fond of urea and decomposes it quickly, carbonic acid gas being formed along with that. The patient can be offered some urea and then the content of his/her exhalation can be researched. But the problem is that we always breathe out carbonic acid.
The Obninsk researchers suggest that carbonic acid from urea should be "marked" - the C-14 radioactive isotope of carbon should be introduced in the urea. It is sufficient to add to urea insignificant quantities of the "marked" urea to make the method work. The analysis looks as follows: the patient swallows an ordinary capsule containing a small shot of "Uracaps C-14" preparation. If the Helicobacter pylori live in the patient's stomach, it would start to decompose urea intensely. 20 minutes later, the patient is offered to breathe out into the dryer tube (similar to the alcohol test tube). Then special absorption solution washes up the tube content, a little liquid is placed on the plate and the substance activity is observed on the beta-spectrometer. If the patient's exhalation contains "marked" carbonic acid, the spectrometer would immediately recognize that, and the computer will produce the analysis outcome: whether the bacteria are present in the stomach or not.
"Many people are scared of the word "radioactive", says Yuri Sorokin. But in this case, we deal with a negligible dose: a capsule of the "Uracaps C-14" preparation is equivalent to a person's stay in common sunlight for 12 hours. Nevertheless, we are now developing the special "Carbocaps C-13" preparation for children and pregnant women. It contains nonradioactive carbon isotope C-13, but it can be identified in the exhalation only with the help of the NMR-spectrometer."

"Российские ученые находятся на пороге создания вакцины против птичьего гриппа", - заявил на пресс-конференции заместитель директора ГНЦ вирусологии и биотехнологии "Вектор", член-корреспондент РАН Сергей Нетесов.

MOSCOU, 19 oct 2005 (AMI) - Les scientifiques russes sont "sur le point de créer un vaccin contre la grippe aviaire", a affirmé mercredi le vice-directeur du Centre russe de virologie et de la biotechnologie Vektor, le professeur Sergueï Netiossov, lors d'une conférence de presse.
Le centre Vektor basé dans la région de Novossibirsk (Sibérie) étudie notamment la propagation de la grippe aviaire.
"Plusieurs instituts en Russie travaillent sur la création d'un vaccin contre la grippe aviaire, les uns pour protéger la population de la volaille, les autres pour protéger les humains", a indiqué M. Netiossov qui participait à une conférence médicale à Moscou.
"Le vaccin pour la volaille est sur le point d'être créé", a-t-il assuré.
"En ce qui concerne le vaccin contre la grippe aviaire chez l'humain, c'est l'Institut de la grippe à Saint-Pétersbourg (nord-ouest) qui est sur le point de résoudre ce problème", a ajouté M. Netiossov.
Le ministère russe de l'Agriculture a indiqué mercredi que la grippe aviaire venait de gagner la région de Toula, à quelque 300 km au sud de Moscou, confirmant la propagation du virus de la Sibérie vers la partie européenne de la Russie.

Правительство РФ утвердило Федеральную космическую программу на 2006-2015 годы. ФКП-2015 определяет перспективы развития космических средств на предстоящий 10-летний период.

Le programme spatial russe pour la période 2006-2015 a été dévoilé cette semaine. En ce qui concerne les vols spatiaux, le projet phare est sans doute l'autorisation de la construction de Kliper (le successeur de Soyouz), et pour se faire, un partenariat avec l'Union Européenne et le Japon est envisagé.
Pour ce qui concerne l'ISS, la Russie souhaite conserver son accès direct à l'ISS, sans passer par les américains. De plus, une annonce assez surprenante a été faite : la construction d'un nouveau module qui ira s'amarrer à l'ISS a été decidée, cependant un module d'habitation sera sacrifié pour laisser la place au futur module scientifique. Le nouvel intérêt que porte la Russie à la station pourrait mettre fin aux problèmes concernant l'apport d'énergie avec le remplacement de panneaux solaires.
Elle prévoit aussi de moderniser sa flotte pour ne pas être perdante sur le marché des lancements, l'accent est donc mis sur les fusées Soyouz 2 et Angora. Enfin, le renouvellement des systèmes satellitaires de télécommunications est prévu, ainsi qu'un nouveau système de positionnement par satellite en partenariat avec la Chine et l'Inde.

Исследователи из Санкт-Петербурга создали устройство, позволяющее быстро и точно определить уровень содержания в бензине сернистых соединений, вызывающих коррозию металла. Финансировал проект Российский фонд фундаментальных исследований.

The small device invented and developed by the St. Petersburg chemists can be easily hold in hand. It allows to perform real-time control of mercaptans content in petroleum derivatives - these sulfur compounds are extremely undesirable in gasoline.
In general, nobody likes these sulphur compounds. Besides, they reek - but fortunately, we rarely come across this property. More often they play mean tricks remaining unrecognized since even a small doze of these harmful substances is capable of corroding with time through insides of motor-cars, pipelines and practically any tanks coming into long contact with petroleum and petroleum refining products, including gasoline.
Mercaptans - are actually a disguised acid, certainly it is not so strong as sulphuric acid, but it is unsafe for metals. Alas, these compounds are usually available in petroleum and petroleum refining products, therefore, it is necessary to clean them from mercaptans and to control the refinement quality as precisely as possible.
So far, the mercaptan analysis in light oil, i.e. in gasoline and other types of petrol, has been performed manually. The procedure is in all cases labour-intensive and frequently not too precise either, because the most widespread method provides understated results. Samples always have to be selected to make analysis in the laboratory, so immediacy of this method can not be relied upon. That accounts for delayed response of production engineers: if mercaptans get suddenly multiple, and production engineers do not yet know about that, necessary measures will be taken late.
The technique developed by chemists of St. Petersburg State University jointly with colleagues from the EKROS Scientific Production Association (St. Petersburg) allows to perform such determination within several minutes. This can be done automatically, if required - in a literal sense without moving way from the pipeline. Chemists call such methods flow-injection ones, i.e. they allow to automatically select samples from the flow of analyzed liquid.
The "heart" of a new method is the so-called chromatography-membrane cell, which was designed by chemists under the guidance of Professor Leonid Moskvin. The cell combines main advantages of the two processes: chromatographic one (high efficiency of mass exchange) and the membrane division of substances (continuous mode of the process). It is in the cell that mercaptans meet with the special reagent flow, due to that they are distinguished from the gasoline stream and form a brightly coloured compound, the content of which is easy to determine - it's a trivial analytical task. This can also be done automatically.
It is interesting to note that for each determination the device requires four minutes and less than a tea-spoonful of gasoline. The analysis is so precise that it allows to determine mercaptans in tiny quantities - in millionth parts. Now production engineers will be able to learn about sulfur in gasoline practically instantly. So, they will be able to react in time by changing parameters of cleansing process.

В момент опасности (например, если вас пытаются съесть) наилучший выход - увеличиться в размерах в три раза. Одноклеточная водоросль Scenedesmus именно так и поступает. Ученые из Зоологического института РАН исследовали генетические механизмы этой интересной особенности.

Who would get mixed with a hefty chap two meters high? There would be few those who wish. Just imagine that in a moment of danger this "hefty chap" becomes thrice as large... Is it fantasy? It is, if we are talking about people. But if it comes to unicellular algae, it is a typical scenario provided by nature for them. The scenedesmus unicellular alga grows thrice as large in presence of predators - cladoceran and rotifers that eat up unicellular algae. This is a defence mechanism as rotifers are unable to swallow such big cell.
This interesting peculiarity of the scenedesmus unicellular alga was investigated by the researchers of the Zoological Institute (Russian Academy of Sciences) in St. Petersburg. They managed to prove that the cell's "image change" occurs at the genetic level at the point of transcription - information read-out from DNA.
To ascertain the transformation mechanism the researchers applied the actinomycin D inhibitor, which blocks read-out of hereditary information from DNA and, as a result, protein synthesis. An alga specimen was cultivated in a lean solution of chemical fertilizers. For the first experiment, the alga was transplanted into two glasses with rotifers that started to eat up the algae. The researchers added actinomycin D in one of the vessels, the other remaining intact for comparison.
In the vessel without the stopping agent, the algae began to grow up promptly to avoid being swallowed by the predator. In the vessel with added actinomycin D, big "defensive" forms of scenedesmus almost did not appear, and rotifers could banquet in cold blood.
The next manipulation with algae repeated the first one but vice versa. From the vessel, where the cells had grown up in size for defense purposes, "starving" rotifers were removed. Then the specimen was again divided in two, and actinomycin D was added into one vessel. In inhibitor's presence, the scenedesmus algae remained big, while in pure water without rotifers the cells grew small again.
The researchers came to the conclusion that actinomycin D blocks the scenedesmus' genetic programs "switch", as a result the alga stops reacting to the predator's appearance or disappearance.
Biologists discovered long ago formation of "defensive forms" with scenedesmus and species close to it in response to appearance of algae-eating cladoceran and rotifers nearby. Besides, for the purpose of defense these low plants often live singly or in small colonies, but as soon as filtrating organisms appear in the water, the cells not only grow up several times larger but they also assemble in more multitudinous colonies. The predator detection signal is the substances excreted by algae into the water. The researchers believe that many millions of years ago such unicellular colonies, that are formed in periods of danger according to genetically coded scheme, could become one of the steps towards multicellular creatures.
Some infusoria have a similar technique for protection from predators. By the way, microbiologists have recently carried out a similar investigation with one of them - Euplotes infusorium. It has turned out that actinomycin D impacts the protozoa's outward appearance. That means that with infusoria that belong to animal organisms, the choice of strategy in response to predator's appearance also takes place at the genetic level.

25 октября в Москве состоялся семинар на тему "Проблемы использования генетически модифицированных источников в производстве продуктов питания". В рамках мероприятия ученые, общественные деятели, представители бизнеса и государственных структур, обсудили вопросы биологической и химической безопасности рынка продовольствия.

"Genetically modified plants and animals may cause completely unexpected processes and consequences," Irina Yermakova, a senior scientist at the Institute for Higher Neural Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said. She made the statement during a seminar Tuesday at a science conference in Moscow.
The scientist called for more extensive research into the impact of GM organisms on people, the Novosti news agency reported. She said an experiment, which involved feeding rats GM soy, had revealed high mortality rates and growth retardation among offspring. Yermakova also proposed a ban on imports of transgenic products.
Those attending the seminar called for adoption of safety requirements for GM foods and mechanisms to verify compliance with such requirements, RIA Novosti said.

Споры о возможной опасности генетически модифицированных продуктов не утихают. Прошедший недавно в Москве семинар по проблеме генно-модифицированых продуктов питания, точнее, заявление одного из участников, тут же вызвал ответную реакцию. Сотрудник Института высшей нервной деятельности и нейрофизиологии РАН Ирина Ермакова рассказала о своем эксперименте, поставленном на крысах - самок кормили генетически модифицированной соей, что привело к большой смертности их потомства, а также к задержке развития у выживших.

Earlier this week, a Russian scientist disclosed non-peer-reviewed claims about feeding studies with genetically modified soybeans. Dr. Christopher Preston, from the University of Adelaide, Australia, exams the claims and compares them with past peer-reviewed scientific publications.
The following story is starting to do the rounds of the anti-GM websites. The original report was published in a Russian online newspaper in mid-October, but is only now starting to do the rounds.
On the surface, this study appears to indicate a major danger with GM soy fed to rats. There was 6-fold increase in the number of deaths and the surviving progeny were significantly smaller. The study in question was conducted by Dr. Irina Ermakova of the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the results released at a conference organised by National Association for Genetic Security.
Dr. Ermakova is a researcher on brain function whose speciality is in the function neurotransplants into the brain, and who has published in both Russian and English journals.
From the report, it is hard to get a good sense of how the experiments were done. There is simply not enough information given in the report. The report states that the experiment consisted of 3 groups of 3 rats, but results are reported for 15 rats.
The report also indicates that the three groups of rats were condensed to 2 groups after birth. It is not clear from the report why or how this was done. We are not told crucial points such as were there true replicates or only pseudo-replication? Why did a third of the rats in each of the control and GM soy groups not give birth? What was the source of GM and non-GM soy and how much was included in the diet?
In the absence of answers to these questions, it is difficult to analyse the data further. One question that does come to mind is why the deaths are reported as total numbers instead of as means with an idea of the variance.
This report is a stark contrast with a previously published study by Brake and Evenson (see abstract below) on mice. This study looked at a generational study of mice fed a diet containing GM soy or non-GM soy. They reported identical litter sizes for the two groups (7.3 per female in nine replicates for both groups) and nearly identical growth rates for the mice fed transgenic feed and for their progeny, compared to mice fed non-transgenic feed. The differences, where they occurred, favoured the mice fed transgenic feed.
There are a number of other questions about the Russian research that come to mind. Firstly, what is a neurological scientist doing conducting feeding studies on GM food? This is always a question that arises when someone conducts research outside his or her speciality. In this case, it is quite easy to determine the motivation. A visit to Dr. Ermakova's website (http://irina-ermakova.by.ru/eng), provides the clues. Under the section "Publications" is a list of popular articles by Dr. Ermakova. They include an open letter to the Russian President called "Stop transgenization of the country", and "Russian roulette. Delayed-action mine, or why generically modified organisms are so dangerous".
Under the section "Ecology and Life" is a list of "new articles" described as "Important information". These include links to anti-GM articles by Mae-Wan Ho and Beatrix Tappeser from 1997, Arpad Pusztai from 2001, the "World Scientist's Statement" from ISIS, and from bio-integrity. Clearly Dr. Ermakova has concerns about the use of GMOs, but I suggest is quite selective in the views she promulgates.
Secondly, why report the results at a conference organised by an anti-GM NGO? This is an important question as it is a good way of ensuring that mainstream scientists will take the research less seriously.
The NGO involved is called The National Association of Genetic Safety (NAGS). According to their website (http://www.geneticsafety.org), their mission is described as "NAGS considers its top priority to protect the interests of citizens of the Russian Federation as an integral part of the international community and to facilitate the creation of a system of biological safety of humankind and the surrounding environment."
Their goals are described as "participating in the development of legislation that would cover the entire complex of biological safety issues, facilitating the development of the National Genetic Safety Concept, taking part in international projects on the issues of biological and genetic safety, spreading the ideas of protection of genetic resources of the Earth, promoting educational initiatives in the sphere of biological safety, creating the system of public control over the market of food and food industry raw materials, and cooperating with the media, government bodies, political parties and public organizations in Russia and worldwide."
However, all of their public statements that have turned up in the Western media (and internet) are on GM foods. For example, NAGS organised a letter to the Russian President in October 2004 warning of the dangers of GM foods. In the press material, GM foods were described as "dangerous in their unpredictability" and as "biogenic terrorism".
In March 2005, NAGS released the findings of a study of a Moscow meat market, claiming that 50% of vendors used GM feed. While this might be true, there is significant scientific evidence that GM feedstuffs are not dangerous (see the list of 42 peer reviewed studies I collated last year at http://www.agbioworld.org/biotech-info/articles/biotech-art/peer-reviewed-pubs.html). The claim is disingenuous and made simply to frighten people about their food.
In June 2004, NAGS released claims about the use of GM products in baby food. Their claims as reported in the Western Press where that 70% of samples contained GM materials and some mixes were 100% genetically modified. Even allowing for the problems of translation from Russian to English, this is an unequivocal statement and certainly not true. This would leave no room for any other ingredients including water. Even worse, NAGS claimed that some of the dairy and vegetable mixes were entirely made of GMO. This claim made when no GM vegetables were commercially available, unless one counts soybeans as a vegetable. The President of NAGS, Alexander Baranov, had claimed in 2003 that 70% of people in the US were allergic to GMOs, a claim that hardly stands any scrutiny. With this record behind them, it is difficult to give NAGS much credibility.
This brings me back to the question I asked: Why would you report results of feeding studies at a conference organised by an anti-GM NGO? Surely, if the results were that striking they would be presented to health authorities rather than to a group of anti-GM activists? These were similar questions to those I, and others, asked when Terje Traavik reported his results on Bt corn at a Third World Network sponsored conference. Indeed, this whole exercise reminds me a lot of that episode. Now 18 months down the track from Traavik's preliminary announcement in Kuala Lumpur, we have seen no more on the issue.
The answer to my question lies in how science is being used in these episodes. It is clear in both cases that the data available would not stand regulatory scrutiny. This is why it has not been delivered through normal channels.
Presenting results such as these at an anti-GM conference containing true believers is a good way of ensuring affirmation of the research. The audience will believe it because they want to believe it, whereas a more sceptical audience might ask some difficult questions about the research. Even more importantly, it ensures the ability to apply political pressure with scientific research that would not stand the rigors of normal peer review.
Abstract
A Generational Study of Glyphosate-Tolerant Soybeans on Mouse Fetal, Postnatal, Pubertal and Adult Testicular Development
Brake, D.G., and D.P. Evenson. 2004. Food Chemistry and Toxicology 42:29-36
The health safety of transgenic soybeans (glyphosate-tolerant or Roundup Ready) was studied using the mammalian testis (mouse model) as a sensitive biomonitor of potential toxic effects. Pregnant mice were fed a transgenic soybean or a non-transgenic (conventional) diet through gestation and lactation.
After weaning, the young male mice were maintained on the respective diets. At 8, 16, 26, 32, 63 and 87 days after birth, three male mice and an adult reference mouse were killed, the testes surgically removed, and the cell populations measured by flow cytometry. Multi-generational studies were conducted in the same manner.
The results showed that the transgenic foodstuffs had no effect on macromolecular synthesis or cell growth and differentiation as evidenced by no differences in the percentages of testicular cell populations (haploid, diploid, and tetraploid) between the transgenic soybean-fed mice and those fed the conventional diet. Additionally, there were no differences in litter sizes and body weights of the two groups. It was concluded that the transgenic soybean diet had no negative effect on fetal, postnatal, pubertal or adult testicular development.

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