Genetically modified plants are usually engineered to benefit a plant species that would benefit us. However, scientists are now discovering that these modified plants might avoid one adversity just to encounter another. Squash plants that have been modified to resist viral diseases are now more susceptible to deadly bacterial infections.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture authorized the production of genetically modified squash in the 1990s, ultimately giving farmers the ability to cultivate disease free crops.

However, research headed by Andrew Stephenson, Professor of Biology at Penn State, uncovered that cucumber beetles will pass on bacteria infections to genetically modified squash plants more often than to wild squash plants.

When disease infected cucumber beetles feed on the plant they create an open wound for their feces to fall into. This allows the bacteria to penetrate the plant’s system, causing bacterial wilt disease. Since cucumber beetles prefer healthy plants, they will choose to feed on genetically modified plants when viral infection sweeps a field that contains both genetically modified and wild crops. The genetically modified plants are healthier at this point, because they are bred to be resistant to viral infections.

Before the crops were infected with viral disease, they had the same amount of damage from cucumber beetles.

Genetically engineering plants may serve as the solution to a virus problem, but now scientists and farmers must find a solution to a bacteria problem. It seems as though these genetically modified plants will not be able to “have their cake and eat it too!”

Discussion Question: Would genetically modifying the squash plant to be resistant to both viral and bacterial infections be a smart solution? Why or why not?

News Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152938.htm

Paper Abstract: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/10/23/0905106106.abstract?sid=60d78b10-c258-48f6-a0af-41f9111dda21