Playing Gaia: Scientists Report Natural Genetically Modified Organisms

Swedish researchers are reporting that they have discovered a naturally mediated genetic transfer between two reproductively isolated plant species. They speculate that some kind of pathogen picked up and transfered the gene between the two grass species. Of course, this is exactly one of the techniques [PDF] that biotech researchers have been using for many years to add beneficial genes to crop plants.

It turns out that biotechnologists haven't been playing God. Instead, they've been playing Gaia. Not that there's anything wrong with doing either.

And anti-GMO species isolationists (you know who you are) should probably avert their brains away from contemplating the ménage à trois that resulted in modern wheat [PDF].