Perhaps you've already read our article in the latest issue of The OMB Watcher about developments in nanotech and genetically modified crops that spotlight gaps in our regulatory protections. Hungry for more on GMOs? Well, it turns out a Russian scientist tested Monsanto's RoundUp Ready genetically engineered soy by feeding it to a batch of female rats to compare the offspring of the GM-soy-fed rats with those of a control group: Ermakova's first surprise came when her pregnant rats started giving birth. Some pups from GM-fed mothers were quite a bit smaller. After 2 weeks, 36% of them weighed less than 20 grams compared to about 6% from the other groups. But the real shock came when the rats started dying. Within three weeks, 25 of the 45 (55.6%) rats from the GM soy group died compared to only 3 of 33 (9%) from the non-GM soy group and 3 of 44 (6.8%) from the non-soy controls. The researcher ran out of funds to extend the study. For more information, click through: Jeffrey M. Smith, "Most offspring died when mother rats ate GM soy diet," Foodconsumer.org, Nov. 1, 2005. Both that article and this scholarly take consider the very big stakes for Monsanto and the GM crop industry -- as well as the stakes for the public health.