Efforts To Genetically Engineer American Chestnut Trees Draw Controversy

The majestic American chestnut was once common in forests in the eastern U.S., but a blight has killed billions of these giant trees. Researchers are moving forward with genetically-modified trees that will survive the blight.

But as Julie Grant of The Allegheny reports, critics think genetically-engineered chestnuts could adversely damage the ecosystem and lead to a slippery slope of other GMO approvals.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.