title: Plurality of opinion, scientific discourse and pseudoscience: an in depth analysis of the Séralini et al. study claiming that Roundup™ Ready corn or the herbicide Roundup™ cause cancer in rats.
abstract: A recent paper published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology presents the results of a long-term toxicity study related to a widely-used commercial herbicide (Roundup™) and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified variety of maize, concluding that both the herbicide and the maize varieties are toxic. Here we discuss the many errors and inaccuracies in the published article resulting in highly misleading conclusions, whose publication in the scientific literature and in the wider media has caused damage to the credibility of science and researchers in the field. We and many others have criticized the study, and in particular the manner in which the experiments were planned, implemented, analyzed, interpreted and communicated. The study appeared to sweep aside all known benchmarks of scientific good practice and, more importantly, to ignore the minimal standards of scientific and ethical conduct in particular concerning the humane treatment of experimental animals.
authors: Departament de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida-Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain.
authors: Gemma
authors: G
authors: Arjó
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Portero
authors: Carme
authors: C
authors: Piñol
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Viñas
authors: Xavier
authors: X
authors: Matias-Guiu
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Capell
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Bartholomaeus
authors: Wayne
authors: W
authors: Parrott
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Christou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004361:Drug Tolerance / Q000235:genetics; D030841:Food, Genetically Modified / Q000633:toxicity; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D006540:Herbicides / Q000737:chemistry; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D051381:Rats; D012586:Science / Q000941:ethics; D015871:Scientific Misconduct / Q000941:ethics*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D000097797:Glyphosate
chemical_list: D005998:Glycine; D006540:Herbicides; D000097797:Glyphosate