In an interview with a leading molecular genetics expert, we discuss the scientific evidence behind health concerns tied to genetically modified (GM) corn and pesticides, how GMOs are changing in ways that increase health risks, and how regulatory systems have failed to keep pace with modern genetics.

Professor Michael Antoniou, head of the Gene Expression and Therapy Group at King's College London, has studied for more than 35 years how genes function and how they are disrupted. His decades of rigorous independent research into the risks of GM foods and glyphosate-based herbicides have raised serious concerns about the safety of these technologies. 

In a report he prepared for the Mexican government, as the country attempted to restrict GMO corn imports for health reasons, Professor Antoniou cited "a large body of evidence from well-controlled laboratory animal toxicity studies that show evidence of harm to multiple physiological systems" from toxic agents found in GM corn. 

In this interview, Antoniou explains that the health risks of GM corn and its associated pesticides arise from three main sources: Bt insecticidal proteins engineered into the plants, DNA damage caused by the genetic modification process itself, and pesticides used on the crops. 

He warns that today's "stacked trait" GMOs – which combine multiple Bt toxins with resistance to several herbicides – have never been properly tested for safety, even though animal studies cited in his work show signs of liver, kidney, immune, and digestive system damage from earlier single-trait GMOs. Evidence suggests Bt toxins may survive digestion, enter the bloodstream, and trigger immune reactions linked to allergies. Antoniou also highlights findings from his research showing that mixtures of commonly used herbicides (glyphosate, 2,4-D, dicamba), even at regulator-approved exposure levels, caused organ damage in rats. 

He concludes that regulatory systems remain stuck in outdated assumptions, ignoring both the risks of stacked GMO traits and the combined toxicity of pesticide mixtures to which people are routinely exposed.