We can depollute ourselves

The film

Français
WE CAN DEPOLLUTE OURSELVES

(90-100 min)


GILLES-ERIC SERALINI


Molecular Biology Professor University of Caen
Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
I.B.F.A.
Esplanade de la Paix
14032 Caen Cedex
France

Gilles-Eric Séralini is :
- A Molecular Biology Professor at Caen University, since 1991, France
- Researcher and teacher in charge of a team and author,
- One of the very first to demand a European commercial moratorium on agricultural GMOs for further research,
- Appointed member of two governmental commissions on GMOs (the Biomolecular Engineering Commission (CGB) in charge of risk assessment, and the Biovigilance Committee assessing GMOs after they have been commercialized) in 1998,
- President of the CRII-GEN Scientific Board (Committee of Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering) since 1999,
Was appointed in 2003 as an expert for the European Commission to prepare the defense case in the dispute between the United-States/Argentina/Canada (who produce 95% of the GMO’s) and the European Union about the moratorium on commercial GMO. He published in November 2003 "Génétiquement incorrect" Flammarion and in 2004 "Ces OGM qui changent le monde", (Collection Champs, Flammarion) and recentily "Après-nous le déluge ?" (Flammarion/Fayard).

Gilles-Eric Séralini is French and studied in Nice.He became a Doctor in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Montpellier 2 in 1987. He left then for North America to carry out fundamental research for four years, in Ontario and then in Quebec in two different internationally renowned laboratories. Qualified to supervise research, he passed, at the age of 30, the French national competitive exam for University Professors.
Gilles-Eric Séralini chose the town of Caen (Normandy) where he is a teacher-researcher since October 1991, in molecular biology, at the interface of cancer research and endocrinology.
He wrote about 100 scientific articles and conference papers for international specialist symposiums, and a number of lectures with a nation-wide impact, he assumes several roles in the Commissions of the University of Caen, where he is leading a research team associated to CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) and INRA.

He worked on new molecules for the prevention and for treating breast cancer, he is studying the effects of endocrine disruptors, as well as pesticides associated to aux OGM.
In 1994, he published a scientific paper back for the public at large, (Pocket, Explora collection, 91 colour photos and illustrations) entitled: "L'évolution de la matière, de la naissance de l'univers à l'ADN", which is translated into Spanish. Thanks to his work at the interface of cancer and hormones, he became interested in the causes of cancer and the disruptors of reproduction, that is pollutions related to air, water and food, as well as the genetic risks and the effects upon health of such pollutions of various origins. In 1997 he wrote "Le sursis de l'espèce humaine", (out of print) which was published by Belfond and received the Philips Award for Scientific Popularization in 1998, handed by Science Frontières. Following this book, he became an expert for the European Community on environmental ethics (July 1997) as well as for other organizations.

He has been giving a number of public lectures in relation to food safety. He was one the writers of the moratorium issued by scientists demanding more research before Genetically Modified Organisms can be commercialized, both for agriculture and food. He became involved in the debate by publishing his arguments in two collective papers "Génie Génétique" (Published by Sang de la Terre, 1997) and in a report on a symposium at the European Parliament entitled "Transgénique : le temps des manipulations ", published by Frison-Roche, December 1998). After the hearing of the Citizens’ Conference on GMOs at the French National Assembly, he was appointed member of the Commission on Biomolecular Engineering in July 1998, and has been a member of the Provisional Biovigilance Committee on transgenic maize, for ten years, from Spring 1998.

Judging that the studies on the harmlessness of GMOs are inadequate, and questioning their scientific evaluation, he founded CRII-GEN, along with Corinne Lepage, a former Ecology Minister, and Jean-Marie Pelt, that is the Committee of Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering, of which he is President of the Scientific Board. In October 2000 he published: “OGM, le vrai débat” (Flammarion, Dominos). He received, for his activities as a whole, the Order of the Star of Europe, de l'Etoile de l'Europe, rank of Commander, from the European Foundation, Commission of the Arts, Sciences and Humanities (Huy, Belgium, Summer 1999). He was awarded the Denis Guichard Prize under the aegis of Fondation de France in 2001, for his research as a whole, his expertise on GMO and his activities in favour of an independent and ethical scientific evaluation (Paris, January 9th 2002). He contributed to a large number of collective books including “La foi en la paix et l'avenir de l'homme”, published by Aubin in 2003.