At a laboratory at its headquarters in the US heartland, a Monsanto scientist demonstrates how genetic material is inserted into plants, a common procedure still viewed as a dark art in parts of the world.
In Chesterfield, Missouri, outside of St. Louis, the Monsanto biologist wields a pipette and two shucked ears of corn to show how genes are transferred when creating genetically modified seeds.
The process is always being refined at this massive biotech conglomerate, with some 1,200 employees constantly on the search for new inroads in the science.
Researchers can even cross corn with animal genes if they want, although "we don't do that mostly for public perception purposes," explained Ray Dobert, a company official in charge of biotech regulatory policy at Monsanto, who often is tasked with public presentations for the company, the world's leader in GMO seed production.
Labs containing much of Monsanto's latest research in this science remain closed to visitors, who nevertheless were able to tour parts of the facility, and to peer at its greenhouses, with plants growing under multi-hued lights.
For many years in the United States, corn, soybeans and other crops have been genetically modified to enhance their appearance or to improve yield, with no discernible negative health effects on the public.
Genetically modified food has been responsible for "not a single issue on food safety," said Robert Fraley, Monsanto's executive vice president and chief technology officer. "Not a hiccup, not a stomach ache."
Monsanto is the world's top producer of genetically altered seeds, which it says are far more resilient against pests and harsh weather, yielding crops that are more abundant and more marketable.
