{"id":41187,"date":"2026-03-17T00:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T04:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=41187"},"modified":"2026-03-16T12:20:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T16:20:51","slug":"genetically-modified-microorganisms-threaten-human-and-soil-health-full-extent-of-hazards-not-regulated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2026\/03\/genetically-modified-microorganisms-threaten-human-and-soil-health-full-extent-of-hazards-not-regulated\/","title":{"rendered":"Genetically Modified Microorganisms Threaten Human and Soil Health; Full Extent of Hazards Not Regulated"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, March 17, 2026) An article in Microorganisms<\/em><\/a> by researchers from the U.S., Israel, and Australia analyzes the adverse health and environmental effects of genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), specifically genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs). As the authors state, the prevalence of genetic engineering has \u201caccelerated the creation and large-scale environmental release\u201d of GMMs, which \u201cpresent unique, long-term risks to human and environmental health.\u201d One of the authors, Andr\u00e9 Leu, DSc, spoke at the first session of Beyond Pesticides\u2019 National Forum Series: Forging a Future with Nature<\/a> in 2023. (See recording here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

This review provides risk scenarios of GMMs, showing the threat to ecological systems, particularly within the soil, and human health. As GMMs are \u201cbiologically active, self-replicating entities capable of rapid mutation and global dispersal\u201d they present greater risks, and current regulatory frameworks do not adequately assess their potential harm. Genetically altering microorganisms, the most complex and diverse systems in biology, and creating new gene combinations with unknown implications, \u201chas the potential to disrupt the functions, diversity, interactions, and impacts of microbes and microbiomes,\u201d the researchers note. They continue: \u201cThis puts human and environmental health at risk. Worst-case scenarios include the promotion of diseases, risks to species survival, and damaged or collapsed ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is not a theoretical issue. As the authors point out, currently there are two prominent companies that have publicly announced the use of GMMs on large amounts of agricultural land. Pivot Bio has used their product, Proven\u00ae, and released \u201cGM bacteria on nearly 5 million acres, with as many as 5 trillion microbes per acre\u201d to continually fix nitrogen, while Bayer has \u201creleased a seed treatment called Poncho\u00aeVOTiVO\u00ae 2.0 (now sold by BASF) that contains GM Bacillus thuringiensis<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Importance and Background<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently, consistent and extensive regulations for GMOs and GMMs are deficient, with the regulatory processes for assessing organisms that have had their genetic material (DNA) intentionally changed varying around the world. “Pre-release safety testing, assessments for human and environmental impact, and monitoring frameworks are lacking,\u201d the authors say. They continue: \u201cIn the US, GMMs for commercial use are primarily regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as toxic substances, which is ill-suited for biological organisms. In addition, most other GMMs (not for commercial use) are unregulated and untracked.\u201d (See more below on regulatory deficiencies.)<\/p>\n

Microorganisms play an important role within ecosystems. Types of microorganisms include bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, bacteriophages, and protists, all of which can live as a collection in a microbiome. These systems require balance to adequately promote crucial life functions, whether that is soil microbiomes supporting healthy plants and food crops or the human gut microbiome supporting immunity, metabolism, detoxification, and resistance to infection.<\/p>\n

\u201c[N]atural microbiomes have proven critical to human and environmental health, and GMMs carry a high level of unpredictability with the potential to produce long-term, significant ecological threats,\u201d the researchers share. They continue: \u201cThe use of GMMs in agriculture, including biological control agents for plant disease and bioremediation for soil, is expanding rapidly. The global market value in 2021 was $10.25 billion; it was predicted to nearly triple to $29.31 billion by 2029. Although most applications use naturally occurring microbes, the use of GMMs in agriculture is expected to increase dramatically.\u201d Given the questions regarding an adequate regulatory framework, this expansion exacerbates the potential threat to human and soil health, as well as all wildlife<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Health and Environmental Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n

The unpredictability of genetic engineering presents risks that are not adequately addressed prior to the release of GMMs or GMOs. As a result, the consequences of allowing these organisms to enter the environment could be \u201cwidespread, long-term, and difficult or impossible to remediate.\u201d The impacts could range from antibiotic resistance<\/a>, cancer<\/a>, and developmental delays<\/a> to fully altered ecosystems.<\/p>\n

As the review indicates, there are \u201cat least five unique characteristics of microbes that make the regulation of GMMs more difficult\u2014and potentially more impactful\u2014than genetically modified plants and animals.\u201d This includes:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u201cRapid replication. Unlike plants and animals that may require growing seasons and gestation periods to pass down traits to offspring, microbes under ideal conditions can double their numbers in as little as 20 minutes.<\/li>\n
  2. Challenges with containment. Microbes are not easily contained. They can travel to distant and unexpected ecosystems and hosts and interact with a wide range of other microbes and organisms.<\/li>\n
  3. Gene transfer. Microbes might readily transfer their genes to other microbes (known as horizontal gene transfer<\/a>), or receive genes transferred from GM or non-GM microbes. If they confer advantages, the transferred genes may continue to be passed on from mother to daughter cells, exponentially increasing their count.<\/li>\n
  4. Microbiomes are life-critical. Microbial communities are critical to the health and function of humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems around the planet.<\/li>\n
  5. Unknown complexities. Science has only identified perhaps one percent of the estimated one trillion microbes on the planet. Furthermore, we have only begun to map the complex relationships within and between microbiomes, hosts, and ecosystems.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Gut Microbiome<\/em><\/p>\n

    The gut microbiome is critical to health, allowing for the \u201cresilience and survivability of mammals over evolutionary history\u201d through roles in nutrient absorption, immune function, transient and chronic inflammation, intestinal barrier integrity, metabolism, mental health, and more. GMMs can cause imbalances in the gut microbiome, promoting disease within the gastrointestinal system.<\/p>\n

    Infant Health<\/em><\/p>\n

    As addressed on Beyond Pesticides\u2019 resources page for children\u2019s health<\/a>, early life is a critical time in which \u201cwindows of vulnerability\u201d occur, with critical implications for long-term health, including preconception. A child\u2019s microbiome starts with the mother, as microbial information is passed down. \u201cThe first three years of life are key in terms of the development of the host-microbe interactions, which directly impact the development of the baby\u2019s immune system, gut health, and neurological development,\u201d the authors of the current review say.<\/p>\n

    The gut microbiome within infants is even more crucial, as it \u201cprotects against pathogenic infections, promotes gastrointestinal development, and coincides with healthy neurological development. The infant microbiome helps build an informed and precise immune system\u2014one that attacks infections, but does not attack harmless substances, as in the case of food allergies, or self-tissues, in the case of autoimmunity.\u201d GMMs, however, can disrupt these systems and cause long-term health implications.<\/p>\n

    Oral Health<\/em><\/p>\n

    Within the human body, the oral microbiome is the second-most biodiverse microbial population, housing at least 770 species<\/a>. The review states: “When balanced, the oral microbiome prevents disease, resists pathogenic infections, provides multi-layer immune defenses, and reduces inflammation. Friendly oral bacteria contribute up to 25% of a person\u2019s total daily needs of the critical blood-pressure-lowering chemical, nitric oxide. On the other hand, an imbalanced oral microbiome increases the risk of heart attack by nearly 50%. It not only promotes cavities, gum disease, and heart disease<\/a>, but an imbalanced oral microbiome has also been implicated in brain inflammation, lung infections, diabetes<\/a>, head and neck cancers, preterm birth, and inflammatory joint disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Soil Health<\/em><\/p>\n

    The microbes in the soil are important for soil formation as they perform crucial soil processes and break down organic matter, weather minerals, fix nitrogen, and contribute to soil structure. \u201cHowever, introducing the unpredictable element of genetically modified microbes to enhance certain capacities, such as nitrogen fixation, into ecosystems already under considerable stress introduces exceptionally high risks,\u201d the researchers point out. \u201cNevertheless, GMO microbes have been, and are currently released at a large scale (millions of acres) into many parts of the world without rigorous risk assessments on how they might impact all the above processes, long-term or short-term.\u201d Risks include heightened pathogenicity<\/a> (causing disease), additional emergence of pests or weeds, and resistance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThere is an even greater risk in unleashing genetically modified microbes into soil ecosystems because microbes can adapt and evolve continuously through processes such as horizontal gene transfer,\u201d the authors note. \u201cThrough this mechanism, a modified microbial gene from a GMM could be transferred to a native soil microbe, altering its genome and its ecological niche.\u201d<\/p>\n

    GMOs and GMMs in Agriculture<\/strong><\/p>\n

    One of the largest concerns related to genetic engineering is resistance<\/a>, which is not merely a hypothetical threat. Genetically modified crops with herbicide resistance have led to herbicide-resistant \u201csuper weeds\u201d developing naturally as a response. While attempting to create crops that can be sprayed with high amounts of herbicides like glyphosate<\/a>, \u201csuper weeds\u201d also emerged with this resistance. This is due to the natural process of genetic selection, an evolutionary process where certain traits are advantageous and become more common than others.<\/p>\n

    \u201cDepending on the type of GM microbes and the selection pressure put on the system to select for them, it is likely that the selection of super microbes will happen at a much faster rate than what we observed in super weed plants, which could lead to super soil microbes,\u201d the researchers say. They continue: \u201cMoreover, GMMs that harm soil biodiversity (by killing beneficial microbes) would be a significant threat because they would make the soil microbiome susceptible to invasion and disturbance. The question we, as a society, should be addressing is how we can support and stimulate the natural, incredible diversity of beneficial soil microbes instead of modifying them or stamping them out.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Insufficient Regulations<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Genetic engineering, such as through the CRISPR-Cas9 technology, has allowed for the removal, addition, and\/or alteration of DNA sequences that can then turn genes on or off within organisms. The review highlights: \u201cNumerous scientific and popular articles envision CRISPR\u2019s revolutionary role in solving a long list of human and societal ills. Increasing evidence, however, demonstrates that the process causes significant unpredictable changes in the genome, including additions, deletions, chromosomal shattering, and widespread mutations that do not occur naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n

    As this technology continues to advance, regulatory assessments are not advancing with it. \u201cRather than increasing regulatory requirements, numerous countries, including the U.S., Canada, UK, Japan, Australia, India, and others, have deregulated plant, animal, and\/or microorganisms altered by gene- editing technology,\u201d the authors write.<\/p>\n

    Currently within the U.S., there is no federal legislation that recognizes GMMs as a category, as well as no requirements for GMMs to undergo separate evaluations for potential environmental impacts. The responsibility of GMO regulation is divided among the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and EPA, with \u201cpolicies created prior to genetic engineering technology [that] are criticized as inadequate.\u201d<\/p>\n

    As the researchers note, \u201cMost GMMs for commercial use fall under the purview of the EPA, which improperly regulates them as toxic controlled substances (industrial chemicals).\u201d Under the Toxic Substances Control Act<\/em> (TSCA), EPA only requires a 90-day notice from manufacturers using GMMs. \u201cRegulating GMMs using methods designed for toxic chemicals is inappropriate and ignores the fact that these are biologically active organisms and critical to health and environment,\u201d the authors state. Additionally, \u201cBecause EPA only regulates GMMs created for commercial use, most other GMMs, including those produced by formal and informal research, students, and home hobbyists, are unregulated and untracked.\u201d<\/p>\n

    For additional coverage from Beyond Pesticides on the role of genetic engineering (GE) in agriculture, see Consumer Choice and the Spread of Genetically Engineered Food<\/a>, Court Nixes Scanning for Mandated Food Label Info, Allows GE Ingredients To Be Called \u201cBioengineered\u201d<\/a>, and Government Report Pushes Genetically Engineered Crops, Despite Failure and Effective Alternatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Take Action<\/strong><\/p>\n

    GMMs and GMOs in agriculture are not progress.\u00a0They are\u00a0part of the same failed, chemical-intensive farming system that already threatens pollinators like bees, pollutes water, and traps farmers on a costly chemical treadmill. We\u00a0do not\u00a0need genetically modified crops. What we do need is certified organic farming and traditional plant breeding\u2014approaches that protect people and the planet by transitioning us away from toxic chemicals. Together, we can protect our food, support farmers and\u00a0farmworkers, and build a healthier, more just food system for all.\u00a0Take two actions: 1. Petition\u2014Tell Food Companies to Reject GMO Wheat!<\/a> and 2. Tell Congress to instruct USDA to prohibit HB4 wheat and instruct EPA to prohibit the use of glufosinate herbicides on wheat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides. <\/em><\/p>\n

    Source<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    Lerner, A. et al<\/em>. (2026) Genetically Modified Microorganisms: Risks and Regulatory Considerations for Human and Environmental Health, Microorganisms<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/14\/2\/467<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    (Beyond Pesticides, March 17, 2026) An article in Microorganisms by researchers from the U.S., Israel, and Australia analyzes the adverse health and environmental effects of genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), specifically genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs). As the authors state, the prevalence of genetic engineering has \u201caccelerated the creation and large-scale environmental release\u201d of GMMs, which \u201cpresent unique, long-term risks to human and environmental health.\u201d One of the authors, Andr\u00e9 Leu, DSc, spoke at the first session of Beyond Pesticides\u2019 National Forum Series: Forging a Future with Nature in 2023. (See recording here.) This review provides risk scenarios of GMMs, showing the threat to ecological systems, particularly within the soil, and human health. As GMMs are \u201cbiologically active, self-replicating entities capable of rapid mutation and global dispersal\u201d they present greater risks, and current regulatory frameworks do not adequately assess their potential harm. Genetically altering microorganisms, the most complex and diverse systems in biology, and creating new gene combinations with unknown implications, \u201chas the potential to disrupt the functions, diversity, interactions, and impacts of microbes and microbiomes,\u201d the researchers note. They continue: \u201cThis puts human and environmental health at risk. Worst-case scenarios include the promotion of diseases, risks to species […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[249,367,352,371,312,354,403,5,41,370,120,368,13],"tags":[704,695,1923,605,1025,2244,844,470,845,1229,1248,2226,1016,2517,1407,922,667],"class_list":["post-41187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","category-antibiotic-resistance","category-biodiversity","category-children","category-contamination","category-environmental-protection-agency-epa","category-food-and-drug-administration-fda","category-genetic-engineering","category-glyphosate","category-microbiome","category-resistance","category-us-department-of-agriculture-usda","category-wildlifeenvironment","tag-children","tag-disease","tag-ecosystem-health","tag-epa","tag-fda","tag-genetically-engineered","tag-genetically-modified","tag-glyphosate","tag-gmo","tag-horizontal-gene-transfer","tag-human-health","tag-regulatory-deficiencies","tag-resistance","tag-soil-biodiversity","tag-soil-health","tag-usda","tag-wildlife"],"yoast_head":"\nGenetically Modified Microorganisms Threaten Human and Soil Health; Full Extent of Hazards Not Regulated - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Genetic engineering threatens the balance of healthy microbiomes. 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The founders, who established Beyond Pesticides (originally as National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides) as a nonprofit membership organization in 1981, felt that without the existence of such an organized, national network, local, state and national pesticide policy would become, under chemical industry pressure, increasingly unresponsive to public health and environmental concerns. Beyond Pesticides believes that people must have a voice in decisions that affect them directly. We believe decisions should not be made for us by chemical companies or by decision-makers who either do not have all of the facts or refuse to consider them. Learn more about our work, read A Year in Review\u20142021, our accomplishments are your victories! Beyond Pesticides seeks to protect healthy air, water, land, and food for ourselves and future generations. By forging ties with governments, nonprofits, and people who rely on these natural resources, we reduce the need for unnecessary pesticide use and protect public health and the environment. Beyond Pesticides provides hands-on services to the public and supports local action by: identifying and interpreting hazards; and, designing safe pest management programs. With the information provided by Beyond Pesticides, people may not only be able to make informed choices and adopt practices that protect themselves and their families from unnecessary exposure to pesticides, but they will be able to effect changes on community-wide pest management decisions and policies that govern pesticide use, such as pesticide uses in parks, schools, for community insect control and along roadsides. 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