URSZULA: Could the DNA of the dead bacteria and yeast [in idli] be ingested by other bacteria [present in the environment]?
JUANMA: the DNA would not in principle go to environmental bacteria and in any case the genes that we are introducing to the bacteria do not increase the ability of the bacteria to transfer genes [to other bacteria already present in the environment]. That would be the main argument [...]
URSZULA: Yes, but in the rice DNA is not denaturated. Bacteria can be dead but DNA is maybe not denaturated [...] it should be actually with the cooking.
JUANMA: I think it goes more than 100 C for sure and DNA denaturates around 100 [...] do you have any insight on this? [talking to ALEXEY]
ALEXEY: 100 sounds right but I think there is still a small but existing probability that some bacteria get this DNA inside of them.
JUANMA: But how? No more than a natural strain in a natural environment.
ALEXEY: Not, definitely not.
JUANMA:[...] the genes that we are introducing are vitamins and they are already present in some natural strains so the genes by themselves do not constitute any harm.
URSZULA: [...] it is not about the harm but about the modification.
JUANMA: O.K.
URSZULA: What if a natural strain ingest this new [...] and survive the cooking and can transfer this gene to a natural strain and make them producing the vitamin [...] it is just a hypothetical situation. It is not about the risk itself of this DNA of these vitamins but [...] environmental risk. That you would modify natural existing bacteria.
Implementation and bioethics :
LARA: I specially like the fact that people can have this powdered yeast and bacteria in their home and have the independence [...] to get the product.
JUANMA: But then, as we discussed before, now you have a problem of release [...] how would prevent people from throwing the bacteria to the sink [...]. We have two cases [...].
NIKOLA: Maybe you can add some color to make the rice coloured and see that there is something in it apart from rice [...].
ALEXEY: [...] I think the project is not very feasible in the implementation [...]. These people are isolated in the village and probable the word “bacteria” sounds magic to them. It would be very hard to educate them about what are bacteria starting from 0 [...].
JUANMA: How would you best frame the project?
ALEXEY: I think it could be an interesting project for a more developed world, [...] as a novelty food [...] but the regulations are hard.
