Is this really a surprise to anybody? Create a gene complex which is hugely advantageous, place it in a species well known for horizontal gene transfer, then grow them in an uncontrolled fashion in an environment with huge selection pressure for spreading that gene complex...<p>This is what really annoys me about GM plants; genetic engineering has the possibility to be so incredibly beneficial, but instead it seems to being used in the most kack-handed way possible. Instead of producing plants that can cope with increased levels of pesticide (this encouraging the use of <i>even more</i> pesticide!), why not produce plants with, e.g., much bigger seed heads? That would give increased crop yield, plus you&#x27;d get negative selection pressure for horizontal gene transfer --- the trait would be disadvantageous for weeds and so wouldn&#x27;t be selected for.