As the Earth's population increases, new methods have been developed in order to support it. Some are accepted, some rejected and others are just misunderstood.

A Penn State researcher and a freelance science writer co-wrote Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist's View of Genetically Modified Foods, a book describing, in a way the non-science-minded reader can understand, the importance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for an increasingly overpopulated earth.

"Genetically modified organisms are plants modified by DNA techniques," said Nina Fedoroff, co-author of Mendel in the Kitchen and professor of biology and life sciences. "It is one of the best approaches to efficient agriculture."

GMOs also include foods that are formed by methods that do not disturb DNA directly, she said.

Sometimes people fear GMOs without understanding the science behind them, said Nancy Marie Brown, Penn State alumna and co-author of Mendel in the Kitchen.

"The technology is neither good nor bad, but [it depends] on how you use it," Brown said. "We need to use it in order to conserve our land."

Federoff said there are currently about 6.3 billion people on Earth.

"Over the next 15 years, there will be approximately an additional 80 million people per year," she said.

More agricultural products will be needed to feed the increased food demand, Fedoroff said. GMOs can supply enough food using the land available because efficient agriculture consumes less land and strips away fewer wildlife habitats to create food crops, she said.

Mendel in the Kitchen, published in October, also attempts to disprove the myth that GMOs are dangerous.

"There aren't any real risks," Fedoroff said. "People haven't even gotten a headache" from consuming genetically modified foods.

Fedoroff said most people have been eating GMOs for years without even realizing it.

For instance, in the past some potatoes in their natural state were toxic, but years ago farmers found a way to select edible ones and breed them so they would be safe to eat, she said.

"The case of the toxic potato perfectly represents the myth that GMOs are dangerous," Fedoroff said. "We had to tamper with some plants to make them at all edible. Potatoes have been known to be toxic and, therefore, have to be treated."

Some Penn State students insist on eating foods that are untouched by contemporary modification techniques.

"I eat mostly organic foods," said Maura Cowley (senior-political science). "GMOs are made in industrial crop fields, so I think it's unhealthy for the environment."

Katie Stoner (junior-communications and environmental studies) also said she bases her diet on environmental issues.

"I choose not to eat meat," she said. "It's not in line with my views as an environmentalist."

Methods for sanitizing foods also play a crucial role in maintaining the population. GMOs, which are sanitized with modern techniques after being modified, provide a one-two punch to hunger.

"About 76 million cases of intestinal infectious diseases have been estimated in the United States," said Ali Demirci, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering. "New techniques developed include the use of ozone, electrolyzed oxidizing water (EO water) and pulsed UV light (PUV) to inactivate microorganisms."

Ozone, a molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms, is produced from air using an ozone generator, Demirci said. EO water is produced by electrolysis of a very dilute salt solution in an electrolysis chamber, while PUV is a type of electromagnetic radiation that deactivates bacterial DNA, he said.

Ozone and PUV do not require any chemicals and do not produce any waste, so they are safe for the environment, Demirci said.

Brown said she hopes the book will result in a wider acceptance of GMOs and encourages people to read it to learn more about them.

"The most important thing I learned is that it is a very complicated issue," she said. "I am less inclined to shift my views before getting the facts."