High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Pusztai affair is a controversy that began in 1998 after protein scientist Arpad Pusztai went public with research he was conducting at the Rowett Institute with genetically modified (GM) potatoes. The potatoes had been transformed with the Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) gene from the Galanthus (snowdrop) plant, allowing the GNA lectin protein to be synthesised. This lectin has been shown to be toxic to some insects. Rats were fed on raw and cooked genetically modified potatoes, using unmodified Desiree Red potatoes as controls. Twelve feeding experiments were conducted, ten short-term (10 days) and two long-term (110 days). Rats fed raw or cooked potato modified with the GNA gene showed statistically significant thickening of the stomach mucosa compared to rats fed the unmodified potato. As these effects were not observed in rats fed control potatoes injected with GNA protein, Pusztai concluded that the differences were a result of the transformation procedure.