Biofortified, a group blog on plant genetics, is in the running to win the Ashoka Changemakers contest, GMO Risk or Rescue. But we need your help, dear readers. The contest entries close on October 21, and the voting will continue to the 28th. The grand prize is a $1500 grant and a conversation with Michael Pollan – both of which are sure to make this site better than ever. If you read Biofortified and have enjoyed some of the stuff we have written and want to see bigger and better things, please take a couple minutes to register for changemakers and enter your vote.

Vote here.

An update from Karl Haro von Mogel:
“A little more than an hour after PZ’s post, GM Watch in the UK has wildly claimed that the ‘biotech industry’ is fixing the contest!”

“The level of conspiracy theorizing reaches astronomical proportions at a moment’s notice. Please keep voting, so they won’t have the chance to use such falsehoods to attack us.”

FYI: Biofortified is a completely independent venture started by two graduate students. It is independently run on a volunteer basis, and is not supported by any funding from any companies.

I work at a non-profit institution and the only thing I sell is my book (hey, maybe I will sell a couple more copies after all this!). Full disclosure: Fifteen years ago a few of my students were funded by industry grants for their graduate work. As for now, all my research is funded by non-profit institutions.

The only thing that Karl shills for are beeswax candles and honey that he gets from his bees.

Vote now, the competition ends in two days.