This article originally appeared in DeSmog Blog, and is yet another illustration as to why we urgently need to pass laws in the US separating business corporations from the funding and ownership of any scientific research. Community Rights laws on this issue could begin to be passed immediately by municipal and county governments, prohibiting local universities from accepting money or any other form of influence from business corporations for university-hosted research; and prohibiting all corporations doing business in those localities from any involvement in scientific research anywhere.
A soda company sponsoring nutrition research. An oil conglomerate helping fund a climate-related research meeting. Does the public care who’s paying for science? 
In a word, yes. When industry funds science, credibility suffers. And this does not bode well for the types of public-private research partnerships that appear to be becoming more prevalent as government funding for research and development lags.
The recurring topic of conflict of interest has made headlines in recent weeks. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine has revised its conflict of interest guidelines following questions about whether members of a recent expert panel on GMOs had industry ties or other financial conflicts that were not disclosed in the panel’s final report.
Our own recent research speaks to how hard it may be for the public to see research as useful when produced with an industry partner, even when that company is just one of several collaborators. MORE…