Step away from the pen, holster up a gene gun, and give your readers, viewers and listeners something they can chew on: Your very own genetically modified organism.

Journalists and editors are invited to splice, dice, graft, mix and match genes at a workshop, "Genetically Modified Organisms: Promise and Perils," which features hands-on laboratory demonstrations of the latest techniques used in genetic engineering. The sixth annual Josephine L. Hopkins Foundation science workshop for journalists will be held at Cornell University June 22-24.

If you're going to write about the biological impacts of genetically modified organisms, then get a hands-on understanding of genetics. Use real equipment supervised by real scientists in a real laboratory. Learn the genetic basis of the modified trait and its effect on the host organism, the agricultural system and the consumer. Journalists will be given a strong foundation in plant molecular and population genetics. They will characterize and track agriculturally useful genes using genomic technologies, and processing and analyze DNA sequence and genetic information using the tools of bioinformatics.

The workshop will cover three basic areas of the field of genetic modification: basic science, future applications and the political and social issues involved in the increasing use of the technology. Speakers will include Cornell researchers in molecular biology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, nanobiotechnology, economics and food safety.

The workshop is organized by Bruce Lewenstein, associate professor of science and technology studies and director of the New York Science Education Program; by Peter Bruns, professor of genetics in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics; and by David Brand, senior science editor at the Cornell News Service.

Journalists wishing to attend should call David Brand at (607) 255-3651, or send him an e-mail at deb27@cornell.edu for an application form. Completed applications should be accompanied by a non-refundable registration fee of $50 to cover the cost of campus accommodation for three nights, an opening reception and dinner, a banquet, two breakfasts and two lunches.

An online registration form and detailed program can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.nysep.cornell.edu/hopkins. A preliminary program appears below.