Got Cotton? Texas Researchers' Discovery Could Yield Protein To Feed Millions Researchers at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station used RNAi to reduce the toxic compound gossypol from cottonseed to a level that is considered safe for consumption, but left the compound in the rest of the plant to ward off insects and disease. Once commercialized, seed from these plants could provide a new, high-protein food available to 500 million people a year. (Thanks for link sciencedaily,com)