The News item “BSE crisis sinks German public biotech programme” (Nature 409, 549; 2001) quoted Andreas Tierfelder, spokesman for the German subsidiary of Monsanto, as saying that the cancellation of the programme “is a substantial loss of image to our business”. Nature accepts that Monsanto does not view its image to have been damaged in any way. Monsanto intends to participate in the programme, if it continues at a later date.