| FAO EXPERTS RECOMMEND GUIDELINES FOR DEPLOYING GM CROPS
An expert consultation organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) recommended that any responsible deployment of genetically modified (GM)
crops needs to comprise the whole technology development process. Specifically,
this includes pre-release risk assessment, biosafety considerations, and post
release monitoring. Other recommendations forwarded include:
- The need for
environmental goals to encompass the maintenance and protection of basic
natural resources such as soil, water, and biodiversity.
- Inclusion
of potential hazards associated with GM cropping in the context of
impacts associated with all agricultural practices.
- Involvement
of stakeholders like environmental organizations, farmer groups,
and community organizations in this process.
FAO said that it will facilitate the process along with other national and
international institutions. The consultation was an attempt to provide clear
preliminary guidelines on the most accurate and scientifically sound approach
to monitoring the environmental effects of existing GM crops.
For more details regarding the experts consultation visit: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/89259/index.html
CHINA RELEASES RICE GENOME ANALYSIS
Scientists led
by Gane Ka-Shu Wong from the Beijing Institute of Genomics reported a “much
improved, near complete genome analysis of the indica and japonica subspecies
of Oryza sativa” in an article published in PLoS
Biology. They used the combined DNA sequence data from the two subspecies to
facilitate the sequence assembly. This resulted in an almost 1,000-fold increase
in contiguity for the two genome sequences relative to the existing sequence
data.
In their article “The genomes of Oryza
sativa: a history of duplications,” Wong
and colleagues mentioned that they used their improved genome sequence to investigate
the evolutionary history of rice. They noted that there is evidence in the
rice DNA sequences for a whole-genome duplication event just before the grasses
diverged from other flowering plants, about 55–70 million years ago.
This genome duplication may have played a role in the origin of the grasses,
which then spread rapidly across the world. The individual gene duplications provide a continuous source of raw material
for gene genesis. The challenge is thus to use the rice sequence to develop
improved strains of rice and other important food crops.
The article is available online at http://www.plosbiology.org. Contact Gane
Ka-Shu Wong at gksw@genomics.org.cn
UK EXPERIENCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL RISK EVALUATION
Generalized information
about environmental risks from genetically modified organisms is worthless
and has no place in regulation. Regulatory systems rely
on scientific advice on risks to humans, livestock, and the environment. This
was stressed by Dr. Brian Johnson, senior advisor on biotechnology to the British
statutory conservation agencies, and head of the Biotechnology Advisory Unit
at English Nature, the government’s advisors on nature conservation,
in his talk on “Assessing Environmental Risks: UK Experiences” presented
in Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. He emphasized the need for a strong dialogue
among stakeholders based on science.
Johnson said that his work
on the United Kingdom Farm Scale Evaluations, considered the largest ecological
experiment in the world, proved the necessity of conducting
agro-ecological research to understand impacts on all novel crop systems. “The
UK experience shows that each crop has different characteristics and carried
different potential risks. Risks from GM crops are sometimes different from
conventional crops but not necessarily higher.” In this scenario, Johnson,
recommended case-by-case assessments as always necessary for all novel crops,
not necessarily limited to GM crops alone.
The biotech advisor’s
visit to the Philippines was made possible through efforts of the Philippine
National Academy of Science and Technology, SEARCA-Biotechnology
Information Center, and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech
Applications.
Contact Dr. Johnson at brian.johnson@english-nature.org.uk.
LITTLE AWARENESS ABOUT GM FOODS AMONG U.S. PUBLIC
A national survey reveals
that the American public is generally unaware of genetically modified (GM)
foods and the extent of its prevalence in their lives.
Few knew that the products are readily available in supermarkets, and that
people have already been consuming them. These were the findings of the report “Americans
and GM Food: Knowledge, Opinion and Interest” commissioned by the Food
Policy Institute.
The study, which was conducted by the Rutgers-Cook College, also revealed
that Americans generally said they were interested in the technology but did
not have enough information for informed decision making.
"People seem to have a great number of misconceptions about the technology," said
William Hallman, the study's lead author. "As a result, they seem to be
willing to believe just about anything they hear about GM foods.”
Download the full report at http://www.foodpolicyinstitute.org/
docs/reports/NationalStudy2004.pdf or see the press release from Rutgers
University at http://www.cooknjaes.rutgers.edu/
news/release.asp?n=297
R&D FOR GERMANY DRIFTING ABROAD, STUDY
FINDS
About half of all German companies that invest in research and development
abroad have been reducing their research capacities at home. This is according
to a survey of 1,554 companies conducted by the DIHK, the umbrella organization
for the German chambers of commerce.
"Germany's appeal as a place to conduct research is fading," Ludwig
Georg Braun, president of the DIHK, said, while commenting on the survey, "And
it will fade further if the government fails to react."
Asked why they
were investing in research outside their home base, 66 per cent of companies
with more than
1,000 employees said the investments were
intended to support their production capacities abroad. Nearly one in five
German companies also said they would move R&D jobs abroad during the next
three years.
Nearly half of
German companies active abroad had R&D investments
made within the core 15 member states of the European Union. Another third
of German
R&D facilities was in central and eastern Europe, where low wages was the
primary motivation for the investments there. Twenty-eight per cent of German
companies with a foreign R&D presence were in Asia and in North America. Business leaders have been particularly critical of a German bill that sets
some of the strictest limitations in Europe on the growing of genetically modified
crops, and of plans by the European Commission to raise safety standards for
the chemicals industry.
Read the news article at http://news.ft.com/cms/
s/b573a7ca-747e-11d9-a769-00000e2511c8.html.
MAB LEADS TO NEW MILLET HYBRID
With the help of marker assisted breeding (MAB), the International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Haryana Agricultural
University (HAU) have developed a new pearl millet hybrid resistant to downy
mildew (DM). The hybrid, designated HHB 67-2, is the first ever product of
marker-assisted breeding in pearl millet to be released for cultivation in
India.
DM is caused by invasion of the fungus Sclerospora graminicola. Infection
of millet at early stages of development can result in stunted growth of the
plant, or even death. Infection at later stages results in failure of grain
formation. In years of severe DM attack, up to 30% of the pearl millet harvest
can be lost.
To develop the new hybrid HHB 67-2, parental lines of the original hybrid
were improved for downy mildew resistance through marker-assisted as well as
conventional backcross breeding programs. The gene for downy mildew resistance
was added to the male parent, H 77/833-2, through marker-assisted breeding
using ICRISAT elite parent ICMP 451 as the resistance gene donor; while the
gene for DM resistance was added to the female parent, 843A/B, from ICRISAT
line ICML 22, through conventional backcross breeding.
For further information, contact Dr CT Hash at c.hash@cgiar.org
PROTEIN INTERACTION TRIGGERS TLCV REPLICATION
Dr. Luke A. Selth,
of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Australia,
and colleagues
have found that “A NAC Domain Protein
Interacts with Tomato leaf curl virus Replication Accessory Protein and Enhances
Viral Replication.” Their findings are published online in Plant Cell.
Tomato
Leaf Curl or Leaf Roll is a disease which causes tomato plants to grow slowly,
and for tomato fruits, if ever they are produced, to be small, dry,
and unfit for the market. The causative agent is the Tomato Leaf Curl Virus
(TLCV), which is dependent on host factors for multiplication, and which
does so by hijacking host cell processes. Replication enhancer (REn) proteins
are
produced during an infection, dramatically increasing the accumulation of
viral DNA species by a hitherto unknown mechanism. Selth’s study presents
evidence that the tomato itself contains a protein, called SINAC1, which
enhances TLCV infection through binding with REn. When
TLCV starts infecting a plant, they found, it produces REn, which, in turn,
induces SINAC1 expression; and all of which result in a substantial increase
in viral DNA accumulation. Through in-vitro experiments, researchers not only
identified SINAC1, but found that in acts as a transcriptional activator in
uninfected yeast cells.
The paper may be accessed online at http://www.plantcell.org/
cgi/reprint/17/1/311
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ICABR DEADLINE FOR PAPERS EXTENDED
Due to requests from the public, the deadline for paper proposals for the
9th ICABR International Conference on Agricultural Biotechnology: Ten Years
After has been extended to February 5, 2005.
Conference organizers note that they can still provide a notice of acceptance
by February 16, 2005. The conference itself will be held in Ravello, Italy
from July 6 - 10, 2005.
The call for papers is posted at the following web address: http://www.economia.uniroma2.it/conferenze/
icabr2005/call_for_paper.asp
NORDIC SEMINAR ON GM SET
The Swedish Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Consumer Affairs, in cooperation
with the Nordic Council of Ministers, presents GMO Food and Safety: State of
Play in the Nordic and Baltic Countries, a Nordic seminar about the use of
Genetically Modified Food (GMO) in the food chain. The seminar will be held
in Stockholm, Sweden, from March 10-11, 2005.
The seminar will give an up-to-date view of how different stakeholders perceive
the safety aspects of GM-derived food in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The
speakers represent food producers, NGOs, authorities, legislators, and scientists.
Members of ministries and national agencies, trade and industry, academia,
consumer organizations, and other NGOs in the Nordic and Baltic countries are
invited to attend.
The deadline for registration is on March 1, 2005. For more information, contact
Ms Christina Isaksson at christina.isaksson-eldh@agriculture.ministry.se, or
Dr. David Carlander at david.carlander@slv.se. |
