ANNUAL
REVIEW SHOWS GM PROGRESS
It
has been a decade since biotech crops were first commercialized,
and since then, the global area planted to them has soared
by more than fifty-fold, from 1.7 million hectares in
six countries, to 90 million hectares in 21 countries
in 2005. This is according to a report released by Dr.
Clive James, chairman and founder of the International
Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
(ISAAA).
Also
in 2005, four new countries and a quarter million more
farmers planted biotech crops. The year also marked a
significant milestone as the billionth cumulative acre,
or 400 millionth hectare, of biotech crops was planted.
Other indicators of continuing growth of the technology
are China’s expected near-term adoption of biotech
rice; more nutritional biotech food and feed; and the
anticipated introduction of novel crop products used
as renewable resources for more sustainable and affordable
production of biofuels.
Fourteen
of the 21 countries growing biotech crops achieved “mega-country” status
by planting 50,000 hectares or more in 2005. These countries
include the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada,
China, Paraguay, India, South Africa, Uruguay, Australia,
Mexico, Romania, the Philippines, and Spain.
The
Executive Summary and Press Release are available in
languages other than English, such as French, Spanish,
Chinese, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Bangla, Hindi,
Japanese, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Swahili, and Afrikaans.
Visit http://www.isaaa.org to
download these documents.
ETHICS
CODE FOR SCIENTISTS PROPOSED
“Rigor,
Respect and Responsibility: A Universal Ethical Code
for Scientists” is the product of a small working
group in Britain, which had been convened to consider
the issues around developing a universal ethical code
of conduct for scientists. Recently, the same country’s
Council for Science and Technology (CST) wrote out widely
across universities, professional bodies, research funders,
industry bodies, schools and colleges, and trade unions,
in order to seek feedback on the proposed code.
Respondents
remarked, among others, that 1) The code might be a catalyst
for a more in-depth consideration of the issues rather
than the management of research ethics; 2) As an educational
tool, the code may be effective in introducing future
scientists to ethical concerns; and 3) Occupations in
science, or that use science, are wide ranging, as are
the organizations that employ scientists, so that for
the Code to be universal it must be applicable to all
scientists wherever they work.
The
Universal Ethical Code of Conduct for scientists may
be launched early this year in time for Britain’s
National Science Week.
The
consultation letter is available at http://www.cst.gov.uk/
cst/business/files/ethical-code-letter.doc,
while the summary of responses may be downloaded at http://www.cst.gov.uk/
cst/reports/files/ethical-code/summaryofresponses.doc.
For
more information, visit http://www.cst.gov.uk/cst/reports/#11.
EC ORDERS
GREECE TO LIFT GM BAN
The
European Commission (EC) has ordered Greece to lift its
ban on genetically modified (GM) corn seeds. Greece has
imposed the ban on the basis that the corn poses health
risks. Their claims, however, have not been substantiated
by scientific evidence or documentation, according to
a report which the EC will soon release.
The
EC has since authorized the planting and sale of 17 different
strains of GM maize in the European Union (EU). The Greek
government banned the seeds in 2005; however, under EU
rules, the EC has the unilateral power to insist that
Greece allow the GM seeds into its market.
From
Joel Clark and William Echikson of Dow Jones Newswires.
For more information, write to william.echikson@dowjones.com.
Read the complete article at http://www.marketwatch.com/
news/story.asp?guid=%7B7B6FB0B1-D931-4A26-86D8-B0CB2E8459CB%7D.
EC PROPOSES
NEW POLICES FOR AGRI PRODUCTS
Europe
boasts of a plethora of foods and food products, some
of which are in competition with products which pass
themselves off as the genuine article and take the same
name – a rather unfair phenomenon common in the
global market. The European market thus needs protection
in order to encourage diverse agricultural production,
protect product names from misuse and imitation, and
help consumers by giving them information concerning
the specific character of the products.
In
1992, the European Union (EU) created systems known as
the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), which describes
foods which are produced, processed, and prepared in
a given geographical area using recognized know-how;
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI); and Traditional
Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), which highlights traditional
character, either in the composition or means of production
of the food product.
The
European Commission (EC) has recently adopted two proposals
to streamline rules for all three systems. Since the
registration process for the systems is complicated,
the EC aims to make it more efficient by simplifying
registration procedures and clarifying the roles of EU
Member States. The EC also aims to make a well-defined
single document which will contain all the necessary
information for food producers and processors who wish
to register their products.
Read
more at http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/
foodqual/quali1_en.htm.
Read the complete article at http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleases
Action.do?reference=IP/06/2&format=HTML&aged=0&
language=EN&guiLanguage=en.
EU COUNTRIES
LACK INNOVATION
The
European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) notes that some
European countries will take more than 50 years to catch
up to the level of the United States innovation performance.
These countries include Slovenia, Hungary, Portugal,
Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Greece, Cyprus, and
Malta, as well as Estonia, Spain, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia,
Romania, and Turkey.
Leading
countries in terms of performance are Switzerland, Finland,
Sweden, Denmark, and Germany, while those categorized
as having average performance are France, Luxembourg,
Ireland, the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Norway,
Italy, and Iceland.
The
EIS uses a list of indicators and methodology developed
with the Commission's Joint Research Centre. One of the
key developments is an input/output approach which considers
education and investment in research and development
and the resulting innovation returns, including business
turnover from new products, employment in high tech sectors,
and patents.
More
on the 2005 European Innovation Scoreboard at
http://trendchart.cordis.lu/scoreboards/scoreboard2005/
index.cfm or
at http://icadc.cordis.lu/fep-cgi/srchidadb?
CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION
=&RCN=25039.
VIETNAM
TO BUILD BIOTECH CENTER
The
Vietnam News Agency reports that a 23-hectare (57-acre)
biotechnology center will be built in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam to conduct research on and facilitate the application
of genetic technology in the production of vaccines and
pharma-biological products. Dr Duong Hoa Xo, the center’s
director, said that the facility will conduct basic and
applied research into health, environmental, and agricultural
biotechnology.
The
center will receive and transfer, as well as provide,
consulting services related to modern biotechnology to
produce biological products, train human resources, and
commercialize products related to biotechnology. The
first phase of construction is scheduled to be completed
in 2008, while the second phase will be finished by 2010.
For
the complete article, visit http://www.agbiotech.com.vn/
en/?mnu=preview&key=388.
For more information, contact Le Hien of the Vietnam
BIC at hienbiotechvn@pmail.vnn.vn
INDIA
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS BIOTECH
There
is a need to improve the nutrient quality of the largely
vegetarian diet of people in [Indian] villages, Minister
for Agriculture K. Srinivasa Gowda said, as he inaugurated
a three-day international conference on “Biotechnology
Approaches for Alleviating Malnutrition.” The conference
was held at the University of Agricultural Sciences,
Bangalore, India.
The
Minister exhorted scientists to raise the awareness of
local farmers regarding the benefits of biotechnology
which, he said, has the potential to reduce nutritional
deficiencies among the poor. The adoption of biotechnology
requires an understanding of benefits and potential risks
by educators, policy makers, and farmers, he added.
Dr.
V Prakash, Director of the Central Food Technological
Research Institute, delivered the keynote address. Lectures
were likewise given at the event, on topics which included
the industry perspective on how modern biotechnology
could enhance desired plant traits, designing crops for
human health benefits, genetic engineering for increased
shelf-life and quality improvement in tomato, better
quality foods through transgenics, and partnerships to
improve nutrition and food security in rural Sub-Saharan
Africa.
Find
out more about the conference at http://www.nutritionforall.org/downloads/programm
_schedule.doc,
and the program at http://www.nutritionforall.org/index1.html.
Read the news article at http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/
10/stories/2006011002630400.htm.
NEW
TECHNIQUE DEVELOPED TO ANALYZE TOMATO GENES
Agrobacterium-mediated
gene transfer has long been the tool of choice by scientists
interested in the function of genes. The technique, however,
takes a long time to perform. With this in mind, Diego
Orases, of the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia,
and colleagues carry out “Agroinjection of Tomato
Fruits: A Tool for Rapid Functional Analysis of Transgenes
Directly in Fruit.” Their article appears in the
latest issue of Plant Physiology.
The
researchers found that injection of Agrobacterium cultures
through the fruit stylar apex of tomatoes resulted in
complete fruit infiltration, and allowed tomato cells
to express a foreign gene. The method, named fruit agroinjection,
was efficient when used in heat-shock regulation of an Arabidopsis promoter,
production of recombinant antibodies for molecular farming,
and virus-induced gene silencing of the carotene biosynthesis
pathway.
With
the appropriate controls, researchers surmise that the
technique will be a useful tool in fruit biology, as
it may be helpful when assaying fruit gene constructs
that may interfere with plant developmental processes.
Subscribers
to Plant Physiology can access the complete article
at http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/content/full/140/1/3.
Other readers may look at the abstract at http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/content/abstract/
140/1/3.
WHEAT
DEFENSE-RESPONSE GENES INVESTIGATED
Subhashree
Subramanyam, of Purdue University, and colleagues track
the “Expression of two wheat defense-response genes,
Hfr-1 and Wci-1, under biotic and abiotic stresses.” Their
work appears in the latest issue of the Journal of Plant
Science.
Researchers
used wheat plants to see how well either gene was expressed
when plants were placed under biotic (infestation by
Hessian fly or aphids, or viral infection) and abiotic
(mechanical wounding, water deficit) stresses. The expression
patterns were also determined for plants treated with
signaling molecules such as salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate,
and abscisic acid.
Researchers
found, among others, that: 1) Hessian fly infestation,
as well as treatment with salicylic acid, increased the
expression of both Hfr-1 and Wci-1; 2) infestation by
bird cherry-oat aphids, as well as treatment with methyl
jasmonate and abscisic acid, resulted in greater expression
of Wci-1; and 3) water-deficit stress increased expression
of Hfr-1. All this shows that Wci-1 is employed by the
plant as a general defense-response gene to counter both
biotic and abiotic stresses.
Subscribers
to the Journal of Plant Science may view the article
at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2005.08.006
UGT
GENES STRENGTHEN TOMATO IMMUNE SYSTEM
Plant
molecules called glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are produced
during an infection, and are associated with cell death
at the diseased site of the plant. This localization
restricts the spread of the pathogen, and can serve to
protect the rest of the plant from being destroyed. How
these UGTs work, however, and which of them are most
important in a plant’s immune response, is not
well studied.
By
investigating several UGT genes and their expression
patterns during plant infection, Mathilde Langlois-Meurinne
and colleagues of Institut de Biotechnologie des Plantes,
France find that “Pathogen-Responsive Expression
of Glycosyltransferase Genes UGT73B3 and UGT73B5 Is Necessary
for Resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato in Arabidopsis.” Their
work appears in the December issue of Plant Physiology.
The
researchers report that the genes UGT73B3 and UGT73B5 “appear
to be highly responsive to pathogens and therefore are
good candidates for playing an effective role in defense
responses.” They further stress the importance
of the UGTs themselves, and how they can contribute to
understanding plant-pathogen interactions.
Subscribers
to Plant Physiology can read the complete article at http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/reprint/139/4/1890.
Other readers may access the abstract at http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/content/abstract/
139/4/1890.
MODEL
PROPOSED TO PREDICT TRANSGENE JUMP
Insect
resistance (IR) genes introduced into plants protect
the same crops from herbivory, or predation by insect
pests. Some parties, however, are concerned that these
genes may escape from the transgenic plant and into nature.
Such a transgene “take over” is explored
in “Risk Assessment for Insect Resistance Transgenes,” an
article by Colleen K. Kelly in the latest issue of the
Information Systems for Biotechnology newsletter.
Kelly
and colleagues come up with an analytical model targeting
the interaction between IR-transformed and untransformed
plants in the field. Their model looks at the risks posed
by a particular transgene, and recognizes that “temporal
fluctuations are the central character of the ecological
dynamic: year to year variability in herbivory is the
rule in both natural and agricultural systems.”
The
researchers found, among others, that co-existence and
the ability of an IR transgene to escape depend on 1)
the relative frequency of good and bad conditions (high
and low herbivory), 2) the relative advantage the IR
transgene gives a transformed plant, and 3) the relative
disadvantage, if any, the IR transgene carries with it.
Read
more at http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/
news06.Jan.htm.
For more information, contact Colleen K. Kelly at colleen.kelly@zoo.ox.ac.uk.
FORUM
SLATED FOR FEB 2006
The
2006 Agricultural Outlook Forum will be held on February
16-17, 2006 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, Arlington,
Virginia, USA. Topics include bio-fuel & alternative
energy, broadband commerce, demand for skilled workers,
next generation of farmers, community-supported agriculture,
and regional innovation. The forum offers networking opportunities
for producers, agri-business, and government leaders. For
more information, contact Stacey Harley at sharley@oce.usda.gov.
Media persons should contact Brenda Chapin at bchapin@oce.usda.gov.
To get updates on the meeting, send your e-mail and postal
address to agforum@oce.usda.gov.
FP7 PROMPTS WORKSHOP
A
half-day EuropaBio workshop will be held on the 7th of
March 2006 at the Conference Centre Varembé, Geneva,
Switzerland. The workshop aims to train CEOs and Business
Development managers on how to prepare for the new European
Union (EU) Research Framework programme known as Framework
7 (FP7). To register, visit http://www.events.europabio.org/
website.asp?langue=en&website=237&pass=europabioevents.
BIOTECH, FINANCE FORUM
TO BE HELD
A
Biotech and Finance Forum will be held on the 8th of May
2006 in Munich, Germany. Supported by the European Commission
and the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure,
Transport, and Technology, the Forum aims to facilitate
networking between Europe's private fast-growing biotech
companies and investors and corporate contacts all looking
for partnerships and possibilities of cooperation. For
more information please contact Europe Unlimited, Anneli
Prohaska at anneli@e-unlimited.com.
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PLANT
GENETIC RESOURCES DOCUMENTS UP FOR DOWNLOAD
The
documents of the First Meeting of the Open-Ended Working
Group on the Rules of Procedure and the Financial Rules of
the Governing Body, Compliance, and the Funding Strategy
are now available. The meeting, which took place in Rome,
Italy in December 2005, generated several working documents,
among them draft rules of procedure for the governing body
of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for
food and agriculture. Documents are available in English,
Spanish, and French at http://www.fao.org/
ag/cgrfa/ico1.htm.
IRENA RELEASES
REPORT
A
document released by Indicator Reporting on the Integration
of Environmental Concerns into Agriculture Policy (IRENA)
is now available for download. The indicator report is the
product of a project created to develop a set of agri-environmental
indicators for monitoring progress towards the integration
of environmental concerns into the EU Common Agricultural
Policy (CAP). The indicators help to summarize and illustrate
complex agri-environment relationships, and to communicate
them to those involved in the development and implementation
of policies, as well as to the broader public. The whole
report and the indicator fact sheets can be found on the
IRENA website: http://webpubs.eea.eu.int/
content/irena/index.htm.
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