First Year Results of GM Camelina Field Trials Released

Scientists at Rothamsted Research have announced the first year results of the field-scale trial of Camelina oilseed plants genetically engineered (GE) to make omega-3 fish oils in their seeds. The new data demonstrate an important proof of concept that a plant can be engineered to synthesize beneficial fatty acids in seeds, providing hope for sustainable land-based sources of omega-3 fish oils, and decreasing pressure from the oceans.

Rothamsted scientists have successfully engineered Camelina sativa plants to produce non-native EPA and DHA, by introducing genes based on the DNA sequences found in photosynthetic marine organisms. Although previous experiments showed positive indications for the performance of this trait, the trial demonstrated its stability and the ability of the GM Camelina plants to synthesize useful quantities of fish oils without any negative effects on yield. The GM plants grown in the field did not show any phenotypic differences in the growth, flowering or seed-set when compared to the non-GM control plants.

For more information about the trials, read the news release at the Rothamsted Research website, or download the paper published in the journal Metabolic Engineering Communications.