The Future of GMO Detection from a Scientist’s Perspective

The LL601 rice incident last year brought the issue of detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in the limelight. The rice is believed to have escaped during field trials in the United States in 2001 and contaminated rice shipment into the European Union.

According to Dr. Holst-Jensen, Norwegian researcher in the Co-Existence and Traceability (Co-Extra) project and expert for GMO detection methods, protein-based screening methods applied in the US have limitations because some events are still unknown. In Europe the use of event-specific detection methods have been promoted for many years, but traditional application of event-specific methods would also fail to detect events like the LL601 rice. Policy makers could make GMO tests and monitoring more reliable by establishing an international register of GMO sequences and testing material, and requiring reference material for detection to be available at all stages of GMO development. Holst-Jensen also described high density micro-array technology, and multiplex screening tools which will be the latest addition in GMO detection methods. Dr. Holst-Jensen expressed his optimism on an approach based on bioinformatics, which may detect even completely unknown GMOs.

Read the full interview at http://www.coextra.eu/researchlive/reportage765.html.