Study: Bees can Mediate Transgene Escape

Scientists from Nairobi-based Research Institute for Development report that bees have the potential to mediate the escape of transgenes from crops to their wild relatives over several kilometers. The team used insect pollinated cowpea and radio- tracking of the carpenter bee Xylocopa flavorufa to determine pollinator movements and their implication for long-distance pollen flow. According to the paper published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study was triggered by the imminent release of an insect-resistant, genetically engineered cowpea in Africa.

Results revealed that carpenter bees have a flight range of around 7.2 kilometers. The scientists also found that carpenter bees normally visit two wild cowpea patches and a cowpea field within a single foraging bout (from nest exit to nest return). The results, however, indicate that pollen movement beyond a few hundred meters has a low probability. Remy S. Pasquet, co-author of the study, said that since large areas cannot be screened and guaranteed to be free of wild or weedy cowpea plants, strict isolation of transgenic plants by distance may not be feasible.

For more information, read http://www.alphagalileo.org/index.cfm?_rss=1&fuseaction=readrelease&releaseid=532341 Download the paper at http://dx.doi.org/10.1073_pnas.0806040105