Biotech Updates

USDA Approves Corn Amylase Trait

February 18, 2011

The US Department of Agriculture had announced the full deregulation of Syngenta's corn amylase trait. The corn labeled as Enogen corn seed is the first genetically modified (GM) corn for the ethanol industry. It contains a gene that optimizes the action of the alpha-amylase enzyme on corn for efficient ethanol production.

Davor Pisk, Chief Operating Officer of Syngenta said that. "Enogen corn also reduces the energy and water consumed in the production process while substantially reducing carbon emissions."

The news release said that "the corn amylase trait in Enogen has already been approved for import into Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, and Taiwan, and for cultivation in Canada."

See the original news at http://www2.syngenta.com/en/media/mediareleases/en_110211.html and http://www2.syngenta.com/en/media/pdf/mediareleases/en/20110211-EN-USDA-approves-Enogen-Corn-Amylase-Trait-for-Enogen.pdf.