Biotech Updates

Australian Scientists Beef up GM Wheat Research

December 9, 2011

Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) has applied to the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator to release up to 232 GM-wheat ''lines'' and 41 barley lines. The Capital Territory's first field trial of GM crops will establish how well the crops fare in ''rain-fed'', drought-prone, and fungal disease-prone environments.

In addition, CSIRO will seek permission to test flour made from GM wheat in small-scale human and animal feeding trials.  Its proposal said: ''Flour derived from the grain of a few GM wheat and barley lines with altered grain composition is proposed to be used for a range of carefully controlled, small-scale animal and human nutritional feeding trials under the oversight of CSIRO.''

CSIRO emphasized that it had no concrete plans to test GM crops on humans. ''We have applied for permission to conduct human trials in the event that the research project gets to that stage, but we currently have no plans in train to conduct human trials,'' spokesman Owen Craig said.

Read the full article at http://www.allaboutfeed.net/news/australian-scientists-push-for-gm-wheat-12472.html?cmpid=NLC|AllAboutFeed.net|25-nov-2011|Australian%20scientists%20push%20for%20GM%20wheat