Biotechnology - GMOs

Title

New Technologies for 21st Century Plant Science.

Reference

The Plant Cell, 2012;
DOI:10.1105/tpc.111.093302

Author(s)

D. W. Ehrhardt, W. B. Frommer.

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

Plants are one of the most fascinating and important groups of organisms living on Earth. They serve as the conduit of energy into the biosphere, provide food, and shape our environment. If we want to make headway in understanding how these essential organisms function and build the foundation for a more sustainable future, then we need to apply the most advanced technologies available to the study of plant life. In 2009, a committee of the National Academy highlighted the "understanding of plant growth" as one of the big challenges for society and part of a new era which they termed "new biology." The aim of this article is to identify how new technologies can and will transform plant science to address the challenges of new biology. We assess where we stand today regarding current technologies, with an emphasis on molecular and imaging technologies, and we try to address questions about where we may go in the future and whether we can get an idea of what is at and beyond the horizon.

Policy theme(s)

Biotechnology >> GMOs
Biotechnology >> Synthetic biology

Keywords

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.plantcell.org/content/early/2012/02/21/tpc.111.093302.abstract
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wfrommer@stanford.edu.

Title

Calling controversy: assessing synthetic biology's conflict potential

Reference

Public Understanding of ScienceFebruary 2012 vol. 21 no. 2 134-148

Author(s)

Helge Torgersen, Jürgen Hampel

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

Will synthetic biology elicit controversies similar to those of genetically modified crops before? Maybe, but where exactly are the analogies, and how can we gain substantial insights rather than mere guesses? We argue that as well as the intrinsic properties of the technologies at stake, the context of their implementation is decisive. To assess mechanisms of past and potential controversies, an investigative tool is presented. The Gate Resonance model, derived from older models of societal conflict, allows the identification of key elements of conflict generating processes. In monitoring the developing debate on synthetic biology using this model, analogies to the case of genetically modified crops appear less convincing. So far, there are only few indications that a controversy is imminent.

Policy theme(s)

Biotechnology >> Synthetic biology
Biotechnology >> GMOs

Keywords

biotechnology; Gate Resonance Model; interest representation;
technology governance;

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://pus.sagepub.com/content/21/2/134.abstract
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torg@oeaw.ac.at

Title

Social Stigma and Consumer Benefits: Trade-Offs in Adoption of Genetically Modified Foods

Reference

Science Communication
December 20, 2011 1075547011428183

Author(s)

Damien W. Mather, John G. Knight, Andrea Insch, David K. Holdsworth, David F. Ermen and Tim Breitbarth

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

Attitudes toward genetically modified (GM) foods have been extensively studied, but there are very few studies of actual consumer purchasing behavior regarding GM foods offering a consumer benefit. Using a field choice-modeling experiment, the authors investigate the trade-off between price and social desirability in consumer choices with regard to conventional, organic, and GM fruit. What consumers say they will choose in a survey and what they actually choose in a real-purchase situation may differ substantially when their decision is framed by a socially charged issue such as genetic modification. The results are analyzed in relation to established principles of diffusion of innovation.

Policy theme(s)

Biotechnology >> GMOs
Sustainable consumption and production >> Sustainable consumption >> Consumption behaviour

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://scx.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/11/28/1075547011428183.abstract?papetoc  
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john.knight@otago.ac.nz

Title

Stress-adapted extremophiles provide energy without interference with food production

Reference

Food Security
Volume 3, Number 1, 93-105, DOI: 10.1007/s12571-011-0112-9

Author(s)

Ray A. Bressan, Muppala P. Reddy, Suk Ho Chung, Dae Jin Yun, Lowell S. Hardin and Hans J. Bohnert

Study type

Peer Review Journal 

Abstract

How to wean humanity off the use of fossil fuels continues to receive much attention but how to replace these fuels with renewable sources of energy has become a contentious field of debate as well as research, which often reflects economic and political factors rather than scientific good sense. It is clear that not every advertized energy source can lead to a sustainable, humane and environment-friendly path out of a future energy crisis. Our proposal is based on two assertions: that the use of food crops for biofuels is immoral, and that for this purpose using land suitable for growing crops productively is to be avoided. We advocate a focus on new “extremophile” crops. These would either be wild species adapted to extreme environments which express genes, developmental processes and metabolic pathways that distinguish them from traditional crops or existing crops genetically modified to withstand extreme environments. Such extremophile energy crops (EECs), will be less susceptible to stresses in a changing global environment and provide higher yields than existing crops. Moreover, they will grow on land that has never been valuable for agriculture or is no longer so, owing to centuries or millennia of imprudent exploitation. Such a policy will contribute to striking a balance between ecosystem protection and human resource management. Beyond that, rather than bulk liquid fuel generation, combustion of various biomass sources including extremophiles for generating electrical energy, and photovoltaics-based capture of solar energy, are superbly suitable candidates for powering the world in the future. Generating electricity and efficient storage capacity is quite possibly the only way for a sustainable post-fossil and, indeed, post-biofuel fuel economy.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Biotechnology >> GMOs
Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy

Keywords

Alternative crops - Bioenergy generation - Extremophiles - Abiotic stress tolerance - Food or fuel

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://www.springerlink.com/content/a001q13503038414/
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bressan@purdue.edu

Title

Development of waxy cassava with different Biological and physico-chemical characteristics of starches for industrial applications

Reference

Biotechnology and Bioengineering
Volume 108, Issue 8, Article first published online: 11 MAR 2011

Author(s)

Shan-Shan Zhao, Dominique Dufour, Teresa Sánchez, Hernan Ceballos, Peng Zhang

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The quality of cassava starch, an important trait in cassava breeding programs, determines its applications in various industries. For example, development of waxy (having a low level of amylose) cassava is in demand. Amylose is synthesized by granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) in plants, and therefore, down-regulation of GBSSI expression in cassava might lead to reduced amylose content. We produced 63 transgenic cassava plant lines that express hair-pin dsRNAs homologous to the cassava GBSSI conserved region under the control of the vascular-specific promoter p54/1.0 from cassava (p54/1.0::GBSSI-RNAi) or cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S (35S::GBSSI-RNAi). After the screening storage roots and starch granules from field-grown plants with iodine staining, the waxy phenotype was discovered: p54/1.0::GBSSI-RNAi line A8 and 35S::GBSSI-RNAi lines B9, B10, and B23. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that there was no detectable GBSSI protein in the starch granules of plants with the waxy phenotype. Further, the amylose content of transgenic starches was significantly reduced (<5%) compared with the level in starch granules from the wild-type (about 25%). The inner structure of the waxy starch granules differed from that of the untransformed ones, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy analysis as well as morphological changes in the iodine–starch complex. Endothermic enthalpy was reduced in waxy cassava starches, according to differential scanning calorimeter analysis. Except B9, all waxy starches displayed the A-type X-ray diffraction pattern. Amylogram patterns of the waxy cassava starches were analyzed using a rapid viscosity analyzer and found to have increased values for clarity, peak viscosity, gel breakdown, and swelling index. Setback, consistency, and solubility were notably reduced. Therefore, waxy cassava with novel starch in its storage roots was produced using the biotechnological approach, promoting its industrial utilization.

Policy theme(s)

Biotechnology>>GMOs

Keywords

Manihot esculenta Crantz; waxy starch; GBSSI; RNA interference; starch property

Entry Source:

Referred to in EC doc:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bit.23120/abstract   
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zhangpeng@sibs.ac.cn

Title

Status of feral oilseed rape in Europe: its minor role as a GM impurity and its potential as a reservoir of transgene persistence

Reference

Environmental Science and Pollution Research
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-010-0376-1

Author(s)

Geoffrey R. Squire, Broder Breckling, Antje Dietz Pfeilstetter, Rikke B. Jorgensen, Jane Lecomte, Sandrine Pivard, Hauke Reuter and Mark W. Young

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Purpose : Feral oilseed rape has become widespread in Europe on waysides and waste ground. Its potential as a source of GM impurity in oilseed rape harvests is quantified, for the first time, by a consistent analysis applied over a wide range of study areas in Europe.
Methods : The maximum contribution of feral oilseed rape to impurities in harvested crops was estimated by combining data on feral abundance and crop yield from five established, demographic studies in agricultural habitats in Denmark, Germany (2), France and the UK, constituting over 1,500 ha of land and 16 site-years of observations. Persistence of feral populations over time was compared by visual and molecular methods.
Results:  Ferals had become established in all regions, forming populations 0.2 to 15 km-2. The seed they produced was always <0.0001% of the seed on crops of oilseed rape in each region. The contribution of ferals to impurity in crops through accidental harvest of seed and through cross-pollination would be an even smaller percentage. Feral oilseed rape nevertheless showed a widespread capacity to persist in all regions and retain traits from varieties no longer grown.
Conclusions : Feral oilseed rape is not a relevant source of macroscopic impurity at its present density in the landscape but provides opportunity for genetic recombination, stacking of transgenes and the evolution of genotypes that under strong selection pressure could increase and re-occupy fields to constitute an economic weed burden and impurity in future crops.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Crop management
Biotechnology >> GMOs

Keywords

Feral, Oilseed rape, Genetically modified, GM coexistence, Transgene persistence, Cross pollination

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/w47846k116l103h8/fulltext.pdf
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geoff.squire@scri.ac.uk

Title

Comparative environmental impacts of glyphosate and conventional herbicides when used with glyphosate-tolerant and non-tolerant crops

Reference

Environmental Pollution
Volume 158, Issue 10, October 2010, Pages 3172-3178

Author(s)

Laure Mamy, Benoît Gabrielle and Enrique Barriuso

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The introduction of glyphosate-tolerant (GT)cropsis expected to mitigate the environmental contamination by herbicides because glyphosate is less persistent and toxic than the herbicides used on non-GTcrops. Here, we compared the environmental balances of herbicide applications for bothcroptypes in three French field trials. The dynamic of herbicides and their metabolites in soil, groundwater and air was simulated with PRZM model and compared to field measurements. The associated impacts were aggregated with toxicity potentials calculated with the fate and exposure model USES for several environmental endpoints. The impacts of GT systems were lower than those of non-GT systems, but the accumulation in soils of one glyphosate metabolite (aminomethylphosphonic acid) questions the sustainability of GT systems. The magnitude of the impacts depends on the rates and frequency of glyphosate application being highest for GT maize monoculture and lowest for combination of GT oilseed rape and non-GT sugarbeet crops.
The impacts of herbicide applications on glyphosate-tolerantcropscould be higher than expected due to the accumulation of a metabolite of glyphosate in soils.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Crop management
Biotechnology >> GMOs
Soil >> Threats to soil >> Soil contamination

Keywords

Herbicide, Metabolite, Impact, PRZM, USES

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026974911000271X
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laure.mamy@versailles.inra.fr

Title

The SAFE FOODS Risk Analysis Framework suitable for GMOs? A case study

Reference

Food Control
Volume 21, Issue 12, December 2010, Pages 1662-1676

Author(s)

Harry A. Kuiper and Howard V. Davies

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

This paper describes the current EU regulatory framework for risk analysis of genetically modified (GM) crop cultivation and market introduction of derived food/feed. Furthermore the risk assessment strategies for GM cropsand derived food/feed as designed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are described on which international agreement exists. Existing flaws in the EU regulatory framework for GMOs have been identified and proposals are put forward to improve current risk analysis procedures for GMOs by taking the SAFE FOODS Risk Analysis Framework into account. The SAFE FOODS framework describes an iterative decision-making process with four distinct stages i.e. framing, risk-benefit assessment, evaluation, and risk management which includes decision-making, and implementation, and a final review stage. Three major changes compared to current risk analyses practices are proposed, i.e. (i) the addition of a formal framing stage, during which problem formulation and the objectives of the risk analysis are established, (ii) enlargement of the scope of the risk assessment, by including the assessment of potential benefits, and an impact analysis of social and economic aspects, and (iii) addition of a formal evaluation stage, in order to weigh risks, costs and benefits and their distribution. Furthermore a broader participation of certain entities, organisations and individual citizens in specific segments of the risk analysis process, in particular in the framing and evaluation stage, is proposed. The proposed changes in current risk analyses practises may contribute to restore consumer confidence in risk analysis process of GMOs in the EU.

Policy theme(s)

Biotechnology >> GMOs
Risk assessment >> Risk assessment methodologies
Environmental information services >> Environmental communication >> Stakeholder/public engagement

Keywords

Risk analysis, Risk-benefit assessment, Risk management, Foods, Genetically modified crops and derived, foods and feed, EU regulatory framework, Social- and economic impact analysis, Stakeholders participation

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713510000721
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harry.kuiper@wur.nl

Title

Field versus Farm in Warangal: Bt Cotton, Higher Yields, and Larger Questions

Reference

World Development
Volume 39, Issue 3, March 2011, Pages 387-398

Author(s)

Glenn Davis Stone

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

A longitudinal anthropological study of cotton farming in Warangal District of Andhra Pradesh, India, compares a group of villages before and after adoption of Bt cotton. It distinguishes 'field-level' and 'farm-level' impacts. During this five-year period yields rose by 18% overall, with greater increases among poor farmers with the least access to information. Insecticide sprayings dropped by 55%, although predation by non-target pests was rising. However shifting from the field to the historically-situated context of the farm recasts insect attacks as a symptom of larger problems in agricultural decision-making. Bt cotton's opponents have failed to recognize real benefits at the field level, while its backers have failed to recognize systemic problems that Bt cotton may exacerbate.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Crop management
Biotechnology >> GMOs

Keywords

biotechnology, agriculture, cotton, indigenous knowledge, India

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X10001737
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Contact the study author at:

stone@wustl.edu