Information Systems for Biotechnology (ISB) News Report
PARTIAL TABLE OF CONTENTS, relevant to seed professionals (links are to the ISB News Report website)

RISK ASSESSMENT

Most growers aware of, complying with Bt corn standards
Tracy Sayler

Bt corn hybrids are engineered to produce an insecticidal protein from the naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), that is toxic to European corn borers. The National Corn Growers Association recently announced that more than nine out of 10 growers are complying with Insect Resistance Management (IRM) requirements as mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These findings are based on 2005 on-farm assessments along with an independent survey conducted on behalf of the Agriculture Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee (ABSTC).

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/jun0602.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.jun.htm#jun0602

PLANT RESEARCH NEWS

GE tomato resistant to leaf curl disease
Anupam Varma and Shelly Praveen

Geminiviruses cause devastating plant diseases, particularly in the tropics and semi-tropics. Some of these diseases have been adversely affecting crop production since the early 20th Century, but the present century faces severe disease epidemics caused by newly emerging and reemerging whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) transmitted geminiviruses (WTGs), which affect crops.
Despite management practices, menacing disease epidemics caused by WTGs are becoming frequent and are occurring even in new regions that were previously free from such diseases.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/jun0603.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.jun.htm#jun0603

REGULATORY NEWS

A nanotechnology revolution in agriculture and the food industry
Phillip B.C. Jones

Nanotechnology encompasses the ability to measure, model, and control matter at dimensions of about 1 to 100 nanometers. The groundbreaking potential of nanotech derives from the unusual physical, chemical, and biological properties of nanoscale-sized matter that differ from those of individual molecules and bulk matter. These unique properties allow the development of novel applications, noted by Gutierrez, in the fields of engineering and computer science. Nanotechnology will also bring innovations to the food industry and agriculture.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/jun0605.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.jun.htm#jun0605