Information Systems for Biotechnology (ISB) News Report
November, 2006
Covering Agricultural And Environmental Biotechnology Developments

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

PLANT RESEARCH NEWS

Pearl millet with enhanced resistance to rust and downy mildew
Janaki Krishna

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), also commonly known as cumbu, bajra, and cattail millet, is an important grain, forage, and stover crop, accounting for approximately 50% of the total world production of millet. Due to substantial annual yield losses, disease resistance has become a high priority for pearl millet breeders. In addition to conventional methods, genetic engineering techniques are used to enhance disease resistance.
However, whether these transgenic crops gain acceptance in the marketplace remains to be seen.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/nov0604.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.nov.htm#nov0604

INDUSTRY NEWS

Nutrigenomics among next-generation applications in ag biotechnology
Tracy Sayler

Personalized nutrition based on individual genetics, pharmaceuticals from alfalfa, drought-tolerant plants, and improved bioenergy sources are among the next generation of applications that can be expected from agricultural biotechnology. Nutrigenomics --applying genetic science toward human nutrition and health--can be expected to become more prominent.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/nov0605.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.nov.htm#nov0605

New study addresses handling GM/non-GM grain
Tracy Sayler

A new study released by North Dakota State University analyzes data collected from a survey of grain elevators in the Upper Midwest, looking at the practices, time requirements, and costs of segregating genetically-modified grain from non-GM grain. The authors say that the development of GM and specialty crops has had a great impact on the grain handling industry during recent years, and that added costs associated with handling these crops have become an important issue for grain handlers.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/nov0606.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.nov.htm#nov0606

REGULATORY NEWS

Wild rice
Phill Jones

On August 18, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced that commercial long grain rice contained trace amounts of an unapproved, genetically engineered (GE) rice called LL601. The government became aware of the contamination after Bayer CropScience notified the US Department of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration in July. Fallout from the LL601 contamination appeared before the end of August. During September, the LL601 controversy gained steam.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/nov0601.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.nov.htm#nov0601

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulation of biotechnology-derived food and feed crop plants containing plant-incorporated protectants

EPA is seeking public comments by November 28, 2006 on " ... a draft Pesticide Registration Notice (PRN) entitled 'Guidance on Small-Scale Field Testing and Low-level Intermittent Presence in Food of Plant-Incorporated Protectants (PIPs).'

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/nov0602.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.nov.htm#nov0602

RISK ASSESSEMENT NEWS

Searching for unintended compositional changes in GE potatoes
Louise VT Shepherd & Howard V Davies

GE risk assessment in the European Union Prior to market approval in Europe, genetically engineered (GE) crops and products undergo a rigorous risk safety assessment based on a comparative approach. That approach assesses differences between the GEO and its derived products and their non-GE counterparts, the counterparts having a history of safe use.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/nov0603.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.nov.htm#nov0603

The entire news report is available:
- in PDF format at http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/nov06.pdf
- on the web at http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.nov.htm