Category Archives: Genetic Engineering

Even as the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) decided to constitute a sub-committee to review the toxicology data generated by two applicants for genetically modified brinjal, biologist and Padma Bhushan award winner Dr. Pushpa M. Bhargava has questioned the guidelines of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) on transgenic crops. Dr. Bhargava and others had asked for the raw data on toxicity studies on rats using transgenic brinjal which were carried out by Dr. Sesikeran, former Director of National Institute of Nutrition at Hyderabad. He found statistically quite significant differences between rats fed on Bt Brinjal and those fed on a normal meal in respect of several important parameters, said Dr. Bhargava. However, Dr. Sesikeran had said that as all the values (both of the control and of the experimental animals) fell within the normal range of variation, the differences were not significant, and that there was no need to repeat the experiment. Our point was that if on repetition the same differences are found again, they are bound to be significant, Dr. Bhargava pointed out. Further, he used only 20 animals (10 female and 10 male) in both experimental and the control groups which is the minimum number for such … Continue reading →

Some British newspapers have been reporting the imminent harvest of a variety of nutrition-enriched genetically modified (GM) crop in the UK. It is a crop called camelina, also called false flax, a plant that usually grows in the Mediterranean. An institute called Rothamsted Research has tweaked the plant's genes and produced a variety that is full of omega-3 fatty acids, normally found only in oily fish. Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is supposed to be beneficial in a number of ways, and so this crop would provide the first real chance for vegetarians to get the vital nutrient through their normal diet. This would be great news for many people, but what is equally important is the fact that GM crops are set to finally break the resistance in Europe. Despite considerable opposition from various pressure groups, GM crops are slowly advancing in Europe, with regulators relenting in several countries. Two months ago, almost all the environment ministers in Europe - only two countries resisted - decided to let individual countries follow their own course: whether to allow or not allow the cultivation of GM crops. This will let the pro-GM countries go ahead with their plans, which will probably … Continue reading →

A group of scientists Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi protesting the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee's decision to carry on experiments on GM crops as these adversely impact the environment. "It is shocking that GEAC took this decision in its first meeting after your government took charge. It is unfortunate the committee continues to follow the unscientific approach towards environmental release of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) when there is growing scientific evidence on the adverse impact of GMOs on human health and environment," said the letter. The GEAC under the environment, forests and climate change ministry recently approved numerous experiments on GM crops, including many GM food crops. The letter was written by P.M. Bhargava, Padma Bhushan awardee and former member of National Knowledge Commission; Minoo Parabia, retired professor of Bio-Sciences at the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University; V.S. Vijayan, former chairman of Kerala State Biodiversity Board; Dinesh Abrol, visiting professor at the Centre for Studies in Science Policy and Tushar Chakraborty, senior scientist at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata. They added in the letter that opposition to open release of GMOs originated in scientific circles and continues to be fuelled by ever-growing scientific evidence of its … Continue reading →

Business News of Thursday, 31 July 2014 Source: Graphic Online Two Ghanaian research scientists made a case for Ghana to adopt genetic engineering (GE) or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) instead of sticking to the conventional method of breeding. While agreeing that conventional plant breeding had been going on for hundreds of years and had dramatically increased the productivity and quality of plants for food, feed and fibre, they maintained that it could no longer be sustained. At the opening of a three-day symposium, organised by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) on GMOs last Monday, Dr Ibrahim Dzido Kwasi Atokple, a researcher at the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Tamale, said Conventional breeding is the basis, but with that alone we cannot make progress. According to Dr Atokple, practising conventional breeding could no longer be done exclusively, in view of the population explosion and developments that are taking up the arable lands. So we need to combine all biotechnological tools to increase the productivity of the few lands that are left. He said although the USA depended on hybrids for maize till the 1990s, the trend changed for more improved yields by adopting GMOs (inserting genes to improve … Continue reading →

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise ST. LOUIS, July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SAGE Labs Inc., a leading provider of products, services and technologies in the field of genome engineering, announced today that they have licensed CRISPR/Cas9 technology from the Broad Institute. The license enables SAGE Labs to use the CRISPR/Cas9 system to engineer cell and animal models for their clients as well as distribute validated CRISPR reagents. This is the second license obtained by SAGE Labs around CRISPR/Cas9 technology; SAGE also obtained a license from Caribou Biosciences in September 2013. The Broad Institute was recently issued the first patent for CRISPR/Cas9 technology based on the research of Feng Zhang, PhD, published in Science in January of 2013. CRISPR/Cas9 technology represents the latest advancement in nuclease-based gene editing tools, which have revolutionized genetic engineering by markedly reducing development times and enabling genetic engineering in potentially any species. David Smoller, PhD., CEO of SAGE Labs, explained, "At SAGE Labs we use the latest technologies to provide our clients with the most advanced models of human disease, and in the shortest timelines possible. It's also essential that our clients receive the freedom-to-operate with their research models, and we're committed to … Continue reading →

Field trials of 15 genetically modified crop, widely known as GM crop may be delayed after Swadeshi Jagran Manch(SJM) and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh(BKS) raised serious objection about the feasibility of the whole process. The biotech regulator, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) on July 18 had given its nod for field trails of number of GM crops including rice, mustard and cotton. Both, SJM and BKS are the two wings of RSS, BJP's parental organisation. A delegation of the organisation on Tuesday met Union Environment and Forests Minister Prakash Javadekar regarding the issue and expressed their concern about the long term impact of GM crops on human health and soil. Meanwhile, the Environment Minister has assured them that no decision will be taken in hurry. "We will not rush into it. We will hold consultations with the stakeholders before taking any decision", Javadekar said. Here is the whole issue in detail. What is the GM crop? That crop in which original genetic make-up is artificially changed through genetic engineering method is called GM crops. The purpose of the modification is to introduce new traits which were not available in original genetic set up. These crops are also known as transgenic crops. … Continue reading →

A powerful new tool that can help advance the genetic engineering of "fuel" crops for clean, green and renewable bioenergy, has been developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a multi-institutional partnership led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). The JBEI researchers have developed an assay that enables scientists to identify and characterize the function of nucleotide sugar transporters, critical components in the biosynthesis of plant cell walls. "Our unique assay enabled us to analyze nucleotide sugar transporter activities in Arabidopsis and characterize a family of six nucleotide sugar transporters that has never before been described," says Henrik Scheller, the leader of JBEI's Feedstocks Division and a leading authority on cell wall biosynthesis. "Our method should enable rapid progress to be made in determining the functional role of nucleotide sugar transporters in plants and other organisms, which is very important for the metabolic engineering of cell walls." Scheller is the corresponding author, along with Ariel Orellana at the Universidad Andrs Bello, Santiago, Chile, of a paper describing this research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The paper is titled "The Golgi localized bifunctional UDP-rhamnose/UDP-galactose transporter family of Arabidopsis." … Continue reading →

Even as the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) decided to constitute a sub-committee to review the toxicology data generated by two applicants for genetically modified brinjal, biologist Dr. Pushpa M. Bhargava has questioned the guidelines of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) on transgenic crops. Dr. Bhargava and others had asked for the raw data on toxicity studies on rats using transgenic brinjal, which were carried out by Dr. Sesikeran, former director of National Institute of Nutrition at Hyderabad. He found statistically quite significant differences between rats fed on Bt Brinjal and those fed on a normal meal in respect of several important parameters, said Dr. Bhargava. However, Dr. Sesikeran had said that as all the values (both of the control and of the experimental animals) fell within the normal range of variation, the differences were not significant, and that there was no need to repeat the experiment. Our point was that if on repetition the same differences are found again, they are bound to be significant, Dr. Bhargava pointed out. Further, he used only 20 animals (10 female and 10 male) in both experimental and the control groups, which is the minimum number for such tests. Dr. Sesikeran must explain … Continue reading →

ST. LOUIS, July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --SAGE Labs Inc., a leading provider of products, services and technologies in the field of genome engineering, announced today that they have licensed CRISPR/Cas9 technology from the Broad Institute. The license enables SAGE Labs to use the CRISPR/Cas9 system to engineer cell and animal models for their clients as well as distribute validated CRISPR reagents. This is the second license obtained by SAGE Labs around CRISPR/Cas9 technology; SAGE also obtained a license from Caribou Biosciences in September 2013. The Broad Institute was recently issued the first patent for CRISPR/Cas9 technology based on the research of Feng Zhang, PhD, published in Science in January of 2013. CRISPR/Cas9 technology represents the latest advancement in nuclease-based gene editing tools, which have revolutionized genetic engineering by markedly reducing development times and enabling genetic engineering in potentially any species. David Smoller, PhD., CEO of SAGE Labs, explained, "At SAGE Labs we use the latest technologies to provide our clients with the most advanced models of human disease, and in the shortest timelines possible. It's also essential that our clients receive the freedom-to-operate with their research models, and we're committed to obtaining the necessary licenses." About SAGE Labs SAGE Labs … Continue reading →

New Delhi: Two Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) linked outfits on Tuesday sought a ban on field trials of genetically-modified crops cleared by biotech regulator Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed for greater use of research for boosting the agriculture sector. However, the government said that it is yet to take a final call. Sources said that it has assured RSS affiliated outfits that it will deal with the issue of GM crops with caution, adding that no decision will be taken in haste. Representatives of Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Bhartiya Kissan Sangh on Tuesday met the Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on the issue of field trials of GM crops of certain varieties of rice, brinjal and cotton among others. The outfits claim that the minister assured them that the decision about field trials of GM crops has been "put on hold". They apprised him about their concerns while claiming that the Minister assured them that the decision about field trials of GM crops has been "put on hold". "The minister assured the delegation that the decision about the field trials of GM crops has been put on hold by the government," All-India … Continue reading →