March 2014
ISB News Report - February/March 2014
http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2014/FebMar14.pdf
Table of Contents
RISK ASSESSMENT
Two-generation Reproduction Study to Assess the Effects of Transgenic Bt Rice TT51 on Reproductive Function in Rats
Er Hui Wang, Zhou Yu, Hai Bin Xu
A two-generation reproduction study compared the effects of feeding transgenic Bt rice, grown for insect management, to its non-Bt isoline on reproductive function in rats. The aim of the study was to determine the potential reproductive effects of TT51, a new type of transgenic Bt rice currently under development in China. Until now only a small number of studies have reported reproductive toxicity evaluations of transgenic crops. No detailed data concerning the effects of long term exposure to this transgenic Bt rice TT51 is available. Thus, this two-generation reproduction study was designed to evaluate the potential effects of TT51 rice on reproductive and developmental parameters in rats.
PLANT RESEARCH
GM Rice Engineered with AtDREB1A Gene for Improved Drought Stress Tolerance
S.M. Balachandran, G. Ravikumar and P. Manimaran
Although there has been considerable progress in developing transgenic rice, their effective phenotyping for improving drought tolerance under field conditions remains to be assessed. Many researchers have conducted experimental drought evaluations at 1h to few days in small pot containers. However, for meaningful data, it is important to study the phenotype of the transgenic plants and their performance under water stress conditions in isolated field conditions. In our experiment, we imposed severe water stress alone (no other abiotic stresses) on transgenic plants (T5) continuously for 4 weeks in pots and as well as in the biosafety screen house under real time conditions that approximately resembled stress condition in the field.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
IFPRI Reports Role of Agri Technologies in Attaining Food Security
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) investigated the role of agricultural technologies in addressing hunger using comprehensive process-based modeling. The results was published in a report titled Food Security in a World of Natural Resource Scarcity: The Role of Agricultural Technologies.
Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance: Summer Field-Oriented Short Course
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
June 2-13, 2014
This course on the genetics, breeding, and physiology of drought stress tolerance is targeted to graduate students in the plant sciences, as well as to professionals in the public and private sectors. It provides three transferable graduate-level credits.
Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course
Hilton Fort Collins in Fort Collins, Colorado
July 10 - July 17, 2014
The 11th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course will be held this summer at the Hilton Fort Collins in Fort Collins, Colorado. Room rates are $109 for single or double, and $129 for suites. The cutoff date for hotel reservations is June 27, 2014. The hotel phone number is 970-482-2626, and the room group/block name is "Biosafety and Biosecurity Training." The course will start July 10, 8AM, and run through noon (lunch included) July 17, 2014.
Monsanto Co.; Availability of Petition for Determination of Nonregulated Status of Maize Genetically Engineered For Protection against Corn Rootworm and Resistance to Glyphosate
We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has received a petition from the Monsanto Company seeking a determination of nonregulated status of maize designated as event MON 87411, which has been genetically engineered for protection against corn rootworm and resistance to the herbicide glyphosate.
Topics
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