August 27, 2014
ISB News Report - August 2014
http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2014/Aug14.pdf
Table of Contents
INSECT RESEARCH
Conserving Important Natural Enemies by Using Bt Crops: An Example from India
Anthony M. Shelton
Adoption of Bt cotton has reduced the use of traditional broad-spectrum insecticides and increased grower profit, but it has also changed the traditional pest complex in adopting countries such as India. With the effectiveness of the Cry proteins in Bt cotton, there has been a dramatic decline in the pest status of bollworms. However, because Cry proteins do not control sap feeders, including aphids, leafhoppers, mirids, and mealybugs, they are emerging as serious pests. In the present study, we investigated if Cry proteins expressed in Bt cotton move from plants to T. tabaci and subsequently to O. insidiosus and cause harm to this important predator.
MICROBIAL RESEARCH
Ethylene Production via Engineered Microbes
Sean Lynch
Ethylene is a versatile hydrocarbon and its derivatives are abundant. Principally used in the production of polyethylene for plastic bags and trashcan liners, ethylene can also be converted to a range of other chemicals and polymers, including ethylene oxide used in the production of detergents and surfactants, and polystyrene used for packaging and insulation. For bioethylene to become an economically viable alternative, bioethylene yields produced by engineered microorganisms must improve considerably. While such systems do not currently exist, the promise of synthetic biology-driven metabolic engineering makes them more feasible today than was once imagined. Here we briefly describe routes to bioethylene production, their advantages, and current bioengineering strategies to improve yield.
REGULATORY NEWS
Inorganic Farmer Trumps Organic Farmer in Australia & Other News Briefs
Phill Jones
Hailed as a landmark Australian court case that could have consequences for genetically engineered (GE) crop cultivation in the country, Mash v Baxter marked the first time that one Australian farmer sued another for negligence over GE crop contamination. In his 150-page decision of May 28, 2014, Justice Kenneth Martin focused on the simple legal issues at hand.
Other news briefs:
• While European Countries Ban GE Crops, a Farmer Fights Back
• United Kingdom Science Council Urges the Advancement of AgBiotech
• The European Union Considers Mechanism for Banning AgBiotech
• US Survey Reveals Views about Food Made from GE Crops
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