The German government is to support research into the safety of genetically modified (GM) plants with ten million euro over the next three years.

Some 24 projects will receive the funding, all of which will investigate the effects that GM plants works have on the effectiveness of antibiotics and herbicides.

Antibiotic resistance markers are important tools for the development of genetically modified crops. They are used to identify and isolate the gene or genes that have been moved from one plant to a plant that is to be genetically modified. Seven of the projects will address the replacement of antibiotics and herbicide resistance genes. The researchers will seek to develop methods to remove the marker gene after the creation of transgenic plants, or to ensure that it is only present in a specified area of the genome, in order to avoid unwanted side effects.

Nine projects will focus on transgenic varieties of maize. The maize contains the Bt gene, which is resistant to certain insects that damage the root of the crop. The projects will investigate the ecological impact of growing the crops containing Bt, as well as the potential ability of the insects to develop a resistance to the gene.

Other projects will look into the biological safety of transgenic cereal crops with resistance to fungus, and the impact of growing transgenic potatoes on the quality of the land.

The results of the studies will be made available at www.biosicherheit.de