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

PLANT RESEARCH NEWS

LOW ACRYLAMIDE FRENCH FRIES AND POTATO CHIPS
Caius M Rommens

Some of our most popular processed foods contain small amounts of toxic acrylamide. Currently available methods that lower the accumulation of this reactive compound have a negative effect on sensory characteristics and/or are not broadly applicable.Given the important role of processed potato products in the modern Western diet, a replacement of current varieties by the low-asparagine potatoes would reduce the average daily intake of acrylamide by almost one-third.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/artspdf/sep0801.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/news08.sep.htm#sep0801

IMPROVED DROUGHT STRESS TOLERANCE IN MAIZE
Janaki Krishna

Water availability is the primary limiting factor of global crop yields.
Consequently, considerable effort is devoted to converging breeding and technological research to develop crops with improved performance under water-limiting conditions. Transgenic plants tolerant to abiotic stress are being developed through the introduction of multiple genes; however, successfully producing stress tolerant crops remains a challenging task.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/artspdf/sep0802.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/news08.sep.htm#sep0802

REGULATORY NEWS

MINDING YOUR Ps AND Qs AT THE PTO
Phill Jones

Patent litigation can spawn a verdict of inequitable conduct. It may not sound that bad. Yet the ruling brands a patent unenforceable. Inequitable conduct includes misrepresentation of a material fact, failure to disclose material information, or submission of false material information. Read about the implications to agricultural biotechnology.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/artspdf/sep0803.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/news08.sep.htm#sep0803

BOOK REVIEW

USING INSECT-RESISTANT GM CROPS WITHIN IPM PROGRAMS

A newly released book, Integration of Insect-Resistant Genetically Modified Crops within IPM Programs, provides the first comprehensive synthesis of the role of insect-resistant GM crops in crop protection. The book was edited by Jörg Romeis (Agroscope ART, Switzerland), Anthony Shelton (Cornell University, USA), and George Kennedy (North Carolina State University, USA) with the goal of providing an overview of the role insect-resistant GM plants play in different crop systems worldwide.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/artspdf/sep0804.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/news08.sep.htm#sep0804

ONLINE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ASSESSMENT STUDIES ON GE CROPS

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has compiled a web-based bibliography of peer-reviewed applied economics literature called bEcon, to assess the impact of genetically engineered (GE) crops in developing economies.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/artspdf/sep0804.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/news08.sep.htm#sep0805

The entire news report is available at http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2008/sep08.pdf