Information Systems for Biotechnology (ISB) News Report
September, 2006
Covering Agricultural And Environmental Biotechnology Developments

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

PLANT RESEARCH NEWS

A new concept to engineer specific transcription of transplastomic genes
Silva Lerbs-Mache

Application of plastid transformation technology is limited by the difficulty of obtaining regulated, selective expression of the transgenes.
To attempt to solve this problem, a nuclear DNA-encoded and plastid-targeted T7 phage RNA polymerase gene was introduced into tobacco and placed under control of a T7 promoter. However, it turns out that the corresponding protein was not detectable, and plants grew slowly or died soon after germination.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/sep0601.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.sep.htm#sep0601

REGULATORY NEWS

Legislating agbiotech
Phillip B C Jones

Pew Initiative analysts counted 117 pieces of legislation related to agricultural biotechnology introduced in 33 states and the District of Columbia during the 2005 legislative session. One of the most active legislative topics in 2005 also represented a new trend: bills to preempt or disallow local and county initiatives aimed at limiting or prohibiting genetically engineered seeds and crops.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/sep0602.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.sep.htm#sep0602

Does the ecological risk assessment (ERA) process work for GE crops?
Jeff Wolt and Saharah Moon Chapotin

This year marks the unofficial 25th anniversary of the ecological risk assessment (ERA) process as practiced within the federal government. The ERA uses a 'framework approach' that presents a logical scheme for organizing complex information describing environmental exposure scenarios and effects to ecological entities of concern. The timeline for evolution of the regulatory process for safety assessment for GE crops roughly parallels that for the ERA process.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/sep0603.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.sep.htm#sep0603

INDUSTRY NEWS

Mycotoxin reduction in Bt corn: Potential economic, health, and regulatory impacts
Felicia Wu

Because of reduced pest damage, one indirect benefit of Bt corn is lower levels of mycotoxin contamination. Bt corn has been shown to have significantly lower levels of common mycotoxins. In less developed countries, the mycotoxin reduction that Bt crops can provide could have important economic as well as health impacts. Thus, it is an important phenomenon to consider when developing regulatory policies on Bt crops.

Complete article:
pdf: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/artspdf/sep0604.pdf
web: http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2006/news06.sep.htm#sep0604