Agnet Dec. 14/03
Turning
plants into natural-born killers
The theories
don't hold up
Sterling
chemicals and Monsanto company reach agreement to reopen production facility,
establishing supply agreement for Roundup production
Mustard-Root
map breaks new ground tracking gene expression
Canadians
want to know: where do you stand, Prime Minister Martin?
how to subscribe
Turning
plants into natural-born killers
December 13, 2003
The Globe and Mail
F4
Stephen Strauss
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20031213/FCSTRAUSS13/Science/Idx
Of all the fears over agricultural biotechnology, none is, according to this
story, more pervasive than the shiver evoked by the insertion of genes from one
species into another. The story says that critics of genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) argue that the reason species exist is to keep alien genes at
bay.
But what, the story asks, would they say if all biotechnology did was enhance
the operation of genes already inside something? After all, isn't that what
traditional selective breeding strives for?
Researchers from Brock University and the University of Guelph have applied for
a patent for enhancing the operation of GABA, a neurotoxin that all plants can
produce.
The plants turn on their GABA gene when attacked by insects. What the scientists
have done is insert a bit of DNA that turns the gene on full-time -- "overexpressing"
it, in biological lingo. This allows for more of the pesticide to remain in the
plant's system and thus more effectively kill predators.
Plants so altered have used their GABA to kill off 90 per cent of a nematode
that attacks their roots and the taste of GABA-overexpressing leaves have driven
off larvae that normally feast on them.
The aim is to create plants that fight off predators with their natural poisons
and in so doing reduce the need for artificial pesticides.
There are a number of technical issues to be resolved: For example, will the
overexpression of the GABA gene stunt the plant in some other way? But don't be
surprised if "all-natural GMO" is a tag you see on foodstuffs in the
future.
The
theories don't hold up
The Guardian (Charlottetown)
A7
Trish Jordan of Monsanto Canada writes in this letter that while Percy Schmeiser
continues to portray himself as innocent victim in his case against Monsanto,
the facts available from two Federal Court of Canada rulings paint an entirely
different picture ('Farmer leading fight against GM seed to speak in province',
The Guardian, Dec. 9, 2003). The Federal Court of Canada and the Federal Court
of Appeal found Mr. Schmeiser liable of patent infringement when he saved and
planted seed he knew, or ought to have known, was Roundup-tolerant. Independent
tests -- supported by expert testimony provided at trial -- showed 95 to 98 per
cent presence of commercial quality Roundup Ready canola in Mr. Schmeiser's
field, indicating that the crop did not arrive in his fields by accident.
Justice MacKay of the Federal Court of Canada wrote in his judgment that,
"the substantial level of Roundup Ready canola growing in Mr. Schmeiser's
field could not be reasonably explained by any of the possible sources suggested
by Mr. Schmeiser." Mr. Schmeiser's own expert even testified that such
concentrations could only have come from the planting of commercial Roundup
Ready canola (see paragraphs 32, 58, 117, 118). Finally, Justice MacKay ruled
that "on the balance of probabilities none of the suggested possible
sources (put forth by Mr. Schmeiser) were the basis for the substantial level of
Roundup Ready canola growing in Mr. Schmeiser's field" (para 118 - http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fct/2001/2001fct256.html).
There are several other false statements in this story. Police never seized Mr.
Schmeiser's crop. He has never turned over any of his seed to Monsanto and he
was, very much, aware that he had Roundup Ready canola in his fields as his own
purported "experiment" confirmed this fact. All the court documents
and expert testimony presented at trial show that his violation did not result
from accidental means.
Four different judges in two Federal Courts have heard all Mr. Schmeiser's
stories and theories and all have been found to be unbelievable in a court of
law -- a venue where the expectation is to speak truthfully and present evidence
and facts to support one's claims.
Sterling
chemicals and Monsanto company reach agreement to reopen production facility,
establishing supply agreement for Roundup production
December 12, 2003
From a press release
Sterling Chemicals, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SCHI) and Monsanto Company (NYSE:
MON) announced today that the companies have extended existing business
agreements that will restart a key production facility in Texas City, Texas and
establish Sterling as a supplier of one of the key ingredients in the production
of Roundup herbicides, Monsanto's flagship herbicide product line.
As a result of the extension of the operating and supply agreements, Monsanto
and Sterling have committed to restart a production facility in Texas City that
produces disodium iminodiacetic acid (DSIDA), which will be used by Monsanto in
its production of Roundup herbicide.
A target date for the restarting of production has not been determined, but the
agreements allow for Monsanto to commission the reopening anytime between the
signing of the agreement and 2007.
The DSIDA production facility was originally commissioned in 2000 with capital
funding provided by Monsanto. The facility was subsequently operated under
contract by Sterling, which also operates a neighboring acrylonitrile production
facility in Texas City, Texas that provides a raw material used to produce DSIDA.
Operations at the facility were discontinued in 2001 prior to Sterling entering
Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Sterling emerged from bankruptcy in December 2002.
Richard K. Crump, Sterling's President and Chief Executive Officer, said
"We are very excited about our new agreement with Monsanto for the restart
of the DSIDA production facility at Texas City. The operation of the DSIDA
facility will significantly enhance the cost competitiveness of our Nitriles
business by permitting us to receive chemical value for a significant portion of
the by-products produced from our acrylonitrile operations."
"We're very pleased to be working with Sterling in this venture," said
Mark Leidy, executive vice president, manufacturing for Monsanto. "With
Sterling coming on line as a supplier of DSIDA, we'll have valuable flexibility
to source an important ingredient for one of our key product lines, which is an
important benefit to Monsanto as we make our production processes more efficient
and cost effective."
Monsanto currently produces DSIDA for use in Roundup production at manufacturing
locations in the United States and Brazil and also sources DSIDA through
existing supply agreements with another U.S. third-party manufacturer.
The agreements also resolve all disputes between the companies that were pending
in the Bankruptcy Court for Sterling prior bankruptcy proceedings. The
agreements are subject to the parties final approval and approval of the
Bankruptcy Court. Additional specific terms of the business agreement were not
disclosed.
www.monsanto.com
Mustard-Root
map breaks new ground tracking gene expression
December 11, 2003
NSF Office of Legislative and Public Affairs
http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/03/pr03139.htm
New 'global' technique a dividend of NSF's Arabidopsis 2010 effort
The photos illustrate the first step in the root expression map technique.
In the top photo, lateral root cap cells glow green because they share a common
gene being expressed, one that has been marked with a gene that creates green
fluorescent protein (GFP).
In the middle micrograph, the plant cells have been treated with an enzyme that
breaks down cell walls and disconnects the cells from each other.
The bottom micrograph shows the same cells as in the middle micrograph, but with
ultraviolet light applied to reveal only those with the GFP-marked genes active.
These constitute the cell population glowing green in the top photo of the
intact root.
The researchers collected hundreds of thousands of these specific cells. Using
whole genome microarrays, also known as "gene chips," they then
determined the genes expressed in these cells. The researchers typically
detected about 10,000 genes in each cell population, and they reconstructed the
gene-expression profile of the entire Arabidopsis root by repeating the process
on virtually all cell types within it.
ARLINGTON, Va.—A new "gene expression" map is helping scientists
track how a complex tissue ultimately arises from the blueprint of thousands of
genes.
Focusing on the root of a small flowering mustard plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, a
research team led by Duke University biologist Philip Benfey created a detailed
mosaic of cells showing where and when about 22,000 of the plant's roughly
28,000 genes are activated within growing root tissue.
The results, announced in the Dec. 12th issue of the journal Science, are the
first to demonstrate "this level of resolution of gene expression on a
global basis for any organism," said Benfey. The work, he said, serves as
"a proof of principle" that similar approaches can be applied to other
plant organs and other organisms.
It also marks the first time researchers have tracked the vast majority of an
organism's genes as they are switched on and off as cells grow, continually
divide and ultimately differentiate to build specialized tissue.
The ability to track gene expression on this scale (with each cellular division
along a comprehensive front) is critical to answering one of biology's basic,
yet most puzzling, questions: How do distinct, yet coordinated organs and
specialized cells arise from the endless division of cells that initially seemed
quite similar? For example, how does this complex process with a simple name,
development, begin with a single, fertilized cell and ultimately yield a plant
with roots, leaves, buds and blooms?
The researchers also found that different types of root cells tended to express
particular sets of genes that were clustered together on the plant chromosomes.
Understanding these patterns of cell types and gene clusters, Benfey said, could
help biologists decipher the genetic machinery of development and eventually
lead to new ways to enhance crops.
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the
independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education
across all fields of science and engineering.
Three years ago following an international effort, Arabidopsis became the first
plant to have its genome sequence completed. NSF, a key funder of the sequencing
effort, then launched "Arabidopsis 2010," a program to determine the
function of the all of the plant's genes in this decade. (It, too, is part of a
multinational effort.)
The gene-expression map announced in Science resulted from a $2.2 million 2010
project to apply "genomics approaches to finding transcriptional
networks."
(Using a gene's DNA as the template, the transcription process creates strands
of RNA, molecules that control the building of proteins and serve as catalysts.
A network of various biochemical factors, such as signaling hormones, can affect
this process.)
According to Joanne Tornow, a program director in NSF's Division of Molecular
and Cellular Biosciences, "the creation of the root map is a terrific
advance forward."
"The process should work with other plant tissues, although beyond the root
it may be more difficult to observe changes in gene expression over
developmental time," said Tornow.
"But this lays the groundwork for looking at how various biological
pathways interlink in transcriptional networks," she said. "There are
still thousands of genes in Arabidopsis, and we know almost nothing about their
function. By knowing when a gene is expressed and where it is expressed, we get
clues about the processes it is involved with and potentially its function as
well."
To develop the map, Benfey worked with colleagues at Duke, New York University
and the University of Arizona. In Science, they report, "High throughput
techniques allowed the harvesting, protoplasting (breaking down of cell walls by
enzymes), and sorting of approximately 10 million cells in about 1.5
hours."
To track gene expression over time, they relied upon the fact that a root cell's
advancing stages of development correlate to its distance from the root tip's
growing point.
To track the lineage of individual cells as they developed into specific tissue,
they attached marker genes to genes characteristic of each of five different
cell types or tissues. The marker genes produce a telltale, and therefore
traceable, green fluorescent protein (GFP) when the gene they're attached to is
activated.
Then, using methods invented by David Galbraith at the University of Arizona,
researchers moved quickly to sort, isolate and identify the
fluorescence-activated genes, which glow under ultraviolet light when the gene
they've marked is being expressed. They conducted the process during three
successive stages synchronously across five zones of cells and tissues in the
root.
To generate a visual map of 15 "subgrids," the massive amount of data
was "digitally reconstructed" with the intensity of gene expression
illustrated along a color scale.
According to Benfey, "other genomic studies, in which whole tissues were
ground up and their global gene expression profiles determined, certainly
generated much useful information. However, critical information on the
mechanisms of development was lost. Development occurs at the single cell level,
and there's a dramatic difference from one cell to the next, in terms of its
gene expression."
Canadians
want to know: where do you stand, Prime Minister Martin?
December 12, 2003
Council of Canadians Press Release
OTTAWA - Today, on Paul Martin's first day in office, the Council of Canadians
is challenging the new Prime Minister to tell Canadians where he stands on the
issues that matter.
"Canadians hold certain core values close to our hearts: public health
care, fair trade, safe food, and clean water. We need - and have the right - to
know that our voices will be represented and carried forward into action by this
new government," says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of
Canadians.
The Council of Canadians is asking Paul Martin and his ministers to answer four
key questions:
1. Will you and Trade Minister Jim Peterson commit to a Canada-wide referendum
prior to signing the final text of the Free Trade Area of the Americas
agreement?
(A poll conducted by the Canadian Labour Congress in 2002 indicated that 74% of
Canadians favour a referendum before Canada signs on to the FTAA.)
2. Will you and Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew introduce - within your first
100 days in office - legislation to implement the mandatory labeling of
genetically modified food?
(A poll conducted by Decima in 2003 found that 91% of Canadians want labels
listing GMO content and that 88% think such labels should be made mandatory.)
3. Will you and Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew take action to implement all
the recommendations of the Romanow Report on the Future of Health
Care in Canada, including the rejection of for-profit private health care? (A
poll conducted by Ekos Research in 2002 found that 74% of Canadians wanted the
Romanow Report's recommendations to be implemented within the first 100 days of
its release.)
4. Will you and Environment Minister John Godfrey create a National Water policy
which declares that water is a human right, not a commodity, and bans the sale
of Canada's water?
(A poll conducted by the Centre for Research and Information Canada in 2002
indicated that 65% of Canadians were opposed to exporting Canada's water.)
5. Will you and Agriculture Minister Bob Speller commit to legislating a
moratorium on the expansion of factory farms in Canada? (In communities where
factory farms have been established, there has been widespread concern around
the devastating implications of industrial farming practices on the environment
and community health and welfare.)
Canadians can email Prime Minister Martin and his cabinet ministers to ask
"Where do you stand?" by visiting the Council of Canadians' web site
at www.canadians.org.
Agnet is produced by the Food Safety Network at
the University of Guelph and is sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food, Plants Program at the University of Guelph, Agricultural Adaptation
Council (CanAdapt Program), AGCare, Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors,
ConAgra Foods, Inc., Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (Canada), Ag-West Biotech, Inc.,
Monsanto Canada, Meat and Livestock Australia, National Pork Board, Pew
Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, Syngenta Seeds, Inc., Council for
Biotechnology Information, Canadian Animal Health Institute, Croplife Canada,
Syngenta Seeds Canada, Inc., Canadian Food Information Council, Saskatchewan
Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization, JIFSAN, National Cattlemen's Beef
Association, National Food Processors Association, Ontario Agri-Food
Technologies, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Ltd., BC Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Feedlot Health Management Services, Syngenta
Crop Protection, Ontario Corn Producers' Association, DuPont Canada, Inc.,
Office of Consumer Affairs, Burger King, Sobeys Ontario, McCain Produce Inc.,
Canadian Institute for Food Inspection and Regulation, Canadian Wheat Board,
National Meat Association, Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Ontario Soybean Growers,
Bunge, Ltd., UC Davis Biotechnology Program, Consumer Federation of America
Foundation, Optibrand, University of Idaho Department of Microbiology, Molecular
Biology and Biochemistry, Tactix Government Consulting, Inc., Plant Bioscience
Ltd., CanAmera Foods, Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management, Inc.,
Hartono and Company, Agri Business Group, Inc., and Global Public Affairs.
To subscribe to the html version of Agnet (subscription is free), send mail to:
listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
leave subject line blank
in the body of the message type:
subscribe agnet-L firstname lastname
i.e. subscribe agnet-L Doug Powell
(replace agnet-L with agnettext to subscribe to the text version of agnet)
To unsubscribe to the html version of Agnet, send mail to:
listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
leave subject line blank
in the body of the message type:
signoff agnet-L
(replace agnet-L with agnettext to unsubscribe to the text version of agnet)
For more information about the Agnet research program, please contact:
Dr. Douglas Powell
Associate Professor
dept. of plant agriculture
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ont.
N1G 2W1
tel: 519-824-4120 x54280
cell: 519-835-3015
fax: 519-763-8933
dpowell@uoguelph.ca
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu
The Food Safety Network's bilingual toll-free line for obtaining food safety
information: 1-866-50-FSNET (1-866-503-7638)
archived at "http://131.104.74.73:96/agnet-archives.htm