Report details biotech plants, animals on horizon
Date: 07-Sep-01
Country: USA
The group said it had reviewed dozens of new gene-spliced plant and animal products being tested in laboratories to broaden a continuing public debate over the risks and benefits of biotechnology.
The image of U.S. biotech foods suffered during the past year because of the recall of many brands of taco shells, snack chips and other food accidentally contaminated with a corn variety known as StarLink.
StarLink, made by Aventis SA, was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1998 for use as animal feed but banned from human food since regulators feared it might trigger allergies.
The high-profile StarLink incident briefly affected U.S. corn exports to key markets such as Japan, where consumers have rejected many genetically altered foods. It also unleashed protests by U.S. activists, who contend stricter regulations are needed to rein in biotech plants and animals until their impact on the environment and human health is thoroughly studied.
NO ENDORSEMENTS
The Pew report did not endorse gene-spliced products or forecast which new ones would succeed in the market.
"The report should not be viewed as an endorsement of biotechnology or any of the potential future applications," it said. "Much of the research cited is an early stage, and many of the applications face significant technical, economic, marketing and regulatory challenges before they can be commercialized."
The report did, however, highlight several innovative plants and animals.
Gene-altered foods such as corn, lettuce, tomato, soybeans, cowpeas, potatoes and even tobacco could become an important way to vaccinate people against certain diseases cheaply and safely, the Pew report said.
Scientists at Thomas Jefferson University announced earlier this year they were working on gene-spliced spinach to produce proteins that would help suppress deadly HIV infection.
The researchers introduced a gene expressing the protein into a common plant virus and then inserted the genetic material into the spinach plant, according to the report.
"Technology developers believe that edible vaccines could offer advantages over conventional immunization programs by eliminating both the need for purification and the hazards associated with injection," the report said.
BLUE ROSES, SPIDER SILK
Gene engineering also means that home gardeners and florists may soon see blue blossoms on carnations, chrysanthemums, roses, lilies and gerberas.
Those five leading varieties of cut flowers cannot be bred for blue color using traditional breeding techniques because none contain the enzyme pathways to produce blue pigments, according to the report.
But transgenic flowers can have colors in the blue-to-mauve range, widening the color palette.
The addition of genes also means that cut flowers can be developed with longer lives and stronger stems for floral arrangements.
Another biotech project seeks to introduce a spider gene into goats so protein harvested from their milk can be used to make ultra-strong spider silk. The silk would be especially valuable in bulletproof vests, surgical sutures and other industrial products.
And scientists are developing ways to use gene-spliced plants to absorb or detoxify polluted soil and air. At least 45 kinds of plants are known to accumulate metals such as copper, cadmium, cobalt, selenium and zinc, the report said.
The new generation of bioengineered products for consumers and industry is a departure from current gene-spliced plants, which were mostly designed to benefit farmers and herbicide manufacturers.
About 68 percent of soybean acreage, 69 percent of cotton acreage and 26 percent of corn acreage planted by American farmers this year used genetically modified seeds, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.
