A dual-RPA based lateral flow strip for sensitive,on-site detection of CP4-EPSPS and Cry1Ab/Ac genes in genetically modified crops

Traditional transgenic detection methods require high test conditions and struggle to be both sensitive and efficient.In this study,a one-tube dual recombinase polymerase amplification(RPA)reaction system for CP4-EPSPS and Cry1Ab/Ac was proposed and combined with a lateral flow immunochromatographic assay,named“Dual-RPA-LFD”,to visualize the dual detection of genetically modified(GM)crops.In which,the herbicide tolerance gene CP4-EPSPS and the insect resistance gene Cry1Ab/Ac were selected as targets taking into account the current status of the most widespread application of insect resistance and herbicide tolerance traits and their stacked traits.Gradient diluted plasmids,transgenic standards,and actual samples were used as templates to conduct sensitivity,specificity,and practicality assays,respectively.The constructed method achieved the visual detection of plasmid at levels as low as 100 copies,demonstrating its high sensitivity.In addition,good applicability to transgenic samples was observed,with no cross-interference between two test lines and no influence from other genes.In conclusion,this strategy achieved the expected purpose of simultaneous detection of the two popular targets in GM crops within 20 min at 37°C in a rapid,equipmentfree field manner,providing a new alternative for rapid screening for transgenic assays in the field.

Genetically modified crops and climate change linkages: An Indian perspective

Genetically Modified Crops (GMCs) and Climate Change (CC) are the two most contentious ecological issues the world faces today. Application of transgenics in agriculture is most debated because of its direct and indirect implications. The advertized benefits in the backdrop of the potentially harmful effects on health and environment make this an issue of greater concern. On the other hand, Climate Change is a problem of enormous scale and its after-effects even more grave. The impact of climate change on agriculture, though well researched, is still very uncertain. Further, the introduction and global embrace of a technology with unverified credentials may prove to be an ill-conceived and ill-timed act. The future of GMC technology in India will be both challenging as well as exciting. Therefore any decision on this front should be taken with scientific rigor and logic. Our aim is to explore this complex inter-relationship and provide impetus for further research.

Genetically-Modified Organisms in United States Agriculture: Mandate for Food Labeling

The production of foods with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has risen rapidly over the past three decades to comprise nearly 90% of crops grown in the United States today. Currently, there are no mandates for labeling foods containing GMOs. GMO agricultural crops contain the insertion of genes encoding for pesticides, pesticide resistance, growth factors, or other substances not normally present. In addition to the foreign genes that are inserted, hundreds to thousands of mutations disrupt normal genes in GMO plants. Recently, animal studies have demonstrated toxicity of GMO foods causing organ failure, infertility, carcinomas and death. The FDA requirement of ingredients added to foods be labeled on the product is not applied to GMO foods, precluding the consumer’s right to know. GMOs provide an economic incentive to companies because the seeds can be patented, driving up costs and creating the potential for monopolies. Herbicide-resistance conferred by GMOs has resulted in higher pesticide applications, which correlate with higher human cancer rates, and the emergence of pesticide-resistant weeds and insects. GMO toxins are spreading into to non-target insects, waterways and aquatic organisms, with toxicity to non-target organisms and resultant contamination of disparate ecosystems in the food chain. The appropriateness of mandatory GMO labeling of foods in the United States is discussed.

Genetic Engineering of Field, Industrial and Pharmaceutical Crops

Ability to modify plants at the genomic level by advanced molecular technology has enhanced the scope of improvements in plant traits attempted earlier through conventional breeding methods. Techniques such as genetic transformation have opened new vistas whereby functional genes, not commonly present in a particular species can be added from other species. The traits incorporated into the genetically engineered plants in the beginning were confined to those governed by dominant genes, e.g. insecticide resistance and herbicide tolerance but advancements with time now also permit the transfer of complexly inherited traits such as drought and cold tolerance. Transgenic technology is also useful in understanding gene expression and metabolic pathways which can then be used to harness the full genomic potential of the plant. This review presents a narrative on development of transgenics and their use for the improvement of field, industrial and pharmaceuticals crops. In addition, discussions are made on current status on genetically modified crops, hurdles to genetic engineering, overcoming strategies and future scope.

Metabolic Engineering of Plant-derived (E)-β-farnesene Synthase Genes for a Novel Type of Aphid-resistant Genetically Modified Crop Plants

Aphids are major agricultural pests that cause significant yield losses of crop plants each year. Excessive dependence on insec- ticides for long-term aphid control is undesirable because of the development of insecticide resistance, the potential negative effects on non-target organisms and environmental pollution. Transgenic crops engineered for resistance to aphids via a non-toxic mode of action could be an efficient alternative strategy. （E）-β-Farnesene （EβF） synthases catalyze the formation of EβF, which for many pest aphids is the main component of the alarm pheromone involved in the chemical communication within these species. EβF can also be synthesized by certain plants but is then normally contaminated with inhibitory compounds. Engineering of crop plants capable ofsynthesizing and emitting EβF could cause repulsion of aphids and also the attraction of natural enemies that use EβF as a foraging cue, thus minimizing aphid infestation. In this review, the effects of aphids on host plants, plants＇ defenses against aphid herbivory and the recruitment of natural enemies for aphid control in an agricultural setting are briefly introduced. Furthermore, the plant-derived EβF synthase genes cloned to date along with their potential roles in generating novel aphid resistance via genetically modified approaches are discussed.

我国转基因耐除草剂作物研发与应用

杂草是引起作物减产的重要农业有害生物之一。基因重组技术为培育转基因耐除草剂作物提供了有力的手段,耐除草剂作物的种植也为农民带来了更多的除草选择,在扩大杀草谱、提高除草效果、提高作物安全性、改善环境和简化栽培模式等方面起到了推动作用。美国、巴西、阿根廷和加拿大等国家的转基因作物应用率接近饱和。以耐草甘膦为代表的耐除草剂作物商业化为种植国带来了显著的经济、社会和生态效益。在转基因生物新品种培育科技重大专项资金支持下,我国将生物技术应用于耐除草剂作物育种,研发出了多个抗虫/耐除草剂玉米、耐除草剂大豆转化体。其中,‘DBN9936’‘DBN958’‘中黄6106’等含有耐除草剂基因的11个玉米转化体和3个大豆转化体获得农业转基因生物生产应用安全证书。试点种植结果显示,上述转化体配套使用草甘膦除草效果好、增产和节本,有利于大豆-玉米带状复合种植和后茬作物轮作倒茬。本文在概述杂草防控对耐除草剂作物需求的基础上,总结了耐除草剂作物研发与试验种植进展,论述了耐除草剂作物在我国的应用前景,以期为我国转基因耐除草剂作物的目标除草剂使用与管理提供参考。

基因漂移生态风险的法学解析与治理路径——以转基因作物为例

转基因作物的扩大种植正加剧着基因漂移产生的外部性生态风险;在该基础风险之上,制度设计缺失、监管力度不够、社会信任危机还将这一风险不断放大,而其根本症结在于基因漂移导致的污染产权界定不清。文章采用侵权理论,提出将基因漂移产生的污染产权分配给传统作物种植者,并提出从宏观立法建构、微观责任建构以及局部规则补充三个方面进行基因漂移侵权体系的整体搭建,以期能为基因漂移的外部性治理提供一些有效的私益救济路径。

南亚国家转基因作物发展及相关政策分析

南亚国家农村人口众多,农业主要是小农经营。随着近年来人口急剧增长,以及干旱天气和极端气候频繁发生,加之较为落后的生产方式等,南亚国家对粮食问题的担忧一直存在。尽管转基因作物在南亚国家还存在诸多争议,但转基因作物的出现为解决其农业发展中遇到的问题提供了一种方法。南亚国家对转基因作物发展采取谨慎原则,旨在维护其粮食安全和生物多样性、保护小农利益。展望未来,南亚国家会加强转基因作物研发,注重自有技术,完善转基因作物监管政策,保障转基因作物与传统作物共存,加强区域合作进行转基因作物研发生产以及进出口。南亚国家转基因作物的发展情况及相关政策,可为中国、亚太及世界其他地区提供借鉴与启示。

生物育种产业化面临的机遇与政策保障

随着中国转基因玉米和大豆产业化试点的推进,间接食用转基因农产品在中国大范围产业化种植到了关键时刻。为有序推进生物育种产业化进程,本文在回顾全球和中国转基因作物产业化历史的基础上,着重分析了中国生物育种产业化遇到的两大机遇:一是中国转基因农产品的持续进口和间接食用在下游加工业和群众中积累了一定的消费基础;二是过去这些年中国转基因技术的研发和技术储备已为转基因作物产业化做出了良好准备。最后,本文从充分利用现有群众消费基础、进一步释放技术储备潜力、更加严格地做好全流程监管等方面,提出有序推进生物育种产业化的政策建议。

转基因作物光谱检测方法研究进展

随着现代农业生物科技的发展,转基因技术映入眼帘,转基因作物种植面积日益增加使得人们对转基因的安全问题也有争议,从而导致转基因作物检测方法备受注目。国内外学者对于转基因作物检测领域的研究主要体现在光谱检测方法和传统检测方法两方面。为避免传统检测中高成本,低准确率的状况,学者在光谱检测领域上做出多项研究。两类检测方法均被广泛应用于各行各业,但在两者研究中仍然存在着不足之处需要改进。

转基因农作物越境损害责任的省察与重构

转基因农作物越境转移可能对输入和输出的国家和地区造成损害。在其法律责任问题上,既有学说从污染者负担原则出发,认为转基因农作物越境造成的损害应排他性适用民事责任。从规范分析角度看,此种观点具有局限性,污染者负担难以作为一项法律原则而被证成;相关国际条约并未明确转基因农作物越境损害的责任形式,而是允许缔约方适用现有国内法或者制定新的法律去解决。依据《卡塔赫纳生物安全议定书关于赔偿责任和补救的名古屋—吉隆坡补充议定书》,及时充分赔偿原则应为统帅转基因农作物越境损害责任的法律原则。依照该原则,面向转基因农作物越境损害排他性适用民事责任不具有正当性,应当以民事责任和国家责任为核心构建类型化的责任体系。应依照因果关系的确证性对相关事实进行类型化区分,对因果关系可在经营者层面确证的损害适用民事责任,对不能确证的则适用国家责任,同时还应通过立法补正和法律解释的方式推动类型化责任体系在规范层面得以实现。

Effect of Bt traits on transgenic rice's growth and weed competitiveness

Transgene escape could lead to genetically modified rice establishing wild populations in the natural environment and competing for survival space with weeds.However,whether the expression of the Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)gene in rice will alter the relationship between transgene plants and weeds and induce undesirable environmental consequences are poorly understood.Thus,field experiments were conducted to investigate the weed competitiveness and assess the ecological risk of transgenic Bt rice under herbicide-free and lepidopterous pest-controlled environments.Results showed that weed–rice competition in the direct-sowing(DS)field was earlier and more severe than that in the transplanting(TP)field,which resulted in a significant decrease in biomass and yield in DS.However,conventional Bt and non-Bt rice yield was not significantly different.The weed number,weed coverage ratio,and weed diversity of conventional Bt rice were significantly higher than those of non-Bt rice at the early growth and mature stages,especially in DS plots,suggesting that Bt traits did not increase the weed competitiveness of transgenic rice and had no negative effect on weed diversity.Grain yield and weed number varied between different hybrid rice lines,but those differences were insignificant between Bt and non-Bt rice.The number of insects increased with the increase of weeds in hybrid rice plots,whereas the insect number and diversity did not display a significant difference between Bt and non-Bt rice.Therefore,the ecological risk of transgenic Bt rice is comparable to non-Bt rice.

农业转基因作物发展对农药的影响

由于生物技术的快速发展,抗虫及耐除草剂等转基因作物越来越多地进入商业化应用阶段,在一定程度上改变了传统的病虫害防治方法,对我国农药产业产生了相应的影响。本文从我国转基因农作物研究政策、转基因农作物管理及发展趋势,转基因农作物种植对农药使用量、品种结构、产业融合等方面的影响等多个角度综述了转基因作物种植对我国农药产业的影响。本文也指出转基因抗虫棉花的推广种植使得我国杀虫剂的用量逐年降低,而未来耐除草剂转基因大豆和玉米的逐步推广,草甘膦和草铵膦使用量将快速增长。农业转基因作物的发展必将对农药行业和产业带来一场新的变革,农药企业应顺应市场变化,不断调整和创新发展策略。

转基因耐除草剂作物用药国外登记管理要求

美国、加拿大和巴西是主要的转基因作物种植国家,已有多年的转基因作物种植历史,拥有较为完善的农药管理制度。转基因耐草甘膦作物是一类种植规模较大的转基因耐除草剂作物。本文总结了美国、加拿大和巴西的法规要求以及对草甘膦的管理制度,并论述了国外主要转基因种植国家对转基因作物用目标除草剂的登记要求及管理现状,旨在为我国转基因作物用目标除草剂的登记、管理和商业化提供参考。

转基因作物外源转基因成分环介导等温扩增技术检测方法的建立及应用

【目的】建立转基因作物外源转基因成分环介导等温扩增技术检测方法。【方法】以转基因作物中常用的花椰菜花叶病毒35S启动子(CaMV35S)为主要研究对象,利用环介导等温扩增技术(loop-mediatedisothermal amplification,LAMP),针对CaMV35S基因的6个区域设计4种特异引物,利用1种链置换DNA聚合酶(Bst DNA polymerase)在65℃保温1h,通过荧光显色即可完成对转基因作物鉴定工作。同时对7种转基因作物进行LAMP检测。【结果】该LAMP方法通过特异性检测含有CaMV35S启动子的转基因作物,其检测结果的特异性与常规PCR方法结果一致,灵敏度是常规PCR的10倍。【结论】转基因作物LAMP检测方法具有高度的特异性及稳定性,结果可靠,非常适合转基因作物的快速检测,有较好的应用价值。

转基因作物及产品检测技术研究进展

随着转基因技术的迅猛发展,转基因作物及其产品的安全性问题受到广泛关注,世界各国纷纷加大了对转基因生物及其产品的管理力度。转基因检测是转基因安全管理的技术保障,本文就国内外转基因作物及产品的检测技术进行了综述,重点介绍了目前使用较广泛的PCR、ELISA等转基因检测技术的原理和特点,提出了今后转基因检测技术的发展趋势和研究方向。

关于转基因技术应用于水稻育种研究的思考

全球转基因作物种植面积迅速扩大,转基因水稻终将进入商品化生产,为此需要在理论、技术和材料上做好充分的准备。笔者认为:确认常规育种的主体地位,制定充分发挥转基因技术的特点、整合载体构建、花药培养、分子标记新技术的技术路线对提高育种效率至关重要;在实验室层面,需要根据育种目标精心选择目的基因,构建高效、安全的表达载体,优化转基因体系,努力提高籼稻转化频率,减少体细胞无性系变异,探索叶绿体转化技术;在田间试验阶段,需要确定合适的参试株系数,建议每个载体以100～200个株系为宜;区试阶段是对参试品种(系)进行转基因监控的最有效时机;提出水稻生物反应器研究和利用转基因技术修复污染环境的一些原则;不同领域科学家之间的沟通和合作是转基因水稻走向市场的保证。

转基因作物及其生物安全性

随着基因工程技术日益完善,转基因作物的种类和耕种面积迅速增长,但其潜在的问题也日益突出和明显。文章对转基因作物的研究和应用概况以及安全性进行了简要综述。

转基因植物中外源基因及其表达产物转移的途径

随着转基因植物商品化应用的增多 ,全面了解转基因植物潜在的生态风险性尤为重要。国内外对“转基因植物中外源基因向野生亲缘物种漂移的可能性”、“昆虫对抗虫转基因植物的耐受性”以及“转基因植物对生物多样性的潜在影响”等问题已进行了广泛研究。对转基因植物中外源基因及其表达产物的几种可能转移途径作了概述。着重介绍了“经花粉散布或与野生亲缘物种杂交等途径引起的外源基因转移”以及“转基因植物对土壤生态系统的影响”等方面的研究情况。此外 ,还对“鉴定外源基因及其表达产物存在的方法”进行了简要探讨。