Antarctic frost protection for wheat?
GMO Pundit
Philip Hopkins
October 19, 2007
A group of farmers is, according to this story, seeking to develop frost-resistant, genetically modified wheat using a gene from Antarctica. The Molecular Plant Breeding Co-operative Research Centre will conduct the research for the farmers, who have formed a company, Green Blueprint International. GBI has lodged a prospectus to raise $2 million to fund the research.
The story says that the partners aim to develop frost-resistant wheat varieties using a gene from Antarctic hairgrass and explain that the frost-tolerant gene creates a protein that inhibits icy crystal growth in the plant.
Chief executive of the Molecular Plant Breeding CRC Glenn Tong was cited as saying genes for these ice recrystallisation proteins were not unique to Antarctic hairgrass and were also in wheat and barley, but researchers hoped the Antarctic genes would lead to better ice crystal inhibition.
West Australian farmer John Stone said 75 farmers were already part of the scheme, which aimed to have 100 investors contribute about $20,000 each.
Source: GMO Pundit
