Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60SEPTEMBER 2016 51 under cool temperatures, phosphorus use efficiency, phyto-oestrogen content, methanogenic potential in the rumen, flowering time and other traits related to biomass production.” Source: The Uni- versity of Western Australia. STATUSEurope THE EUROPEAN Research Council announced that Ksenia Krasileva, group leader at the Earlham Institute (EI) and The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) was awarded a 1.5-million-euro starting grant (over five years) to investigate the immune system of the most important crops. Her research could create new genetic solutions for protecting plant health. Plants have their own ability to detect and disarm rapidly evolving pathogens. Their defense mechanisms rely on a particularly rich arsenal of plant immune receptors. Among these receptors, NLR-IDs are proteins, which have proliferated for at least 500 million years and serve as ‘baits’ for pathogen molecules. Krasileva and her group will investigate how these receptors diversify in maize, rice and wheat. Using this genetic information to help generate new methods to protect plants from pests and disease. “We propose to combine powerful next generation sequencing and bioinformatics methods, as well as molecular biology techniques, in order to unravel how the grasses can keep up with ever-persistent diseases, and eventually generate new ways that our most vital crops can withstand them,” Krasileva says. “Through firstly identifying how plant disease receptors have diversified within the genomes of the grasses, to then unravelling the mechanisms by which they work, we can then use this knowledge and apply engineering to plant breeding.” Krasileva has already studied the repertoire of disease receptors across 40 types of flowering plant, including novel ways in which they can respond to pests and pathogens that evolve quickly to overcome plant defenses. One such example is that plants have combined disease receptors with proteins that naturally interact with the molecules secreted by pests, increasing the ability of plants to combat infections. Considering that the grasses, including wheat, rice and maize, are the most abundant crop species globally, it is incredibly important to study how these mechanisms work. Diane Saunders, Fellow of EI and JIC, will also receive fund- ing from the ERC over the next five years to investigate the molecular mechanisms driving host adaptation of yellow rust on cereal crops and grasses. Source: Cambridge Network. STATUSIndia THE TECHNICAL sub- committee of India’s Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee has said that biotech mustard (Dhara Mustard Hybrid 11 or DMH- 11) does not “raise any public health or safety concerns for human beings or animals.” The sub-committee evaluated the safety of the crop and released the Assessment of Food and Environmental Safety report published in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) website for public comment. India’s first biotech mustard hybrid DMH-11 was developed by the University of Delhi South Campus. The project is the first public sector edible oil biotech crop developed with funding from the Department of Biotechnology of the Min- istry of Science and Technol- ogy and the National Dairy Development Board. STATUSUganda FARMERS AND aspiring young farmers attended the one-day event called AgriKool Expo, which was entirely organized and managed by youth to highlight the wealth of career opportunities available to young women and men. More than 500 participants ranging from 10 to 35 years of age attended the event. The attendees included young farmers, agri-preneurs, and the general public. Uganda Biosciences Information Center was part of the exhibitors, showcasing on agricultural biotechnology research and development. Young people who stopped by the biotech stall were curi- ous to know what GMOs are; where to find seeds of the crops exhibits; the advantages of GMO crops over traditional ones; and the effect of GMOs on human health and environ- ment. Source: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.