b'gene codes for a protein which serves asWe need to see if one gene is enoughmore costly soil removal and disposal a catalyst to turn arsenate from the soilor do you need two of them or even allmethod is, in Banks view, anyones guess. into arsenite, the form of arsenic that canthree, she explains. Its pretty simple toThere are several factors at play and be sequestered. A third gene allows theadd genes to Arabidopsis as we knowmotivation plays a significant role. brake fern to help sequester arsenate inthe genome very well, and the standardMy understanding is that the previ-the cytoplasm.procedure is to put in a marker to makeous federal administration required that sure genes actually insert. Once thatscoal mining companies report the level Plants in action done, we will have to get to know the mis- of arsenic in coal ash, but the current While the Chinese brake fern could becanthus genome and where to insert.administration has removed that legal grown for many years in a row on arsen- In another study in Sweden, Universityrequirement, Banks explains. So, mining ic-contaminated sites in semitropicalof Skvde scientists published resultscompanies dont have to worry about areas of the planet, it would not survivein 2017 on phytoremediation of arsenicthat anymore, and its therefore hard to over winter in most areas of the Unitedfrom contaminated soil using transgenicset up a comprehensive removal program States. tobacco plants. The team inserted thehere in the U.S. if you dont know where It might be worth trying to grow andarsenic reductase2 gene of Arabidopsisthe hotspots are and how much arsenic is harvest it after several years, especiallyinto the genome of tobacco and foundcontained in them. Arsenic is everywhere, if it was fertilized and planted densely,that the transgenic tobacco plants werebut when we mine coal, coal ash is cre-Banks says. However, we are planning tomore tolerant to arsenic than non-mod- ated and it has a lot of it.insert these genes into other plants thatified ones. The team concluded that thisHowever, Banks says there are many grow faster and survive the winter, a per- demonstrates the gene to be a potentialarsenic-contaminated sites already ennial like miscanthus, which is a nativecandidate for genetic engineering ofidentified in the United States, as well as prairie grass with deep roots.plants to develop new crop cultivars forin China (large amounts of mining), India She adds that its a very easy process toboth arsenic-contaminated soil remedia- (arsenic gets solubilized into drinking use solvents to extract arsenic from planttion and to create food plants that containwater from the drilling of tube wells) and material and then properly dispose of it. no arsenic or a substantially-reducedChile (where arsenic is naturally occurring The first step in getting brake fernamount of arsenic.or distributed from copper mining). genes into miscanthus is to insert themIn the end, Banks says its possible that into the standard experimental plantLooking forward her work will make the biggest impact called Arabidopsis. Banks and her teamWhether companies will consider clean- outside the United States. have just started to make the insertioning up their arsenic-contaminated sitesNo matter where its used, I will be construct for that.through phytoremediation instead of thethrilled, Banks says.SWCONNECTINGTHE MOVING Purchase OrderProcessingPARTS Grower Contracts IntegrationSpecialist seed softwareto connect all of the moving parts within your seed productionand processing business Laboratory/QA Sales OrderProcessingGENERATION SEED MANAGEMENT SOFTWARESeed Processing ShippingSeed Mixing InventoryBooth 412SPEAK TO A SPECIALIST Visit us at ASTA on booth 412Phone+1 800 366 2474Emailprimeticsseed@culturatech.comVisitprimeticsseed.com20/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2019'