杏吧原创

ANXIETY about a genetic engineering technique that prevents plants from
germinating has prompted the US government to clamp down on the scientists
working on it. A memo leaked from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) says
that all research into what opponents have dubbed 鈥渢erminator technology鈥� must
now be vetted by senior managers.

The technique, which was invented by researchers at the USDA, works by
attaching a promoter from a gene called Late Embryogenesis Abundant
(LEA) to a gene that stops germination and inserting this into a seed
(This Week, 28 March, p 22).
When the seed has grown into a plant, the promoter
triggers the terminator gene, which sterilises the plant鈥檚 maturing seeds.

The leaked memo, an e-mail from Darwin Murrell of the USDA鈥檚 National Program
staff to the department鈥檚 researchers on 14 September, reveals that scientists
are interested in combining the technique with others, such as introducing genes
for resistance to disease or frost. This is a 鈥渟ensitive issue鈥�, Murrell says in
the memo. 鈥淚mposing an extra level of review for this research will not create
undue delays nor will it restrict the creative talents of our scientists, but it
will help them avoid potential political and legal pitfalls.鈥�

Terminator technology has already led to widespread protests. The Indian
government has banned the import of terminator seeds, fearing they will threaten
traditional crops. Last week, farmers鈥� pressure groups, led by the Rural
Advancement Foundation International in Canada, launched a global campaign
against the technology.

The USDA argues that the technique will benefit poor farmers because it will
let companies protect their intellectual property while marketing a wider
variety of genetically engineered seeds to suit many growing conditions.