Gene genies [genetically modified food]

Reticence to apply genetically-modified (GM) has led to much other research work on food safety. GM crops, augmented with the Bt gene, produce a protein that kills caterpillars that would otherwise feed on them. Campaigners against genetically modified (GM) crops frequently argue that the introduction of these plants into developing nations deskills the farmers. Work carried out by groups such as the IITA, many of which cooperate through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has shifted away from trying to apply single techniques and to find ways to get farmers to adopt only the ones that work on their own fields. Rather than supply huge quantities of seed direct, the aim is to produce plants with the right traits that can be crossbred with suitable local species. Cornell University is working on a project to build a comprehensive database of markers for rice that will be incorporated into a gene chip that will make it much easier to characterize the many strains of rice already in use, and help the development of new strains.