White rice and golden rice

Golden rice is a variety of rice (Oryza sativa) produced through genetic engineering to biosynthesize the precursors of beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A) in the edible parts of rice. The scientific details of the rice were first published in Science in 2000.^[1] Golden rice was developed as a fortified food to be used in areas where there is a shortage of dietary vitamin A.^[2] In 2005 a new variety called Golden Rice 2 was announced which produces up to 23 times more beta-carotene than the original variety of golden rice.^[3] Neither variety is currently available for human consumption. Although golden rice was developed as a humanitarian tool, it has met with significant opposition from environmental and anti-globalization activists. Download high resolution version (1761x1113, 464 KB)Golden rice and white rice, from the LSU AgCenter Communications [1] press release This work is copyrighted. ... Download high resolution version (1761x1113, 464 KB)Golden rice and white rice, from the LSU AgCenter Communications [1] press release This work is copyrighted. ... For other uses, see Rice (disambiguation). ... Kenyans examining insect-resistant transgenic Bt corn. ... Biosynthesis is a phenomenon where chemical compounds are produced from simpler reagents. ... Carotene is a terpene, an orange photosynthetic pigment, important for photosynthesis. ... Retinol, the animal form of vitamin A, is a yellow fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin important in vision and bone growth. ... Science is the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... // For eat or EAT as an abbreviation or acronym, see EAT. In general terms, eating (formally, ingestion) is the process of consuming nutrition, i. ... There are a number of meanings for humanitarianism: humanitarianism, humanism, the doctrine that peoples duty is to promote human welfare. ... For the psychology topic, see Environmental psychology. ... A KFC franchise in Kuwait. ...

Creation of golden rice

A simplified overview of the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway in golden rice. The enzymes expressed in the endosperm of golden rice, shown in red, catalyze the biosyntheis of beta-carotene from geranylgernayl diphosphate. Beta-carotene is assumed to be converted to retinal and subsequently retinol (vitamin A) in the animal gut

Golden rice was created by Ingo Potrykus of the Institute of Plant Sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, working with Peter Beyer of the University of Freiburg. The project started in 1992 and at the time of publication in 2000, golden rice was considered a significant breakthrough in biotechnology as the researchers had engineered an entire biosynthetic pathway. Simplified carotenoid biosynnthesis, showing the role of the genes added to golden rice, created by user:Petaholmes File links The following pages link to this file: Golden rice Categories: GFDL images ... Simplified carotenoid biosynnthesis, showing the role of the genes added to golden rice, created by user:Petaholmes File links The following pages link to this file: Golden rice Categories: GFDL images ... The orange ring surrounding Grand Prismatic Spring is due to carotenoid molecules, produced by huge mats of algae and bacteria. ... Ribbon diagram of the enzyme TIM, surrounded by the space-filling model of the protein. ... Endosperm is the tissue produced in the seeds of most flowering plants around the time of fertilization. ... Retinol, the animal form of vitamin A, is a yellow fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin important in vision and bone growth. ... Ingo Potrykus - retired since April 1999 - was full Professor of Plant Sciences, specifically of Biotechnology of Plants, at the Institute of Plant Sciences of the ETH Zurich since June 1, 1987. ... ETH Zurich (from its German name Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, ETHZ) is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich, Switzerland. ... Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg was founded 1457 in Freiburg by the Habsburgs. ...

Golden rice was designed to produce beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A, in the part of rice that people eat, the endosperm. The rice plant can naturally produce beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid pigment that occurs in the leaves and is involved in photosynthesis. However, the plant does not normally produce the pigment in the endosperm since photosynthesis does not occur in the endosperm. Carotene is a terpene, an orange photosynthetic pigment, important for photosynthesis. ... Vitamin A is an essential human nutrient. ... Endosperm is the tissue produced in the seeds of most flowering plants around the time of fertilization. ... The orange ring surrounding Grand Prismatic Spring is due to carotenoid molecules, produced by huge mats of algae and bacteria. ... The leaf is the primary site of photosynthesis in plants. ...

Golden rice was created by transforming rice with three beta-carotene biosynthesis genes: It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Transfection. ...

1. psy (phytoene synthase)
2. lyc (lycopene cyclase), both from daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), and
3. crt1 from the soil bacterium Erwinia uredovora

The psy, lyc and crt1 genes were transformed into the rice nuclear genome and placed under the control of an endosperm specific promoter, so that they are only expressed in the endosperm. The exogenous lyc gene has a transit peptide sequence attached so that it is targeted to the plastid, where geranylgeranyl diphosphate formation occurs. The bacterial crt1 gene was an important inclusion to complete the pathway, since it can catalyze multiple steps in the synthesis of carotenoids, while these steps require more than one enzyme in plants.^[4] The end product of the engineered pathway is lycopene, but if the plant accumulated lycopene the rice would be red. Recent analysis has shown that the plant's endogenous enzymes process the lycopene to beta-carotene in the endosperm, giving the rice the distinctive yellow colour for which it is named.^[5] The original Golden rice was called SGR1, and under greenhouse conditions it produced 1.6µg/g of carotenoids. Lycopene is a bright red carotenoid pigment, a phytochemical found in tomatoes and other red fruits. ... Species ????? Daffodils are a group of large flowered members of the genus Narcissus. ... A promoter is a regulatory region of DNA located upstream (towards the 5 region) of a gene, providing a control point for regulated gene transcription. ... Gene expression, or simply expression, is the process by which the inheritable information which comprises a gene, such as the DNA sequence, is made manifest as a physical and biologically functional gene product, such as protein or RNA. Several steps in the gene expression process may be modulated, including the... Plant cells with visible chloroplasts. ... Chemical structure of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate. ... Lycopene is a bright red carotenoid pigment, a phytochemical found in tomatoes and other red fruits. ...

Subsequent development

Golden rice has been bred with local rice cultivars in the Philippines, Taiwan and with the American rice variety Cocodrie. The first field trials of these golden rice cultivars were conducted by Louisiana State University AgCenter in 2004.^[6] Field testing will allow a more accurate measurement of the nutritional value of golden rice and will enable feeding tests to be performed. Preliminary results from the field tests have shown that field grown Golden rice produces 3 to 4 times more beta-carotene than Golden rice grown under greenhouse conditions.^[7] Plant breeding is the purposeful manipulation of plant species in order to create desired genotypes and phenotypes for specific purposes. ... For other uses, see LSU. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2005, a team of researchers at biotechnology company Syngenta produced a variety of golden rice called "Golden Rice 2". They combined the phytoene synthase gene from maize with crt1 from the original golden rice. Golden rice 2 produces 23 times more carotenoids than golden rice (up to 37µg/g), and preferentially accumulates beta-carotene (up to 31µg/g of the 37µg/g of carotenoids).^[3] To receive the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), it is estimated that 144 g of this rice would have to be eaten. Bioavailiability of the carotene from either variety has not been tested in any model.^[8] Syngenta AG is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. ... This article is about the maize plant. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Daily values. ...

In June 2005, researcher Peter Beyer received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to further improve Golden rice by increasing the levels of or the bioavailability of pro-vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, and zinc, and to improve protein quality through genetic modification.^[9] The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the worlds largest charitable foundation. ...

Golden rice and vitamin A deficiency

Prevalence of vitamin A deficiency. Source: WHO

The research that led to golden rice was conducted with the goal of helping children who suffer from Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). At the beginning of the 21st century, 124 million people, in 118 countries in Africa and South East Asia, were estimated to be affected by VAD. VAD is responsible for 1-2 million deaths, 500,000 cases of irreversible blindness and millions of cases of xerophthalmia annually.^[10] Children and pregnant women are at highest risk. Vitamin A is supplemented orally and by injection in areas where the diet is deficient in Vitamin A. As of 1999 there were 43 countries that had vitamin A supplementation programs for children under 5; in 10 of these countries, two high dose supplements are available per year, which according to UNICEF could effectively elimiate VAD.^[11] However UNICEF and a number of NGOs involved in supplementation note that more frequent low-dose supplementation should be a goal where feasible.^[12] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1357x628, 51 KB)Prevalance of Vitamin A deficiency, from WHO data [1] Made by User:Petaholmes File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1357x628, 51 KB)Prevalance of Vitamin A deficiency, from WHO data [1] Made by User:Petaholmes File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... “WHO” redirects here. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... This article is about the visual condition. ... Xerophthalmia (Greek for dry eyes) is a medical condition in which the eye doesnt produce tears. ... This article is about the year. ... UNICEF Logo The United Nations Childrens Fund or UNICEF (Arabic: ; French: ; Spanish: ) was established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946. ... “NGO” redirects here. ...

Because many children in countries where there is a dietary deficiency in Vitamin A rely on rice as a staple food, the genetic modification to make rice produce provitamin A (beta-carotene) is seen as a simple and less expensive alternative to vitamin supplements or an increase in the consumption of green vegetables or animal products. It can be considered as the genetically engineered equivalent of fluoridated water or iodized salt. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Kenyans examining insect-resistant transgenic Bt corn. ... Water fluoridation is the practice of adding fluoride compounds to water with the intended purpose of reducing tooth decay in the general population. ... Iodised salt is ordinary table salt mixed with a tiny amount of iodine salts, so that it prevents disease of the thyroid gland. ...

Theoretical analyses of the potential nutritional benefits of golden rice show that consumption of golden rice would not eliminate the problems of blindness and increased mortality, but should be seen as a complement to other methods of Vitamin A supplementation.^[13]

Golden rice and intellectual property issues

Golden rice and co-creator Professor Ingo Potrykus on the cover of TIME magazine, August 7th, 2000

Potrykus has spearheaded an effort to have golden rice distributed for free to subsistence farmers. This required several companies which had intellectual property rights to the results of Beyer's research to license it for free. Beyer had received funding from the European Commissions 'Carotene Plus' research program, and by accepting those funds, he was required by law to give the rights to his discovery to the corporate sponsors of that program, Zeneca (now Syngenta). Beyer and Potrykus made use of 70 Intellectual Property rights belonging to 32 different companies and universities in the making of golden rice. They needed to establish free licences for all of these so that Syngenta and humanitarian partners in the project could use golden rice in breeding programs and to develop new crops.^[14] TIME cover, July 31, 2000 This image is a book cover. ... TIME cover, July 31, 2000 This image is a book cover. ... The following is a list of subsistence techniques: Hunting and Gathering, also known as Foraging freeganism involves gathering of discarded food in the context of an urban environment gleaning involves the gathering of food that traditional farmers have left behind in their fields Cultivation Horticulture - plant cultivation, based on the... For other uses, see Farmer (disambiguation). ... For the 2006 film, see Intellectual Property (film). ... Syngenta AG is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. ...

Free licenses, so called Humanitarian Use Licenses were granted quickly due to the positive publicity that golden rice received, particularly in TIME magazine in July 2000. Golden rice was said to be the first genetically modified crop that was inarguably beneficial, and thus met with widespread approval. Monsanto was one of the first companies to grant the group free licences. There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... The Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. ...

The group also had to define the cutoff between humanitarian and commercial use. This figure was set at USD$10 000. Therefore, as long as a farmer or subsequent user of golden rice genetics does not make more than $10 000 per year, no royalties need be paid to Syngenta for commercial use. There is no fee for the humanitarian use of golden rice, and farmers are permitted to keep and replant seed. At present, Syngenta has no interest in commercial use of the plant. The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Opposition

Critics of genetically engineered crops, such as Greenpeace, raised various concerns. Originally, golden rice did not have sufficient vitamin A, but new strains were developed that solve this problem. However, Greenpeace opposes all genetically modified organisms, and is concerned that golden rice is a Trojan horse that will open the door to more widespread use of GMOs.^[15] Greenpeace protest against Esso / Exxon Mobil. ... Vitamin A is an essential human nutrient. ... GloFish: the first genetically modified animal to be sold as a pet. ... For other uses, see Trojan Horse (disambiguation). ...

Vandana Shiva, an Indian anti-GMO activist, argued that the problem was not particular deficiencies in the crops themselves, but problems with poverty and loss of biodiversity in food crops. These problems are aggravated by the corporate control of agriculture based on genetically modified foods. By focusing on a narrow problem (vitamin A deficiency), Shiva argued, the golden rice proponents were obscuring the larger issue of a lack of broad availability of diverse and nutritionally adequate sources of food.^[16] Similarly other groups have argued that a varied diet containing vitamin A rich foods like sweet potato, leafy green vegetables and fruit would provide children with sufficient vitamin A.^[17] While this is true, others also contend that a varied diet is beyond the means of many of the poor, which they say is why they subsist on a diet of rice. The poorest people may not have an option to eat a varied diet, necessarily relying on one or few foods to provide complete nutrition. Opponents of genetically modified foods, however, have yet to propose or act upon a viable solution to the problem of malnutrition. The work at ECHO may be a good step towards such solutions, as they support development workers by providing healthy, albeit non-standard food crops and related knowledge to poor (semi)tropical regions of the world. Vandana Shiva (b. ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ... Binomial name L. Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Chinese cabbage Swiss chard Leaf vegetables, also called greens or leafy greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... Percentage of population affected by malnutrition by country, according to United Nations statistics. ...

The aleurone layer that surrounds the rice endosperm is removed by a process called milling or polishing in most countries, to improve the shelf life of the rice. Brown rice with the aleurone intact contains more B vitamins, iron, manganese, selenium, zinc and phosphorus than milled rice. The Institute of Science in Society claims that if rice was not milled that supplementation would not be necessary.^[18] However USDA data shows that brown rice does not contain any more beta carotene than milled rice.^[19][20] Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute are screening rice germplasm, and trying conventional breeding approaches for breeding varieties with increased beta carotene in the aleurone.^[21] Aleurone (from Greek aleuron, flour) is a protein found in protein granules of maturing seeds and tubers. ... The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international NGO. Its headquarters are in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, and it has offices in ten countries. ... Germplasm is a term used to describe the genetic resources, or more precisely the DNA of an organism and collections of that material. ...

References

Endosperm is the tissue produced in the seeds of most flowering plants around the time of fertilization. ... Science is the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). ...

External links

• Golden Rice Project
• GRAINS OF DELUSION: Golden Rice Seen From the Ground: Joint report by BIOTHAI (Thailand), CEDAC (Cambodia), DRCSC (India), GRAIN, MASIPAG (Philippines), PAN-Indonesia and UBINIG (Bangladesh)