GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Two papers co-authored by a University of Florida professor have been highlighted by a leading science journal.

The science journal Plant Physiology recently named the studies “Crop Genome Plasticity and Its Relevance to Food and Feed Safety of Genetically Engineered Breeding Stacks” and “Evaluating the Potential for Adverse Interactions within Genetically Engineered Breeding Stacks” as Editor’s Choice papers.

The papers were co-authored by Curtis Hannah, an professor with the horticultural sciences department, part of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

They examine the safety of genetically engineered stacked traits. Stacked traits are combinations of two or more single transgenic events that have been made by crossing sexually compatible plant parents.

“These papers address a topic, genetically modified organisms, that is very important to society and for which much misinformation has been spread to the public,” Hannah said.

“Using these techniques to genetically enhance foods is critically important in feeding starving people in many areas of the world,” he said. “These techniques will become even more important as the consequences of global climate change, increasing human population and the use of farm land for biofuels are realized.”

The papers were commissioned by the International Life Sciences Institute International Food Biotechnology Committee, which includes BASF, Bayer CropScience, Dow AgroSciences, Monsanto Company, Pioneer Hi-Bred, and Syngenta Biotechnology.

Both papers are available online for free here: http://www.ilsi.org/FoodBioTech/Pages/Publications.aspx.

-30-

Contacts

Writer: Robert H. Wells, 352-273-3569; rhwells@ufl.edu

Source: Curtis Hannah; lchannah@ufl.edu

0