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virus and the murine leukaemia virus — were tested in 18-day-old rats. Adenovirus was the most effective gene-transfer vector, with vaccinia coming in a close second. The murine leukaemia virus failed to deliver genes producing a functional product. DM
susceptibility, progress, treatment, and prevention of human diseases and their models in laboratory mice (www.eurekalert.org). DM
The boys from Kentucky Sevorino Antinori and Panos Zavos of the Andrology Institute in Kentucky (Lexington, KY, USA) (www.aiazavos.com/index.html) announced a project to clone humans using nuclear transfer by 2002. This is despite abject opposition to their project from legal, ethical and scientific circles – in particular arguments that very few nuclear transfer events are successful, and those that are give rise to defective organisms. Even those offspring that are apparently normal appear to be defective in some fashion (David Humphreys, Science, 6 July). DM
381
embryo. ACT has a patent application pending on the methods, and hopes to publish full details and findings within a year. MJD
Transgenic sausages
Californian biotech power struggle
Banana sequence Scientists from 11 countries have announced the founding of an international consortium to sequence the banana genome within five years. The scientists from governmental, university, and non-profit organizations will use the new genetic data to enable developing-world farmers to grow bananas that are resistant to the ‘Black Sigatoka’ fungus, as well as other diseases and pests. Bananas are a staple food for nearly 0.5 billion people worldwide, but their crops are increasingly lost to disease. Banana will be the first tropical crop to be sequenced (www.eurekalert.org). DM
Eye therapy The potential of gene delivery systems to treat eye disease stemming from abnormal blood vessel growth is reported by Itay Chowers in the British Journal of Ophthalmology (August issue). Induced retinopathy of prematurity (a disease increasing as a result of the rising numbers of surviving premature babies), is a leading cause of blindness and defective vision in children. The gene-delivery capabilities of four different viruses — adenovirus, bovine smallpox virus, herpes http://tibtech.trends.com
TRENDS in Biotechnology Vol.19 No.10 October 2001
Coping with earthquakes and power blackouts might not be part of every biotech company’s business plan but California-based firms such as Amgen, Affymetrix and Incyte Genomics are learning to live with these potentially disasterous events. A report in The Scientist magazine (23 July) describes how these companies are adopting emergency measures to deal with California’s energy crisis. Most already have back-up power generators installed. These are now being called into action in response to the state’s programme of rolling blackouts to save energy in the event of an earthquake. Power outages can be costly in terms of both lost production and employee time – a one hour blackout in May was estimated to have cost Affymetrix US$ 150 000. MJD
Neural stem cells Rodney L. Rietze (Nature, 16 August) reported the purification of neural stem cells (NSCs) from the adult mouse brain using flow cytometry. An examination of the cells’ properties revealed the ability to generate neural and non-neural cells. These findings are significant, especially given the current turmoil over the use of embryonic stem cells. DM
Senate hears stem cells alternative An alternative method for producing pluripotent stem cells that does not involve cloning viable embryos, has been presented to a US Senate committee hearing reports The Blue Sheet (8 August). Ooplasmic transfer, a procedure described as ‘largely theoretical’ by its inventors Advanced Cell Technology ([ACT], Worcester, MA, USA), is the reverse of somatic cell nuclear transfer. The process could potentially produce undifferentiated cells that although possessing genes expressed in the embryo, do not themselves have the structure of an
Meat from transgenic pigs was turned into sausages and eaten by at least nine people. It could be the first time people in the USA have eaten genetically modified meat. A University of Florida (Gainesville, FL, USA) employee stole three dead experimental pigs from which a butcher then made sausages. No ill effects were reported by the consumers, with one reportedly stating that the sausages ‘tasted real good’. The pigs had been genetically modified to carry a copy of the rhodopsin gene, which is involved in eye function. University of Florida officials are ensuring that, in the future, GM animals are spray-painted after being killed, so that it is clear they should not be eaten (New Scientist, 28 July). DM
High-protein spaghetti A new process that can boost the protein content of spaghetti by almost 25% has been reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (August issue). Victor Wu (Dept of Agriculture, Peoria, IL, USA) used corn gluten meal to increase the amount of protein per two ounce serving from 8 to 10 g. Although this new process will increase the cost of spaghetti, the vitamin A and B content will also increase. The technique has only been used in spaghetti, however, Wu sees no reason why it wouldn’t work in other pastas. Corn gluten meal could also be used to increase the protein of other foods such as flour and breads. NB David McKay ([email protected]), Martin J. Davies ([email protected]) and Natalie Baderman ([email protected])
0167-7799/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
virus and the murine leukaemia virus — were tested in 18-day-old rats. Adenovirus was the most effective gene-transfer vector, with vaccinia coming in a close second. The murine leukaemia virus failed to deliver genes producing a functional product. DM
susceptibility, progress, treatment, and prevention of human diseases and their models in laboratory mice (www.eurekalert.org). DM
The boys from Kentucky Sevorino Antinori and Panos Zavos of the Andrology Institute in Kentucky (Lexington, KY, USA) (www.aiazavos.com/index.html) announced a project to clone humans using nuclear transfer by 2002. This is despite abject opposition to their project from legal, ethical and scientific circles – in particular arguments that very few nuclear transfer events are successful, and those that are give rise to defective organisms. Even those offspring that are apparently normal appear to be defective in some fashion (David Humphreys, Science, 6 July). DM
381
embryo. ACT has a patent application pending on the methods, and hopes to publish full details and findings within a year. MJD
Transgenic sausages
Californian biotech power struggle
Banana sequence Scientists from 11 countries have announced the founding of an international consortium to sequence the banana genome within five years. The scientists from governmental, university, and non-profit organizations will use the new genetic data to enable developing-world farmers to grow bananas that are resistant to the ‘Black Sigatoka’ fungus, as well as other diseases and pests. Bananas are a staple food for nearly 0.5 billion people worldwide, but their crops are increasingly lost to disease. Banana will be the first tropical crop to be sequenced (www.eurekalert.org). DM
Eye therapy The potential of gene delivery systems to treat eye disease stemming from abnormal blood vessel growth is reported by Itay Chowers in the British Journal of Ophthalmology (August issue). Induced retinopathy of prematurity (a disease increasing as a result of the rising numbers of surviving premature babies), is a leading cause of blindness and defective vision in children. The gene-delivery capabilities of four different viruses — adenovirus, bovine smallpox virus, herpes http://tibtech.trends.com
TRENDS in Biotechnology Vol.19 No.10 October 2001
Coping with earthquakes and power blackouts might not be part of every biotech company’s business plan but California-based firms such as Amgen, Affymetrix and Incyte Genomics are learning to live with these potentially disasterous events. A report in The Scientist magazine (23 July) describes how these companies are adopting emergency measures to deal with California’s energy crisis. Most already have back-up power generators installed. These are now being called into action in response to the state’s programme of rolling blackouts to save energy in the event of an earthquake. Power outages can be costly in terms of both lost production and employee time – a one hour blackout in May was estimated to have cost Affymetrix US$ 150 000. MJD
Neural stem cells Rodney L. Rietze (Nature, 16 August) reported the purification of neural stem cells (NSCs) from the adult mouse brain using flow cytometry. An examination of the cells’ properties revealed the ability to generate neural and non-neural cells. These findings are significant, especially given the current turmoil over the use of embryonic stem cells. DM
Senate hears stem cells alternative An alternative method for producing pluripotent stem cells that does not involve cloning viable embryos, has been presented to a US Senate committee hearing reports The Blue Sheet (8 August). Ooplasmic transfer, a procedure described as ‘largely theoretical’ by its inventors Advanced Cell Technology ([ACT], Worcester, MA, USA), is the reverse of somatic cell nuclear transfer. The process could potentially produce undifferentiated cells that although possessing genes expressed in the embryo, do not themselves have the structure of an
Meat from transgenic pigs was turned into sausages and eaten by at least nine people. It could be the first time people in the USA have eaten genetically modified meat. A University of Florida (Gainesville, FL, USA) employee stole three dead experimental pigs from which a butcher then made sausages. No ill effects were reported by the consumers, with one reportedly stating that the sausages ‘tasted real good’. The pigs had been genetically modified to carry a copy of the rhodopsin gene, which is involved in eye function. University of Florida officials are ensuring that, in the future, GM animals are spray-painted after being killed, so that it is clear they should not be eaten (New Scientist, 28 July). DM
High-protein spaghetti A new process that can boost the protein content of spaghetti by almost 25% has been reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (August issue). Victor Wu (Dept of Agriculture, Peoria, IL, USA) used corn gluten meal to increase the amount of protein per two ounce serving from 8 to 10 g. Although this new process will increase the cost of spaghetti, the vitamin A and B content will also increase. The technique has only been used in spaghetti, however, Wu sees no reason why it wouldn’t work in other pastas. Corn gluten meal could also be used to increase the protein of other foods such as flour and breads. NB David McKay ([email protected]), Martin J. Davies ([email protected]) and Natalie Baderman ([email protected])
0167-7799/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.