'Gene flow in plants and micro-organisms'

3 February 2000

Launch of 'Gene flow in plants and micro-organisms' scientific initiative and consultation.

The Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) are launching a new scientific funding initiative for further research on Gene flow in plants and microorganisms (Nature 3 February 2000).

BBSRC and NERC are setting up an open consultation on a dedicated website where interested parties will be able to comment on:

The scientific scope of the Initiative (as outlined in the Call for proposals in Nature), which addresses questions of generic relevance to conventional and genetically modified crops and microorganisms
Specific topics of particular interest that they believe should be the subject of research.

Suggestions from the consultation will be considered by the Steering Committee of the Initiative, and will be taken forward to a scientific workshop in March 2000. The workshop will be attended by scientists who are eligible for funding under the Initiative.

The Initiative Steering Committee will respond to suggestions that fall within the remit of the Initiative after the scientific workshop in March.

The Initiative builds on a long-standing commitment to scientific research on plant and microbial genetics of relevance to agriculture, food and the environment. The aim is to encourage collaborative research to refine our understanding of how genes are expressed and behave in different environments at the molecular, whole organism and population level. It is intended that the outcome of this research will inform the future utilisation of genetic inputs into agricultural productivity and sustainability including interactions with the natural environment.

The Initiative framework has been devised to address questions about the expression and behaviour of genes at a number of scales from the molecular to population level, including environmental interactions. The identified priorities include:

Comparative studies of gene expression and behaviour in plants and microbes genetically altered by conventional and transgenic (GM) techniques
Studies of the processes of pollen and seed development
Studies of the extent to which genes move between organisms (of the same or different species) and an assessment of the past impact and potential future consequences for agriculture, the food chain and the environment.

The open consultation website will go live from Friday 4 February, and will receive suggestions until 22 February 2000.

Further information

Natasha Martineau
BBSRC
Tel: 01793 413301

NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411561
Mob: 07917 557215

'Gene flow in plants and micro-organisms'

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