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Novartis Seeds AG said on Tuesday it had reached a key stage of
development in a new process which could eliminate part of the
controversy over use of genetically-modified (GM) food crops.
Novartis Seeds, a unit of Novartis AG, said the technology
involves a new type of ``genetic marker,'' and called it a
breakthrough with implications for product and licensing revenues,
as well as for the debate over GM products.
The trademark technology, called Positech, is being tested on
maize, wheat, barley, sugar beet and vegetables.
A marker generally is used to identify cells which are
successfully modified during the procedure to create a GM product.
The markers allow the handful of cells which get modified to be
picked out from what could be millions of other cells which were not
successfully changed. The new marker gives plant cells the ability
to grow using mannose, a type of sugar.
It could be used to replace another type of marker which allows
cells to resist bacterial antibiotics, or another commonly used
marker which makes cells resist herbicide. Novartis said the advance
does not undermine its position that other markers are safe, but
that it offers an alternative.
``While we stand by the safety of other marker genes that are
used in genetically modified crops, Novartis is committed to phasing
out their use in favour of Positech wherever this is technically
feasible,'' Novartis said.
Novartis and Anglo-British AstraZeneca Plc (quote from Yahoo! UK
& Ireland: AZN.L) announced in December they planned to merge
their agricultural divisions to form a new company, Syngenta, to be
based in Basel, Switzerland, where Novartis has its headquarters. |