Nobel winner backs GM crop innovation in Indian labs, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• Richard J. Roberts, a 1993 Nobel laureate, dismissed concerns about India's dependence on foreign companies for genetically modified (GM) crops, advocating for indigenous development.
• He suggested that Indian laboratories could develop biotechnologically modified (BM) crops, including those using CRISPR technology, and retain ownership.
• The Nobel laureate delivered his address at the second Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) at Bharat Mandapam.
• India currently permits commercial cultivation of Bt cotton but no GM food crops.
• The Supreme Court delivered a split verdict in July 2024 on the environmental release of GM mustard and urged the Centre to formulate a national policy on GM crops.

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Detailed Insights:

• Dr. Roberts, who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1993 for the discovery of split genes, argued that the term 'genetically modified' is misleading, preferring 'biotechnologically modified'.
• He emphasized that the technology for improving crops, such as CRISPR-modified plants, is accessible and can be mastered by Indian scientists within weeks.
• India has a contentious history with GM food crops, exemplified by the indefinite moratorium imposed on Bt brinjal in 2010 by then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.
• Research published in 2017 indicated that backcrossing Golden Rice into an Indian variety resulted in stunted, low-yielding plants despite high provitamin A content.
• The ongoing intellectual property dispute surrounding the foundational CRISPR-Cas9 patents highlights the complexities of global scientific innovation.
• Dr. Roberts framed the adoption of GM technology as crucial for food and nutritional security, especially in developing countries where traditional breeding investments are lower.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: Plants whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques to introduce new traits.
• Biotechnologically Modified (BM) Crops: A term preferred by Richard J. Roberts to describe crops modified through modern biotechnology, including gene editing.
• CRISPR-Cas9: A powerful gene-editing tool that allows scientists to precisely cut and modify specific DNA sequences in an organism.
• Bt Cotton: A genetically modified cotton variety that produces an insecticide to protect against bollworm pests.
• Bt Brinjal: A genetically modified eggplant variety engineered to be resistant to the fruit and shoot borer insect.
• Golden Rice: A genetically modified rice variety engineered to produce beta-carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A, to combat Vitamin A deficiency.