GURT (Genetic use restriction technology)
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- 1. SIDDARUDH K S Ph.D scholar UAS GKVK BANGALORE
- 2. Genetic use restriction technology Overview Introduction
What is Terminator Technology? Definition How does it work Impacts
and risks Short history Why is it being developed? Conclusion
- 3. Definition Terminator technology refers to plants that have
been genetically modified to render sterile seeds at harvest it is
also called Genetic Use Restriction Technology or GURTS Terminator
technology was developed by the multinational seed/agrochemical
industry and the United States government to prevent farmers from
saving and re-planting harvested seed. Terminator has not yet been
commercialized or field- tested but tests are currently being
conducted in greenhouses in the United States.
- 4. short history 1998/1999 international protest against a
Terminator patent from Delta and Pine 2000 De facto moratorium on
the COP5 of CBD: recommendation that ..products incorporating such
technology should not be approved by parties for field testing
until appropiate scientific data can justify such testing 2005
Canadian Government tries to weaken the moratorium by stressing
biosafety function of Terminator Technology. They try to get a case
by case assessment January 2006 Granada: ad-hoc working group on
Art. 8j CBD accept a recommendation paper for Curitiba with case by
case assessment March 2006 Curitiba: A lot of protest (over all the
international Ban Terminator campaign) Result: The moratorium
remains without limitation.
- 5. Types V- GURT (Varietal GURT) T-GURT (Trait GURT)
- 6. V- GURT (Varietal GURT) This type of GURT produces sterile
seeds meaning that a farmer that had purchased seeds containing
V-GURT technology could not save the seed this crop for future
planting This would not have an immediate impact on the large
number of primarily western farmers who use hybrid seeds, and
instead buy specialized hybrid seeds from seed production
companies
- 7. V- GURT (Varietal GURT) The technology is restricted at the
plant variety level, hence the term V-GURT Manufacturers of
genetically enhanced crops would use this technology to protect
their products from unauthorised use
- 8. T-GURT (Trait GURT) A second type of GURT modifies a crop in
such a way that the genetic enhancement engineered into the crop
does not function untill the crop plant is treated with a chemical
that is sold by the biotechnology company Farmers can save seeds
for use each year. However, they do not get to use the enhanced
trait in the crop unless they purchase the activator compound The
technology is restricted is registered at the trait level, hence
the term T-GURT
- 9. Why is Terminator a problem? The top 10 largest seed
companies control half the worlds commercial seed market. Across
the world, over 1.4 billion people, primarily small-scale farming
families in the developing world, depend on farm-saved seed as
their primary seed source If Terminator is commercialized,
corporations will likely incorporate sterility genes into all their
seeds. Thats because genetic seed sterilization would secure a much
stronger monopoly than patents instead of suing farmers for saving
seed, companies are trying to make it biologically impossible for
farmers to re-use harvested seed
- 10. impacts and risks Reliability for biosafety: This is enough
for use restriction but as an affective measure to avoid GMO
contamination not enough Use restriction: negation of farmersrights
undermining of food sovereignty danger for food security
biodiversity loss
- 11. Impact of Terminator seeds on farmers? Terminator would
results in higher seed prices at a time when farmers are
experiencing the worst income crisis in the history of modern
agriculture. Terminator is a major violation of the rights of
farmers to save and reuse their own seeds. Through pollen movement
in the first generation, Terminator genes could contaminate farmers
crops - farmers might then unknowingly save and reuse seeds that
are contaminated and will not germinate
- 12. Who holds patents on Terminator? Delta & Pine Land
(DPL), the worlds largest cotton seed company, which jointly holds
three US patents on Terminator technology with the US Department of
Agriculture. In October 2005, DPL won new Terminator patents in
both Europe and Canada. During 2002 mansanto aquired Delta &
Pine Land (DPL),
- 13. Will Terminator stop genetic contamination? Industry argues
that engineered sterility would offer a built-in safety feature for
GE plants because if genes from a Terminator crop cross-pollinate
with related plants nearby, the seed produced from unwanted
pollination will be sterile it will not germinate. But Terminator
technology is a complex system involving multiple inserted genes
that all work together in a sequence. Scientists warn that
Terminator will not be 100% effective. The likelihood of system
failure means it could never be a reliable tool for biocontainment.
If Terminator is used for biocontainment and fails, it would
introduce new, dangerous biosafety risks.
- 14. Impact to terminator technology on agro-biodiversity The
worlds agro-biodiversity depends heavily on seed saving, selecting
and re-planting. This practice has resulted in crop varieties that
are adapted to the local environment, soil and local pests. This
technique has also resulted in creating new crop varieties that
fetch more money in the market For example, Basmati rice of India
and Pakistan. Introducing terminator seeds will replace the age-old
practice of seed saving and can lead to the loss of traditional
seed varieties
- 15. Socio-economic impact of terminator technology Terminator
technology can be good for the intensive farming operations in the
developed world. These farms produce high-value produce and rarely
save seeds for replanting making it less vulnerable to terminator
technology. But, medium, low and subsistence farming practices
dominate the agricultural systems of the developing world. These
farming practices rely heavily on saved seeds and use it for
replanting. If terminator seeds are introduced in these systems it
will replace the existing seeds and force the farmers to buy seeds
every season, which poor farmers from developing countries cannot
afford.
- 16. IMPACT OF THE TERMINATOR SEED TECHNOLOGY ON THE FARMING
COMMUNITY It affects poor farmers is that they would be unable to
maintain commercial varieties from their own seed stock and would
be forced to return to the seed provider This will translate into
non availability or lack of seed inputs to the farmers This will
greatly affect the level of agricultural production and the farmers
income
- 17. Impact to terminator technology on environment Some
research that suggests that weeds and bugs could possibly evolve
into resistant organisms. pollen escaping from the terminator crop
is sterile and cannot spread to weeds or other crops. Gene movement
from crop to weed through pollen transfer has been demonstrated for
GM crops when the crop is grown near a closely related weed
species. When a weed is fertilized, for example, with the
terminator pollen, the new generation of seeds will bear plants,
with fertile pollen.
- 18. Good for biotech companies, bad for farmers Terminator
technology troubles farmers throughout the developing world because
they would no longer be able to save seeds to re-use from one
harvest to the next. Many poor farmers cannot afford to buy seeds
each year. Instead, they save, swap and share seeds that have been
developed over generations. If farmers have no choice but to buy
new seeds every year, the companies are guaranteed large profits at
the expense of poor farmers' food security.
- 19. Why is it being developed? The biotech companies argue that
Terminator technology will prevent the contamination of non-GM
crops with GM-crops. They say that if all GM varieties had the
terminator trait they would not be able to spread into the
environment, and so biosafety would be ensured
- 20. Terminator technology consists of three genes GENE I Gene I
is a repressor gene that produces a repressor protein that
interacts with a binding site near Gene II. GENE II Gene II is a
recombinase gene that is controlled by a promoter. Between the gene
and the promoter is a binding site for the repressor from Gene I.
The recombinase gene produces a recombinase protein that is an
enzyme and snips out pieces of DNA.
- 21. Contd.. GENE III Gene III produces a toxin that is lethal
to embryos. The gene is controlled by a late promoter, which is
active only during the late stage of seed development when the
embryo is developing. Between the late promoter and the toxin gene
is a piece of DNA called a blocker, which interferes with the
ability of the promoter to turn on the toxin gene.
- 22. How the Terminator terminates ? The terminator technology
consists of three genes with their on/off switches : Gene I:
Repressor Gene II: Recombinase Gene III: Toxin A gene for a toxin
lethal to embryos (Toxin Gene) is controlled by a late promoter
(LP), that is active only during the late stage of seed development
when the embryo is developing.
- 23. How the Terminator terminates ? The terminator technology
consists of three genes: In the absence of the Inducer
- 24. How the Terminator terminates ? The terminator technology
consists of three genes: In the presence of the Inducer
- 25. The case of Terminator technology
- 26. Traitor technology The expression of a specific desirable
transgenic trait is dependent upon spraying a specific proprietary
chemical, sold separately, often by the same company.
- 27. International Regulation Regarding Terminator Technology
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) i) conservation of
biological diversity; ii) sustainableuse of its components; and
iii) fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the
utilizationof genetic resources The Conference of Parties (COP) The
Subsidiary Body for Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
(SBSTTA)
- 28. (GURT): Potential economic benefits, costs and risks
Benefits Costs Risks Farmers increased productivity from improved
inputs due to increased research and development (R&D)
investment Increased input costs from seed purchase Misuse of
monopoly powers by breeders Breeders (especially private sector)
Increased appropriation of research benefits from new products
Increased cost for access to gene pools of other breeders
Governments Reduced investment requirements in breeding
Complementary R&D investment requirements Society Increased
agricultural productivity Reduced genetic diversity in fields
- 29. Have any plants with GURT traits been released in world ?
It is important to note that no applications have come forward for
the environmental release of plants with GURT traits. This
technology is currently still at the research stage in laboratories
- there have been no confined research field trials or commercial
applications from developers to date.
- 30. Benefits from the Deployment of GURTs in Crops a) Prevent
gene flow from transgenics through pollen by producing sterile
pollen or through seed by arresting embryo development. b) Help in
containing GE pharma crops that synthesize therapeutically active
compounds. c) Protect Organic Farming, since sterile pollen cannot
cause cross pollination that may affect Organic Certification,
though currently this is not an issue. d) Induced male sterility is
an accepted tool in plant breeding to produce hybrids in otherwise
difficult crops such as sorghum and mustards, and GURTs make this
much easier than conventional methods.
- 31. Contd e) Arresting embryo development in such seeds would
control the transmission of the seed borne pathogen to the next
generation. f) Protect the genetic design of GE crops. g) Prevent
the unauthorized or illegal cultivation of transgenic crops. h)
Since GURTs would block gene flow from transgenic crops, their
incorporation into transgenics is actually in keeping with the aims
of the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity (Article 2) and do not
threaten biodiversity as alleged by activists.
- 32. Possible Advantages of Terminator technology Terminator
technology can also be used to limit the spread of genes from GMOs
to other plants in the natural environment. This will ensure that
genes from the GMOs will not get mixed with the plants in the wild.
Intellectual property protection of Biotech firms. Reduce the
propagation of volunteer plants. Prohibit non V-GURT grain
sprouting, which lowers the quality of grain. Prevent escape of
transgenes into wild relatives and prevent any impact on
biodiversity.
- 33. Disadvantages of Terminator technology Engineered systems
is an inability of the engineered organisms to fully express a
specific trait (encoded by genes). All the terminator seeds should
receive a given amount of inducing agent to activate the terminator
genes. Insufficient inducing agent may not trigger the genes,
thereby resulting in seeds that germinate in subsequent generation.
Environmentalists are concerned about the possibility of gene
transfer between genetically engineered plants and traditional,
non-targeted plants The production of sterile seeds by these plants
would render the seeds useless.
- 34. Conclusion Terminator seed technology will have adverse
consequences on on-farm conservation and development of plant
genetic resources. Terminator technology may have both positive and
negative impacts on the worlds agricultural system. In developed
countries like Canada, terminator technology will not have much
impact on farmers and the way they farm. But in developing and
low-income countries, terminator technology might be harmful to the
farmers. Moreover, technical aspects of terminator technology
design still need to be fine-tuned. These aspects need to be
perfected before introducing terminator technology in the farms
worldwide. Apart from this, as with any other GMO, the impact of
introducing terminator technology on the worlds biodiversity is not
yet known
- 35. contd The technology may offer considerable incentives for
increased private sector innovation in the agricultural breeding
sector, but with a skewed distribution of benefits and costs. On
balance, the development implications of GURTs give cause for
concern, particularly from the perspective of the more vulnerable
and marginalized farmers.