An algae for plastic

Genetically engineered algae reduces carbon dioxide and produces biodegradable plastic

Radiation blues

Genetically-modified plants can reveal radiation levels

UNITED NATIONS

Bullying tactics

Saying no to Monsanto

The Indian patent office has once again rejected the biotech seed giant’s claim for a method to produce stress-tolerant transgenic plants

New strain of norovirus identified

Scientists warn “Sydney 2012” could cause an epidemic of acute gastroenteritis

Farming for the future

Despite having the potential to give a green edge to the agricultural market, biopesticides are yet to make a mark in the agro sector. To create …

Starved of substance

No headway made at World Food Summit in accelerating efforts to eliminate hunger

Why do we need patents?

There is no empirical evidence that patents serve to increase innovation and productivity

Gotcha!

Idea of farmer wisdom is relentlessly manipulated

As a visiting American academic, Glenn Davis Stone has put in over 60 weeks of field research on the impact of Bt cotton on farmers in Andhra …

'Failing to support GM crops single most damaging element for growth'

The European Association for Bio-Industries (EuropaBio) says the decision by 16 EU nations to opt out of GMO crop cultivation has taken away the …

Nurturing the future

A comprehensive set of rules is essential to regulate research and facilitate commercialisation in biotechnology. Patricia Sierra Blzquez , …

MIAMI GROUP VS rest of the world

Are genetically modified organisms a miracle that will solve the world's hunger problems or a menace that will threaten human health, environment …

States’ entry ruffles GM lobby

Biotech firms object to states getting a say in approving GM crop trials

Indian laws adequate for ensuring biosafety, says MoEF special secretary

But they do not provide for liability and redress if damage occurs due t release of GMOs by biotech giants, point out civil society groups

Question of safety

The Bangkok conference on the risks of genetically modified corps advocated greater investment of public funds in bio-safety research

Why Horlicks ad claim on boiled milk is hard to digest

Claim by GlaxoSmithKline that makes the milk supplement harps only on one aspect of study, which incidentally is funded by another multinational&…

Beware the modified wolf

Will bureaucrats choose to throw farmers and ecology to the mercy of multinational corporations by preparing the way for cultivation of …

Environment, genes and mutations

Pollutants in the environment cause dreaded diseases like cancer by mutating some genes. Scientists have begun to explore the human genome to …

Science and Technology - Briefs

Rotten tomato for Monsanto

US biotech giant's claim on a natural tomato is its latest patent to be revoked by Europe after soy and wheat

Farmers in tech trap

Cotton cultivators are on a seed and pesticide treadmill that is draining them of traditional skills  

GM crop benefits are all in future

Nearly 40 years ago, Marc Van Montagu of Ghent University in Belgium, along with fellow researcher Jeff Schell, discovered that Agrobacterium …

Algae alleviates

South African townships that were earlier helpless in the face of pollution caused by human wastes, are now bucking up to the problem. Spirulina, …