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Volume 8 Number 1, January/February 1998, pp. 39-42
Public Perceptions of Genetic EngineeringM. Playne Editor
Code Number:AU98010
Over the Christmas-New Year holiday break, major Australian newspapers featured several articles and letters to the editor critical of where biotechnology is leading society, and particularly the pace of introduction of new innovations, and the ethics of gene manipulation of plants, animals and humans. The scare-mongering of extremist elements is leading to an emotive debate on the value of the new biotechnologies to society. Rational debate is missing, because most members of the public are quite unaware of the level of publicly accessible information available to them. An example of the openness of information on genetic manipulation is given below. This information is not secret as is sometimes claimed by scare-mongers. For reasons of space only the title of each release proposal is listed here. To see the full information on each proposal, go to the GMAC homepage on the Internet: http://www.dist.gov.au/science/gmac/ or contact members of the GMAC Secretariat. Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee Public Information Sheets This archive of Public Information Sheets relates to the planned release and general (commercial) release of genetically manipulated organisms into the environment. The format of the Public Information Sheets was altered in January 1994 to include details on the organism, the vector, the genetic modification and procedures for release, together with a summary of risk assessment and GMAC's recommendations for the planned release. This publication is updated when new proposals or extensions to proposals have been assessed by GMAC and Public Information Sheets released. Contents of GMAC's Public Information Sheet booklet
PR-1: Field trial of a live Salmonella vaccine to prevent deaths during live sheep export PR-2: To test a recombinant Rhizobium strain with a marker gene in a controlled field release experiment PR-3: Inoculation of cattle with a thymidine kinase negative, deletion mutant, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis vaccine virus PR-4: Proposal did not proceed PR-5: National clearance and registration of Agrobacterium radiobacter K1026 for the control of crown gall disease PR-6: Commercial evaluation of melibiose utilising baker's yeast PR-7: Proposal considered as a large scale proposal PR-8: Field release of a live genetically engineered strain of Pseudomonas for the purpose of testing a microbial tracking system PR-9: Controlled field release experiment of a Rhizobium strain containinga sym plasmid marked with the transposon Tn5 PR-10: Proposal assessed by the NHMRC Gene Therapy Committee PR-11: Proposal exempt from GMAC Guidelines PR-12: Synthetic resistance genes to potato leafroll virus 1991 PR-13: Proposal still under assessment PR-14: Field evaluation of canola protoplast fusion breeding lines PR-15: Planned release of genetically modified tomatoes in Australia 1992 PR-16: Synthetic resistance genes to potato leafroll virus 1993 PR-16X: Proposal for the planned release of four lines of genetically engineered potatoes for seed tuber production. PR-17: Bt cotton seed increase 1993 PR-18: Field trial of transgenic potato PR-19: Planned release of transgenic carnation for trialling under commercial glasshouse production conditions PR-20: Genetic engineering of cotton for resistance to insect pests PR-20X: Proposal for the planned release of genetically engineered cotton plants expressing insecticidal protein genes from Bacillus thuringiensis PR-21: Proposal did not proceed PR-22: Use of Aro- Salmonella typhimurium as a vaccine in poultry PR-22X: Efficacy of Salmonella aroA delete vaccine in reducing the incidence of clinical salmonellosis in lactating dairy cows and in reducing the excretionrate of Salmonella in faeces PR-23:Evaluation of transgenic sugarcane plants PR-23X: Evaluation of transgenic sugarcane plants PR-24: Contained field growth of grafted apple stock transformed for kanamycin resistance PR-24X: Contained field growth of grafted apple stock transformed for kanamycin resistance PR-25: Glasshouse trialling of transgenic chrysanthemum under non-PH1 conditions PR-26: Planned release of genetically modified tomatoes in Australia - 1993/1994 PR-27: Non-chemical control of bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum) in north Queensland PR-28: Planned release proposal for trialling transgenic carnation with modified flower colour under non-contained glasshouse conditions PR-29: Proposal for planned release of transgenic carnation (ACC synthase, ACC oxidase, chlorsulfuron resistance) modified for enhanced cutflower vase life PR-28/29X: Proposal for extension of PR-28 and PR-29 to an igloo trialling area PR-30: Planned release of sense suppressed, petal colour modified, transgenic hybrid tea rose containing kanamycin resistance gene, reporter gene and chalcone synthase gene PR-31: Seed increase of Bt transgenic cotton plants, 1994 PR-32: Seed increase and efficacy screening of Roundup tolerant (RT) transgenic cotton plants PR-33: Efficacy evaluation and agronomic selection of Bt transgenic cotton plants 1994/95 PR-34: Bt replicated yield and fibre tests and Bt vs. non-Bt yield test 1994/95 PR-35: Planned release of transgenic rose (Rosa x hybrida) containing kanamycin or chlorsulfuron resistance gene and `blue' gene (flavonoid 3'5' hydroxylase) PR-36: Planned release of transgenic cotton expressing the CryIA(c) or CryIIA delta-endotoxins from Bacillus thuringiensis PR-36X: Planned release of transgenic cotton expressing the CryIA(c) and CryIIA delta-endotoxins from Bacillus thuringiensis - breeding plots PR-36X(2): Planned release of transgenic cotton expressing the CryIA(c) and CryIIA delta-endotoxins from Bacillus thuringiensis - breeding plots PR-37: Field testing of genetically engineered subterranean clover PR-37X: Field testing of genetically engineered subterranean clover PR-38: Assessment of environmental impact and resistance management options for genetically engineered cotton plants expressing insecticidal protein genes from Bacillus thuringiensis PR-38X: Assessment of environmental impact and resistance management options for genetically engineered cotton plants expressing the insecticidal protein genes from Bacillus thuringiensis PR-39: Multiple site evaluation of virus resistant potatoes PR-39X: Multiple site evaluation of virus resistant potatoes PR-40: Release of herbicide resistant lupins (Lupinus angustifolius) PR-41: Small scale planned release of modified bovine herpesvirus 1 for intranasal vaccination of cattle PR-42: Field evaluation of low browning potatoes PR-42X: Field evaluation of low browning potatoes PR-43: Use of transgenic plants to monitor the frequency of Bt resistance in field populations of Helicoverpa armigera PR-43X: Use of transgenic plants to monitor the frequency of Bt resistance in field populations of Helicoverpa armigera PR-44: Winter seed increase of transgenic cotton expressing the CryIA(c) delta-endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis PR-44X: Winter seed increase and preliminary northern assessment of transgenic cotton expressing the CryIA(c) delta-endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis PR-44X(2): Winter seed increase and northern assessment of transgenic cotton expressing the CryIA(c) delta-endoxtin from Bacillus thuringiensis PR-45: Genetic manipulation of rumen bacteria for detoxification of the plant poison fluoroacetate (note: proposal did not proceed) PR-46: Proposal did not proceed PR-47: Seed increase of Bt transgenic cotton plants, 1995 PR-47X: Winter nursery seed increase of Bt transgenic cotton plants, 1996 PR-47(X)2: Proposal still under assessment PR-48: Site evaluation of a fowlpox virus vaccine expressing the glycoprotein B of Marek's disease virus PR-49: Production of genetically engineered lupin seeds expressing sunflower seed albumin PR-49X:Production of genetically engineered lupin seeds expressing sunflower seed albumin PR-50: Bt seed increase 1995/96 PR-50X:INGARD (Bt) seed increase 1996/97 PR-51: Bt agronomic selection and yield trials 1995/96 PR-51X: Bt agronomic selection and yield trials 1996/97 PR-52: Progeny selection and screening of glyphosate tolerant (RT) transgeniccotton plants 1995/96 PR-52X: Progeny selection and screening of Roundup Ready (RR) transgenic cottonplants 1996/97 PR-53: Behaviour in soil of bioluminescent Pseudomonas biological control bacteria tagged with luciferase or lux genes PR-54: Proposal for the planned release of genetically engineered cotton plants with tolerance to spray drift damage caused by the herbicide 2,4-D PR-54X: The planned release of genetically engineered cotton plants with tolerance to spray drift damage caused by the herbicide 2,4-D 1996 PR-55: The planned release of transgenic cotton expressing tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate PR-55X:The planned release of transgenic cotton expressing tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate PR-56: Multi-site evaluation and seed increase of transgenic cotton expressing the CryIA(c) delta-endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis PR-57: Proposal still under assessment PR-58: A field trial to test the effectiveness of a bromoxynil-resistance gene in subterranean clover under field conditions PR-59: Field evaluation of a transgenic line of field pea (Pisum sativumL.) for enhanced grain sulfur levels PR-60: Field evaluation of a genetically modified canola (Brassica napus) for agronomic performance PR-61: Field evaluation of a transgenic line of field pea (Pisum sativumL.) for resistance to pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum PR-62:Development of glufosinate ammonium tolerant canola cultivars PR-62X: Development of glufosinate ammonium tolerant canola cultivars PR-63: Field evaluation of a genetically modified canola (Brassica napus) witha new hybridization system PR-63X: Field evaluation of a genetically modified canola (Brassica napus) with a new hybridization system PR-64: Evaluation of transgenic white clover for field resistance to alfalfa mosaicvirus PR-65: Evaluation of the potential for gene flow from transgenic wheat, using a herbicide-resistance marker gene PR-66: Evaluation of the performance of transgenic wheat with altered starch composition under field conditions PR-67: The evaluation of transgenic white clover for field resistance to alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) PR-68: Field test of sugarcane modified for resistance to leaf scald disease PR-69: The planned release of transgenic cotton expressing tolerance to the herbicide bromoxynil PR-70:Field evaluation of tomatoes expressing the CryIA(c) delta endotoxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis PR-71: Winter nursery seed increase of Roundup Ready (RR) transgenic cotton plants 1997 GR-1: Commercialisation of carnation genetically engineered for improved vase life GR-2: Commercialisation of violet carnation developed using genetic engineering GR-3: Application for commercialisation of insect-resistant cotton IR-1:Application to import transgenic soybean GMAC Secretariat The Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee oversees the development and use of innovative genetic manipulation techniques in Australia so that risks to the safety of workers or potential hazards to the community or environment associated with the genetics of manipulated organisms are identified and can be managed. Location:
Postal address:
Telephone: + 61 (0)2 6213 6490
Andina Faragher, Secretary
Kirsty Galloway McLean, scientific adviser
Marika Mueller, administrative officer
Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee Members Emeritus Professor Nancy Millis AC MBE (Chair)
Dr Annabelle Bennett BSc, PhD, LLB
Dr Angela Delves BAppBiol, PhD
Dr Ashley Dunn MPhil, PhD
Dr Stephen Goodwin BAgrSc, MAgrSc, PhD
Dr Eric Haan
Professor Peter Hudson BSc, PhD
Professor Staffan Kjelleberg BSc, PhD
Professor Byron Lamont BScAg, PhD, DSc
Associate Professor Peter Langridge BSc, PhD
Mr David Martin
Dr John Oakeshott BSc, PhD
Dr Ian Parsonson MA, BVSc, PhD, MACVSc
Professor Jim Pittard BSc, MSc, PhD, DSc, FAA
Associate Professor Loane Skene LLB, LLM
Dr Jan Tennent BSc (Hons), PhD
Dr Robyn van Heeswijck BSc, PhD
Ms Sally White BA (Hons)
Mr John Whitelaw BAgSc
Copyright 1998 Australian Biotechnology Association Ltd. |
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