January 24, 2014

GM plants for omega-3 – announcement of new field trial

Rothamsted Research has applied to Defra to conduct a field trial of GM plants that produce omega-3 oils and may provide health, environmental and economic benefits.

Consumption of omega-3 oils from oily fish (e.g. salmon and mackerel) has been linked with improved health.  Fish do not produce these oils themselves but rather accumulate them through their diet.

Scientists at Rothamsted Research have developed Camelina plants that accumulate omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) in their seeds and therefore can provide a novel method of making these essential oils with existing farming practice and machinery.

Scientists have already demonstrated that plants growing in glasshouses produce the right profile of fatty acids in significant quantities.  The purpose of the proposed trial is to evaluate the performance of this trait in the field.

The proposed experiment is publicly funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).  An open public consultation on this work has begun.

Speakers:

Professor Johnathan Napier,  Rothamsted Research

Dr Olga Sayanova, Rothamsted Research