Shifting trends and fortunes in european crop plant genomics since the 1980’s By Steve Hughes ESRC Genomics Network
Jan 02, 2016
Shifting trends and fortunes in european crop plant genomics
since the 1980’s
By Steve HughesESRC Genomics Network
1970s Phase 1 Exploration/scoping
• Plant genome analysis – molecular tools
• Plant gene isolation- storage proteins; Rubisco
• Patents on core enabling rDNA technology
• Contained use regulation• Mainly public sector institutions PBI
• Beginnings of private sector involvement
1980s phase2 Exploration/Opportunism
• Suspension of genomic thinking• Plant gene isolation – products; agronomy• Plant gene transfer Atumefaciens (GMplant)• Herbicide/insect tolerance- category GMcrop• Antisense control – gene silencing –resurgence of
genomic thinking • Extensified private sector, GIBiP• Explosion of patenting – enabling&applications• Deliberate release ; field trials• PROSAMO study
Phase3 1990s Opportunism
• Commercial trials: herbicide, insect resistance • Test markets: imported tomato; soya, cotton
• Organised reaction: articulated uncertainty• Company consolidation• Consensus conference• Trait discovery• Marker-assisted breeding: rflp, aflp,rapd
microsatellite
1990s Opportunism 2
• TRIPS , patents PVR• EU 92/20 ACRE• Food use ACNFP• EU commercial moratorium• Ethical review - Nuffield CB• Commercial moratorium ( exception
spanish maize)
2000s Reflection, distributed cognition
• Plant/crop genome sequences: rice, network –v-patenting
• Marker-assisted breeding; tilling; Generation Challenge GDR-P
• Prospectus for agriculture and silvaculture – recognition of disconnections: EASAC; EPSO; ERA-PG; BBSRC
• Producer-consumer relations - food• Non-food uses: biofuel, feedstocks• Opposition shift• Environmental impact: Farm Scale trials
2000s Reflection, distributed cognition
• Continued commercial moratorium – heterogeneous national views – legal decisions on local derogations
• Trade dispute EU-USA at WTO
• Plants for the Future initiative
• A new wave?
EPSO technology platform: Plants for the Future
• Strategic Research Agenda – reconnect with EU prospectus to 2025
• Public-private partnerships• Stakeholder network – sustainable
systems approach/consultation• Keywords: healthy, safe, landscape, green
products, competitiveness, consumer-choice, governance.
• Connectivity knowledge-sharing
Apomixis: a study of the distributed networked global
production system
Useful sites
• Hughes,S : Plant Biotechnology Journal (2006) 4, 3-5• European Academies Science Advisory Council :
Genomics and Crop plant science published 24th May 2004 at http://www.easac.org/CPG%20report_fin5.pdf
• http://www.epsoweb.org/Catalog/TP/EPSO%20pressrelease%20web_22Jun04.htm
• http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/reports/Welcome.html. • http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2004/pr3001-
2en.html • http://www.defra.gov.uk/science/rpg/
research_priorities.htm • http://www.tailoringbiotechnologies.com/