Barley and Humans
Washington State University has developed a type of barley that contains a human gene to produce pharmaceutical proteins. In 2001, USDA allowed the university to field test this barley on three acres in Washington.
(1) Corn and Hepatitis B and Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)
ProdiGene genetically engineered a corn with genes from a number of viruses, including hepatitis B virus and the simian immunodeficiency virus. USDA issued a permit in 2001 for ProdiGene to field test this pharmaceutical corn on 53.5 acres in Nebraska.
2) Corn and Pigs and Hepatitis B
ProdiGene also developed a genetically engineered corn that produces pharmaceutical proteins by engineering the corn with pig genes, hepatitis B virus and simian immunodeficiency virus. This corn was authorized to be grown in field trials in Hawaii on just under half of an acre of land. (3) Corn and Humans USDA gave Dow permission to grow more than seven acres of corn genetically engineered with human genes on Hawaiian soil; this corn was developed to produce pharmaceutical proteins. Meristem Therapeutics, a French-owned company with an office in Massachusetts, also grew corn that had been engineered with human genes on an acre of land in Kentucky. (4)
Safflower and Carp
Emlay and Associates created safflower that produces pharmaceutical proteins by genetically engineering the safflower with growth hormones from carp. USDA agreed in June 2003 for this crop to be grown on 11 acres in North Dakota and Nevada.
(5) Chicken and Corn
The University of Florida engineered corn with chicken genes for release in Florida in 2003. USDA’s database states that the test also included a cancer-related gene (e.g. B cell lymphoma).
(6)
Glow-in-the-Dark Corn
Iowa State University genetically engineered corn with jellyfish and mouse genes to create corn with proteins for green fluorescence. USDA authorized Iowa State to grow the corn in Iowa between June and November 2001.
(7) Pioneer also received a permit to engineer jellyfish genes into corn and conduct field tests on 70 acres in Hawaii. According to the company, Pioneer’s intent is to improve animal feed quality and create visual markers.
(8) Rutgers University also used jellyfish genes with corn in a field test site located on one acre of land in Florida.
(9) The University of California received permits for two test sites in California for a similar experiment. (10) Potatoes and Fruit Flies
To make potatoes resistant to mold and fungus, Colorado State University has genetically engineered potatoes with a fruit fly gene. USDA authorized the university to test the crop in Colorado between April and November of 2001.
(11)
Tobacco and Cows
The University of Kentucky inserted cow genes into tobacco plants to make the plants resistant to certain bacterial blight. This tobacco was authorized for testing in Kentucky between May 2001 and May 2002.
(12) Tobacco and Humans
CropTech engineered human genes into tobacco plants, receiving permission to release the plants in a half acre plot on sites in South Carolina and Virginia in 2001. The University of Kentucky was authorized to conduct a similar test on less than one acre of land in Kentucky in 2002. Tests conducted by both organizations were for pharmaceutical research.
(13)
Wheat and Chickens
The University of Nebraska acquired three permits to grow field trials of wheat genetically engineered with chicken genes to produce fungal resistance. The field tests were authorized to occur between March 2002 and August 2003 in Nebraska. (14) Chicken and Grass
The University of Nebraska inserted chicken genes into creeping bentgrass, receiving USDA authorization for a one acre field site in Nebraska for use from October of 2002 until October of 2003.
(15)
Nearly 500 Acres of Corn with Jellyfish and Undisclosed Genes
Pioneer has genetically engineered corn with genes from jellyfish and more than 20 other organisms, many of which are not disclosed as part of the company’s confidential business information. USDA issued a permit to Pioneer to grow this experimental corn on 490 acres in twenty states across the country, including California, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. The exact locations and purposes of these field trials are also undisclosed. (
16) Jellyfish and Shrubs
The University of Connecticut used jellyfish genes as a visual marker within rhododendrons in Connecticut. A researcher at the University stated that the field test was not intended for commercial application.
(17) The University of Georgia obtained approval for a one acre field test of Bermuda grass engineered with jellyfish genes to produce tolerance to herbicides.
(18)
Humans and Rice
Applied Phytologics, a biotechnology company, was given permission to implant several human genes into rice to produce pharmaceutical proteins. The field test was authorized to take place in Hawaii in 2001.
(19) Jellyfish and Bollworms
In the first known field release of a genetically engineered animal, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) used jellyfish genes as visual markers in pink bollworms. The bollworm is a moth caterpillar that eats and destroys corn and other agricultural crops. The three acre field test site is located in Arizona.
(20)
Jellyfish and Rice
In May 2003, the University of California was granted permission to put jellyfish genes into rice, creating visual markers. The test is authorized to take place in California.
(21) Humans and Sugarcane
The Hawaii Agriculture Research Center engineered human genes into sugarcane to produce pharmaceutical proteins on half an acre in Hawaii. The test was authorized in 2001.
(22)
Rats and Soybeans
The University of Kentucky used the genes of the Norwegian rat to alter the oil profile of soybeans. The test was authorized to begin in May 2003 on an acre in Kentucky and can continue until May 2004. (23) Man and Mouse and Corn
Garst, Inc. combined human and mouse genes with corn to produce pharmaceutical proteins. Garst applied for a permit in 2003 to conduct field tests in Hawaii.
(24)
Cow/Frog
Milk quality extends beyond dairy products. The impact of poor milk quality causes premature culling of dairy cows (typical life span reduced to only 2.4 productive years) due primarily to mastitis. The US government has funded research to address the growing concerns for antibiotic resistant mastitis (see link below). Some researchers are exploring genetic means of addressing mastitis problems. One research program is combining a gene present in frogs with a cow in hopes that the result will be a secretion into the milk to combat a bacteria that causes mastitis. This would require government approval to market milk from such genetically modified cows. Frog Potato
A chemical that South American frogs excrete from their skin could protect potatoes and other crops from a range of diseases, according to biotechnologists in Canada. Researchers at the University of Victoria inserted a modified frog gene into potato plants to make them produce the chemical. The genetically modified (GM) potatoes showed resistance to infection by a broad range of disease-causing fungi and bacteria, including those responsible for diseases such as dry rot, late blight and pink rot. Different species of frog produce different sets of chemicals, including some called dermaseptins, from their skin depending on the environmentthey inhabit. The chemicals help protect frogs from bacteria and other 'pathogens'.