September 8, 2009
UNIT 7: PlantsScientists Develop Iron-Rich Rice Plant
Iron deficiency can be a problem for those who do not eat a well-balanced diet, and it can be an especially insidious problem for populations in developing countries. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to iron deficiency. Symptoms of iron deficiency include pronounced fatigue and an inability to metabolize certain harmful substances. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, which is a condition in which the body does not produce enough healthy red bloods necessary to transport oxygen to the body's tissues. In many developing countries, one of the major food sources (and sometimes onlyfood source) is rice. Rice, in its unaltered form, is actually a good source of iron. However, most rice provided to populations in developing countries is peeled rice; that is, the seed coat has been removed. The seed coat is often removed to give the rice a longer shelf life; rice that retains its seed coat is likely to spoil faster in sub-tropical and tropical climates typically found in developing countries.
Because iron supplements or other food sources are not readily available or overly expensive, scientists are working on developing an iron-rich variety of rice. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (also referred to as ETH Zurich) have had success in doing just that.
Lead researchers Christof Sautter and Wilhelm Gruissem worked with colleagues to genetically modify a rice plant to increase its iron content. In their experiment, the scientists inserted two plant genes into an existing variety of rice. The two inserted plant genes work together to both mobilize and store iron. In addition, the inserted genes aid in the rice plant's ability to absorb a greater quantity of iron from the soil and also store more iron in the rice kernel. Most importantly, the modified rice plant was shown to have a six-fold increase in iron content compared to a typical (unmodified) rice plant.
More research and experiments, including tests to see whether the modified rice plants will grow under typical agricultural conditions, are necessary before the modified rice plants will be available commercially. Regulations require that genetically-modified seeds and plants must undergo a rigorous period of greenhouse and field testing to ensure that it is safe for human consumption and will not have negative impacts on an ecosystem. In addition, the scientists are interested in increasing the modified rice plant's iron content to at least twelve-fold; that is, twice the level they currently have achieved. Upon the modified rice plants eventual assumed approval, the scientists would like to provide it to small-scale and self-sufficient farmers at no cost, given the crop's humanitarian implications.