Take effective measures to promote the industrialization of genetically modified crops

At the academic report meeting on transgenic technology and sustainable development held in Beijing a few days ago, researcher Huang Dafang, former director of the Institute of Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, revealed that at present, there are tens of thousands of researchers engaged in transgenic research in China. Cotton, rice, corn and other crops transgenic innovation ability to further improve.

According to Huang Da Fang, after more than 20 years of efforts, although there is still a considerable gap between the overall strength of biological breeding and multinational corporations, China has a R & D team composed of tens of thousands of scientific and technological personnel. A few biological breeding innovation and industrial development systems have been initially established in the world, including gene discovery, genetic transformation, improved variety cultivation, industrial development and application promotion, safety evaluation and other key links. At present, China has independent intellectual property rights of a number of functional genes and core technologies, such as disease and insect resistance, herbicide resistance, high-quality stress resistance and so on. The innovative ability of transgenic research on cotton, rice, corn and other crops has been further improved, initially forming its own characteristics and comparative advantages.

Chinese researchers have cloned a number of important trait genes with independent intellectual property rights, which have reserved important core technologies and genetic resources for the cultivation of new varieties of transgenic crops. Huang Da Fang hopes that by 2020, that is, before the end of the major national transgenic project, there will be a new safety certificate approved, and the intensity of industrialization can be increased. He believes that the development of plant biotechnology is the trend of the times, and effective measures should be taken to promote the industrialization of genetically modified crops and at the same time strengthen the dissemination of genetically modified science and the popularization of science.

The report will be jointly sponsored by the Science Popularization Department of the China Association for Science and Technology and the China Office of the International Society for Life Sciences.