By Nidhi Nath Srinavas
Economic Times (India)
as posted on the Avestha Gengraine Technologies website

India can now boast of a genetically modified (GM) technology even the big daddies in the US don’t have. A top Indian biotech company has invented a unique way to GM everything from basmati to bhindi for breeding new hybrids, minus the labour, cost and time this usually takes. What’s more, the US has granted a patent for this truly transgenic, cutting-edge technology last week. Patent rights are also on their way in Europe, China, Africa, Australia, Canada, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.

Avestha Gengraine Technologies, the Bangalore-based biotech major, has modified genes in basmati to make breeding of new hybrids easier. Both the transgenic plant and the process of its gene manipulation have been patented by Avesthagen. The company has funding from ICICI, Global Trust Bank and Tata Industries.

Transgenic rice sterile lines, like Avesthagen’s new Basmati-370, spell profits because seed companies can licence them to create new hybrids cheaper and faster. Basmati-370 itself is commercially significant because it is hugely popular with foreign consumers for its aroma and cooking qualities.

Avesthagen says seeds based on its technology should be available within a year, albeit bearing the ‘GM’ tag. However, as only plant genes are being used, the company does not expect farmer or consumer resistance. “We have already received offers for a licensing contract from several leading seed companies. They are excited because using it would lead to substantial saving in time and cost. We are trying to work out the best deal now,” said a source within the company.

“The technology works with all seeds — rice, wheat, cotton, maize, oil crops like mustard and sunflower, vegetables like okra, brinjals and tomatoes, flowers. In other words, every plant which has a commercial hybrid seed available in the market,” the source added.The technology uses RNA editing as a molecular tool. “The invention relates to RNA editing for expressing the unedited nad9 gene, thereby disenabling ATP production in the mitochondria of plant, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction in the plant, thus leading to male sterility,” researchers said.

Here’s how it works. Every hybrid needs a male sterile line, which is crossed with a female line to get a new seed. But the process is beset with several problems. There are very few sterile lines available world-wide for every variety. So to get a basmati hybrid, for instance, scientists would only use IRRI’s sterile lines.

Even the undesirable characteristics of the male parent show up in the progeny. In basmati, attributes like aroma and elongation become diluted in hybrids.

Thirdly, the whole process is laborious, time-consuming and costly. Hence, companies only produce hybrids with a commercial future.

Avesthagen’s technology short-circuits the entire process. It can produce sterility in the existing seed itself and thus saves back-crossing. When you cross it with the female line, there is no danger of dilution of attributes. Moreover, it is faster.