News Letter

Volume 8, No 3 [July 2011]

Dear members, VIII Convention of the Biotech Research Society: The VIII Convention of the Biotech Research Society, India (www.brsi.in) will be held at National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, CSIR, Trivandrum during 21st to 24th November 2011. Prof Ashok Pandey is its chairman and Dr K Madhavan Nampoothiri and Dr Rajeev K Sukumaran are its convener and co-convener, respectively. The convention will be an international event- International Conference on New Horizons in Biotechnology (NHBT-2011; www.niist.res.in/nhbt2011) and would focus on recent developments in the frontier areas biotechnology. It will bring together a multinational body of scientists and experts to deliberate on global developments in various fields of biotechnology and their applications in industrial, medical, environmental, food and agriculture sectors. It is envisaged that this conference would continue not only provide a unique platform to the participants from industries and academic institutions to share their thoughts and views to develop possible linkages among them, but also serve the purpose of global networking among them and help in creating a nucleus of interface research.
In this issue.... VIII BRSI Convention ................................................................1 Call for BRSI Awards Nomination..............................................1 Board of Governors of BRSI (2011-2013) ...............................1 Management Council of BRSI (2011-2013) .............................2 Members Forum ..........................................................................2 Units Forum .................................................................................2 Conferences/symposia schedules .............................................3 EFB conferences schedules....................................................3 Condolence ...................................................................................4 Biotech News & R&D Round-up...................................................4 Vaccines: Looking back, looking ahead ....8 Demography... Isn't Destiny, One Hopes ...........................10 First Comprehensive Gene Map of the Human Brain ..12 Food Security and GM Crops ...................................................13 Bioenergy, Biofuels & Environment News & R&D....................18

BESI Board of Governors (2011-2013) Following is new Board of Governors elected for 20112013. President: Prof P Gunasekaran, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai Vice-President: Prof Sudhir B Chincholkar, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon Members: Prof Rintu Banerjee, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur Dr Arvind M Deshmukh, Dr Babsahb AM University Sub-campus, Osmanabad Dr Digambar V Gokhale, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune Prof Arun Goyal, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati Prof Sanjay P Govindwar, Shivaji University, Kolhapur Prof P Kaliraj, Anna University, Chennai Prof Smita S Lele, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

Important Dates
Submission of abstracts Acceptance Notification Submission of full manuscripts Registration at normal rate Booking of accommodation Cancellation CONFERENCE : : : : : : 31.08.2011 15.09.2011 31.10.2011 15.10.2011 15.10.2011 31.10.2011

: 21-24.11.2011

BRSI Annual awards 2011: Call for the nomination is open till 31st July 2011. For details please visit the homepage at www.brsi.in BRSI Best Poster Awards and BRSI Young ResearchIndustry Meet: For details please visit conference homepage at www.niist.res.in/nhbt2011/

Prof Datta Madamwar, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar Dr S Venkata Mohan, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad Dr Kishore M Paknikar, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune Prof Ashok Pandey, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Trivandrum Dr R A Pandey, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur Dr Hemant J Purohit, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur Prof L Venkateswar Rao, Osmania University, Hyderabad Prof T Satyanarayana, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi Dr Durg Vijay Singh, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar Dr Jyoti Prakash Tamang, Sikkim University, Sikkim Prof K P Tiwari, University of Allahabad (retd), Allahabad Prof S N Upadhyay, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

Congratulations to Dr S Venkata Mohan, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad and for receiving the prestigious NASI-Scopus Young Scientist Award for 2010 in Earth, Oceanographic & Environmental Sciences category by The National Academy of Sciences (NASI), India and M/S Elsevier for his research contribution in Environmental Science and Engineering. The award was conferred at an awards ceremony held on 21st March, 2011 at the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi. Congratulations to Dr K Pakshirajan who has been awarded the BOYSCAST Fellowship by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India, to conduct advanced research at Department of Environmental Resources, UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 72611 AX Delft, The Netherlands, for a period of twelve months tentatively starting July 15, 2011. Congratulations to Dr Sangeeta Negi who has been invited by the Universite Blaise Pascal, Clermont Ferrand, France to visit the Biological Engineering Department for one month during June 2011 for research studies on bioremediation of grease waste.

BRSI Management Council (2011-2013) Following is new Management Council of the Society elected for 2011-2013. President: Prof P Gunasekaran, Madurai Kamraj University, Madurai Vice-President: Prof Sudhir B Chincholkar, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon General Secretary: Prof Rintu Banerjee, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur Treasurer: Dr K Madhavan Nampoothiri, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Trivandrum Members: Prof A Dayanand, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga; Dr VK Garg, GJ University, Hisar; Prof Smita S Lele, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai Members Forum Congratulations to Prof Rekha S Singhal, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai for getting the fellowship of AFST (I), Mysore.

Units Forum DYPBBI Unit A new unit of the Society has been opened at Pune- the Dr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute Unit whose office bearers are as below: President: Dr. M. B. Khetmalas Secretary: Dr. Neelu N. Nawani Treasurer: Dr. Supriya V. Kore Member: Mr. Snehasish Mukherjee Member: Mr. Jay Sanghani

ANITS Unit The BRSI Unit was inaugurated in the Department of Biotechnology, ANITS on 8th April, 2011 by Prof.V.S.R.K. Prasad, Principal, ANITS. Prof. R. Govardhana Rao, Director (Admin.) and all the faculty of Department of Biotechnology attended the function.

A Guest Lecture by Dr. Amit Kumar, CEO, Bio Axis DNA Research Center (BDRC) Pvt Ltd and Secretary, IEEE Hyderabad Section was organized by BRSI Unit in association with CSI & IEEE Student Chapter of ANITS on 9th April, 2011. Dr. Amit Kumar talked on DNA Changes with the climate change: truth, myths and the challenges. Dr.V.Sridevi, HOD, Biotechnology welcomed the gathering and Prof. S.C. Satapathy, HOD, CSE, all the students and faculty of Department of Biotechnology attended the guest lecture.

11th International Conference on Clean Energy, Feng Chia University, Taiwan, November 2-5, 2011; details can be found at www.icce2011.org.tw 5th International Conference on the Analysis of Microbial Physiology at the Single Cell Level, 5-8 November 2011; Carry-le-Rouet, France; details can be found at http://singlecell.sciencesconf.org 7th Annual International Symposium on Environment (Energy), May 14-17, 2012, Athens, Greece; details can be found at www.atiner.gr/environment.htm 3rd International Conference on Industrial Biotechnology (IBIC2012), June 24-27, 2012, Palermo, Italy; details can be found at www.aidic.it/IBIC2012 15th International Biotechnology Symposium (IBS) and Exhibition, September 16 - 21, 2012, Daegue, Korea

CONFERENCES/SYMPOSIA SCHEDULES
The 6th International Medicinal Mushroom Conference, September 25 - 29, 2011, Zagreb, Croatia; details can be found at www.immc6.com International Conference on Challenges in Environmental Science and Engineering (CSSE-2011), September 25 30, Tainan, Taiwan; details can be found at http://www.cese-conference.org International Symposium on Plant Biotechnology towards Tolerance to Stresses and Enhancing Crop Yield (ISPB-2011), September 28 - October 1, 2011, Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, Jharkhand. Details can be obtained from Dr D. M. Pandey; ispb2011@bitmesra.ac.in or dmpandey@bitmesra.ac.in or visit http://bitmesra.ac.in/ispb/ispb.asp ASIAN biohydrogen and Biorefinery Symposium (ABBS) Bogor, Indonesia, October 14-16, 2011; details can be found at www.asia-biohylinks.org 12th Indo-US Flow Cytometry workshop, Dr DY Patil Institute, Pune; October 19-20, 2011; details can be obtained from Dr Neelu Nawani, neelunawani@yahoo.com 5th International Conference on Sensors (ASIASENSE 2011), The Jeju Shilla, Jeju, Korea, October 23-26, 2011; details can be found at www.genipco.com/asiasense2011/ IEEE International Conference on Waste Recycling, Ecology and Environment; October 15-22, 2011, Mianyang, Sichuan, China; details can be found at www.wree.swust.edu.cn

EFB Conference schedules Date 29 May-2 June 2011 13-17 June 2011 Event BAGECO 11: 11th Conference on Bacterial Genetics and Ecology PharmSciFair 2011 Venue Corfu Greece Prague, Czech Republic

APIB - 2011: Active Pharmaceutical 14-17 June Ingredients from Madrid 2011 Biotechnology: from Spain research to industrial and regulatory issues Biotech 2011: 5th Czech Prague, 15-17 June Swiss Symposium with Czech 2011 Exhibition Republic 16-19 June Tavira Affinity 2011 2011 Portugal 3rd IC4N - 2011: International Conference 26 - 29 June from Nanoparticles and Crete Island, 2011 Nanomaterials to Greece Nanodevices and Nanosystems

5th European Bioremediation Conference PREP2011 - Workshops 10 - 13 July on Preparative & Process 2011 Chromatography 4 - 7 July 2011 22 - 25 Biotransformations 2011 August 2011 27 - 28 September 2011 25 - 29 September, 2011 2 - 6 October, 2011 12 - 14 October 2011 Science to Market

Chania, Greece Boston, MA, USA Bad Herrenalb Germany Berlin Germany

Condolence It is with deepest sorrow we inform about the sad demise of our two members who were Fellows of the Society. Prof H Veeramani passed away on 27th May 2011 at Mumbai. He is survived by his wife and two sons. Prof Veeramani was winner of the first Life Time Achievement Award of the Society. Dr RK Jain passed away in Chandigarh after a brave battle against cancer. He is survived by his wife and two children. We pray to Almighty to give peace to the Resting Souls and strength to the family members to bear this loss. BIOTECH NEWS AND R&D ROUND-UP
First Patients Receive Lab-Grown Blood Vessels from Donor Cells- For the first time, blood vessels

8th ECCE + 1st ECAB: European Congress of Applied Biotechnology Biotrans 2011 IVth International Conference on Biotechniques for Air Pollution Control

Berlin, Germany

Sicilia, Italy La Corua, Spain Anaheim, California U.S.A Carry-leRouet, Marseilles

27 October 2 November ABSA Conference 2011 2011 EFB Microbial 5 -8 Physiology Section November, Symposium: Analysis of 2011 microbial cells at the single cell level II 8th World Meeting on 19 - 22 Pharmaceutics, March 2012 Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Tech. 19 - 22 March 2012 9th International Conference on Protein Stabilisation.

Istanbul Turkey

created in the lab from donor skin cells were successfully implanted in patients. Functioning blood vessels that aren't rejected by the immune system could be used to make durable shunts for kidney dialysis, and potentially to improve treatment for children with heart defects and adults needing coronary or other bypass graft surgery: For the first
time, human blood vessels grown in a laboratory from donor skin cells have been successfully implanted into patients, according to new research presented in the American Heart Association's Emerging Science Series webinar. The grafts also have the potential to be used in lower limb bypass to route blood around diseased arteries, to repair congenital heart defects in pediatric patients and to fix damaged arteries in soldiers, who might otherwise lose a limb, said McAllister. The tissue-engineered blood vessels, produced from sheets of cultured skin cells rolled around temporary support structures, were used to create access shunts

Lisbon, Portugal

23-26 September 2012

European Congress on Biotechnology. BIOCROSSROADS

Istanbul Turkey

between arteries and veins in the arm for kidney dialysis in three patients. These shunts, which connect an artery to a vein, provide access to the blood for dialysis. The engineered vessels were about a foot long with a diameter of 4.8 millimeters. At follow-up exams up to eight months after implantation, none of the patients had developed an immune reaction to the implants, and the vessels withstood the high pressure and frequent needle punctures required for dialysis. Shunts created from patients' own vessels or synthetic materials are notoriously prone to failure. Investigators previously showed that using vessels individually created from a patient's own skin cells reduced the rate of shunt complications 2.4-fold over a 3-year period. The availability of off-the-shelf vessels could avoid the expense and months-long process involved in creating custom vessels for each patient, making the technique feasible for widespread use. Besides addressing a costly and vexing problem in kidney dialysis, off-the-shelf blood vessels might someday be used instead of harvesting patients' own vessels for bypass surgery. A larger, randomized trial of the grafts is under way for kidney dialysis, and human trials have been initiated to assess the safety and effectiveness of these grafts for lower-limb bypass. Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110627 134521.htm (27th June) Scientists Launch Rival Claims over Cows that Produce Mothers' Milk: Researchers in both Argentina and China are reporting having developed genetically modified (GM) cows that produce the equivalent of human breast milk. Argentina's National Institute of Agrobusiness Technology has announced the development of a GM cow, named Rosita ISA, born April 6. The institute says that when she reaches maturity Rosita ISA will produce human milk. The claim came only days after reports emerged from China that scientists there had genetically modified dairy cows to produce human breast milk and hoped to be selling it in supermarkets within three years. Researchers at the Agricultural University in Beijing said they had a 300strong herd of GM transgenic cows. The cows were said to have been bred by inserting human genes into cloned cow embryos, which were then implanted into surrogate cows. Workers at the Chinese university's dairy farm

are reported to have already tasted the milk. They said it is sweeter and stronger than the bovine variety. The researchers at Beijings Agricultural University said they have also produced animals that are resistant to mad cow disease and beef cattle that are genetically modified to produce more nutritious meat. Source: Food Security and AgriBiotech News (June 14) Sprouts spawn deadly E. coli: Authorities conclude contaminated beans and bean sprouts from a German farm were the source of the recent E. coli outbreak in Europe: Contaminated beans and bean sprouts including lentils, alfalfa and more from an organic farm in Northern Germany caused the E. coli outbreak that spread through the country over the last several weeks, German health officials said on Friday (June 10). The outbreak has resulted in 35 deaths and more than 3,255 infected individuals, according to the latest update from the World Health Organization. Authorities traced the outbreak from patients to restaurants to farms to identify the source, but the findings have yet to be confirmed with positive laboratory tests, notes The New York Times. The bacterial strain has proved to be particularly deadly, with infections leading to haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a blood clotting disease causing kidney failure. Previously, authorities fingered cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce as possible sources of the lethal E. coli, spelling disaster for various sectors of European agriculture as demand for crops plummeted. Russia, for example, banned all imports of vegetables from Europe, and will resume imports only when the European Union provides documented guarantees of the safety of its produce. Source: http://thescientist.com/2011/06/13/sprouts-spawn-deadly-e-coli/ (13th June) Bacteria live on caffeine: Researchers discover that some bugs crave the buzz: Researchers have found bacteria that actually live on caffeine. Most bacteria cant digest caffeine molecules because their nitrogenrich cores are surrounded by three methyl groups. But University of Iowa researchers used gene sequence analysis to show that Pseudomonas putida CBB5 relies on four digestive proteins to strip off the methyl groups and feast on the nitrogen at the molecules heart. The chemical process could one day be used to turn waste from industrial tea and coffee processing into safe, decaffeinated animal feed, the researchers

say. The enzymes could also be used to break the caffeine molecule down into the basic components of drugs to treat asthma and heart arrhythmias Codex Debate over Biotechnology Definition Goes Full Circle: After years of debate, the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) has decided to abandon work on a definition of the term biotechnology. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, of which the CCFL is a part, was established by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the UN World Health Organization (WHO) to generate voluntary, internationally recognized food standards. Commenting on the CCFLs decision, David Pineda Ereo of the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) said: Since Codex could not reach a consensus on this issue after more than ten years of discussion, it was agreed not to develop specific Codex provisions on the definition and labelling of GMOs [genetically modified organisms] and to develop a compilation of Codex texts relating to the labelling of foods derived from modern biotechnology instead. He added that it ends years of discussion in which the CCFL was divided between those proposing process-based GMO labelling and those proposing that GMOs should be declared on the label only when they are present in the final product. The CCFL has agreed to adopt a compilation of texts relevant to the labeling of foods derived from modern biotechnology (i.e. genetically modified (GM) foods). Concerning definitions, this text will refer to the already adopted Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology (CAC/GL 44-2003), which contain relevant definitions and thus do not need to be repeated. Source: http://thescientist.com/2011/06/10/bacteria-live-on-caffeine/ (11th June) First-of-Its-Kind Fluorescence Map Offers a New View of the World's Land Plants: Scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., have produced groundbreaking global maps of land plant fluorescence, a difficult-to-detect reddish glow that leaves emit as a byproduct of photosynthesis. While researchers have previously mapped how oceandwelling phytoplankton fluoresce, the new maps are the first to focus on land vegetation and to cover the entire globe. Source: Food Security and AgriBiotech News (9 th June)

To date, most satellite-derived information related to the health of vegetation has come from "greenness" indicators based on reflected rather than fluorescent light. Greenness typically decreases in the wake of droughts, frosts, or other events that limit photosynthesis and cause green leaves to die and change color. However, there is a lag between what happens on the ground and what satellites can detect. It can take days -- even weeks -- before changes in greenness are apparent to satellites. Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110606 171539.htm (7th June)

A first-of-a-kind global map of land plant fluorescence shows stronger photosynthetic activity in the Northern Hemisphere in July when light and temperature conditions were most conducive to plant growth, and the reverse in December. The maps are based on data from a spectrometer aboard the Japanese satellite GOSAT. (Credit: NASA's Earth Observatory)
Controversial climate study retracted: A controversial 2008 climate study is retracted due to plagiarism- A 2008 paper that criticized scientific support for global warming has been retracted, according toScienceInsider. The study, published inComputational Statistics and Data Analysis and based on a controversial 2006 report on global warming commissioned by the US Congress, concluded that climate scientists favorably publish one

anothers work because of too-close collaboration and questioned whether global warming was real, notes USA Today. The paper has been retracted because of plagiarism excerpts from Wikipedia and two textbooks appeared without citation in the papers introduction, according to the retraction notice. Source: http://thescientist.com/2011/06/06/controversial-climate-studyretracted/ (6th June) Arsenic-based life debate continues:More than a dozen

of DNA backbones, which, Redfield argued, the bacteria may have been using to survive. To be absolutely sure that the bacteria were indeed using arsenate (the arsenic equivalent of phosphate) as the authors claimed, she said, the strain must be cultured without any phosphate. Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a fellow at NASA's Astrobiology Institute and lead author on the original study, and her colleagues defended their DNA purification techniques, and said that they were transparent in revealing the presence of small quantities of phosphate in the medium. But, she argued, the low levels were not enough to sustain growth, as supported by lack of growth in control cultures in media that contained similar amounts of phosphate but no arsenate. But James Cotner, environmental microbiologist at the University of Minnesota and one of the published commenters, contends that the authors overestimate the minimum amount of phosphorous required for cell survival, noting that many species of bacteria naturally survive on the low levels present in the study. Furthermore, researchers argue that there are simpler possible explanations for why the bacteria cultured with arsenate survived and grew. Patricia Foster, professor of biology at Indiana University, said it's possible that the bacterial strain, called GFAJ-1, can only bring phosphate into its cells when it is exposed to a stimulant such as arsenate. Therefore, the control cultures don't prove that GFAJ-1 grows by incorporating arsenate into its DNA, just that arsenate needs to be present in order for the bacteria to grow. She also said that if the cells were actively growing and incorporating arsenate into their DNA, then their DNA should have contained a higher percentage of arsenic than the researchers found. Much of the skepticism stems from the longstanding belief that arsenate is extremely unstable. In his comment, Steven Benner, distinguished fellow at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution and another comment author, calculated that each arsenate linkage inside a hypothetical arseno-DNA molecule would hydrolyze (degrade) after only 1 minute in the environment of Mono Lake while phosphate-DNA can survive approximately 30 million years. Though the specific criticisms vary, the sentiment is clear -- more research is needed to conclusively

researchers voice their concerns about a 2010 paper that claims bacteria can use arsenic in place of phosphorus in its DNA and other biomolecules: Scientists are questioning the
validity of a high-profile paper that claimed to have discovered a strain of bacteria from Mono Lake, California, that can use arsenic in place of phosphorus in its DNA and other biomolecules, such as proteins.

Mono Lake, California Image: Image 2010 Henry Bortman

The paper, which appeared online in ScienceExpress last December, immediately sparked a hot debate among the scientific community. Now, fifteen researchers have articulated their concerns in the form of eight technical comments published in ScienceExpress last week (May 27), and, for the first time since its publication, the authors of the controversial study have written a formal response to their critics. In general, the criticisms highlight poor experimental techniques and point to more likely explanations for the results than a straightforward replacement of phosphorous with arsenic in biomolecules. Specifically, Redfield takes issue with the DNA extraction protocol, claiming that the genetic material was not purified properly before being tested for arsenic content. Furthermore, the supposedly phosphate-free growth medium on which the bacteria were cultured actually did contain phosphate, the phosphorus-based molecule

demonstrate that the bacteria actually incorporate arsenic into their biomolecules. Source: Arsenic-based life debate continues - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences http://www.thescientist.com/news/display/58190/#ixzz1OTYkajTq (5th June) Vaccines: Looking back, looking ahead- Vaccines are miracles that have saved millions of human lives more than any other medical interventionby activating the bodys natural defenses to prevent infection. Likewise, veterinary vaccines protect our livestock and pets. Vaccines were originally produced to prevent infectious diseases, and this goal continues to be important. Today, however, there are also interesting developments in the use of vaccines to control noninfectious conditions, such as some types of cancer and Alzheimers disease, or, as discussed in this issue, cocaine addiction. Humankind has benefited from more than 200 years of successful vaccine use. (See time line.) One hundred years ago, parents worried most about their children contracting diphtheria, and 50 years ago they worried about polio; today, the most serious childhood infections have largely disappeared from the developed world. Moreover, the World Health Organization officially declared the global eradication of smallpox in 1980. In addition, vaccines are now available to combat adult diseases such as cervical cancer and shingles. Yet there are three major 21st century scourges that still cry out for efficacious vaccines: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Prevention is better than cure Since ancient times, people have realized that you could only catch certain diseases once. If you recovered, you became immune for the rest of your life. In the 17th century, variolationscratching a small amount of a patients smallpox scab into the skin of uninfected individuals, inducing a mild form of the disease followed by protective immunitywas introduced to Europe from China by way of Turkey. Although around 1-2 percent of variolated people contracted the disease and died, the odds were still favorable during a raging epidemic. In 1796, Edward Jenner took note of the folk observation that milkmaids had smooth complexions: they did not get smallpox. (In the nursery rhyme that begins Where are you going, my pretty maid?/ Im going a-milking,

sir, she said, the girl claimed that My face is my fortune because it was free of pockmarks.) Jenner successfully used the relatively harmless cowpox as a vaccine (from the Latin vacca, cow) in place of smallpox. Although we understand the immune system better today, we still do not have sufficient insight into the reasons why certain vaccines work poorly or not at all, or why some of the most successful ones (e.g., the vaccine against yellow fever) protect for a lifetime. Rather than targeting the pathogen itself, some vaccines protect against the byproducts of infection, such as the toxins produced by diphtheria and tetanus bacteria. In the 90 years since the Bacillus Calmette-Gurin (BCG) vaccinemade from bovine TBwas developed to fight theMycobacterium that causes human tuberculosis, there has unfortunately been little progress in developing a new vaccine. But promising results are beginning to emerge for a vaccine that may offer partial protection against the malaria parasite. HIV has managed to evade researchers best efforts towards an efficacious vaccine: the virus rapidly changes its outer coat, and protects itself with a glycan shield or sugary carapace. Moreover, HIV invades and subverts the immune system itself. Gene Shearer and Adriano Basso resurrect an approach to HIV immunization based on using human antigens in addition to viral antigens. But a pathogens immune-evasion strategy is not always the biggest barrier to vaccine development. As Brad Spellberg discusses, investment in the development of fungal vaccines has been hindered by the lack of demand in the developed world and by a perceived lack of profitability. Therapeutic vaccines Although vaccines were originally designed as a method of preventing disease, we now realize that stimulating the immune system after diseases have taken hold may also help patients. Therapeutic (rather than prophylactic) vaccines have been designed to make cancer cells look more foreign so that immune cells will destroy them. But because cancer cells originate from our own cells, there is danger that such an approach could backfire, with the body rejecting its own tissues in an autoimmune reaction. Paradoxically, the very immune reaction responsible for transplant and graft rejection may help to spawn a new kind of vaccine, as Shearer and Basso explain in their article. Therapeutic vaccines

are also being attempted for conditions like addiction. Although molecules of nicotine and cocaine are too small to elicit immune reactions by themselves, Thomas Kosten writes about the development of a vaccine against cocaine that couples an immune-stimulating protein to the small addictive molecule. The future of vaccines Despite the enormous number of lives saved by immunization, a vocal minority holds the view that these measures are harmful. Parents who withhold vaccination from their children usually see no ill effect, because they benefit from the vast majority of vaccinated children providing herd immunity, making the disease agents much rarer. Sadly, though, because of the unjustified scare about a vaccineautism linka claim which is not evidence-based and which has been rejected by public-health authoritieswe have witnessed a rise in measles infections, which can have debilitating complications. One of the greatest challenges of the modern era is to convince parents in Western countries of the essential benefits of vaccines. With the exception of a few brave individuals, the scientific community as a whole has not risen to this challenge. If only this vocal minority could appreciate the enormous impact vaccines have had in the past and their untapped potential for the future. For example, there is the challenge of developing an efficacious multivalent influenza vaccine that would avert pandemic influenza. Rino Rappuoli outlines the extraordinary challenges inherent in developing universal vaccines, protective against all strains of rapidly replicating viruses such as influenza and HIV. These viruses mutate key proteins at a furious rate, reconfigure their shapes, and recombine with each other, constantly evolving to make it harder for the immune system and vaccinologists to find a highly conserved Achilles heel. Further problems concern the huge cost of manufacturing, the growing complexity of vaccine design, the fear of liability on the part of pharmaceutical companies, and the funding and logistics of rollout in countries where vaccines are most needed. Yet given determination, these challenges can be surmounted. Source: http://the-scientist.com/2011/06/01/vaccines/ (1st June) Comparing Efficiencies Photosynthetic and Recognizing and the Photovoltaic Potential for

Improvement: A team of researchers from 18 mostly American institutions, compares the efficiency with which solar cells and plants convert light into energy, and it considers opportunities on the frontiers of synthetic biology for enhancing the efficiency of photosynthesis in plants. The article concludes that numerous points of inefficiency in the natural system [of photosynthesis] are amenable to improvement by using genetic engineering and more aggressive techniques of synthetic biology. Photosynthesis is the biochemical process by which plants convert light into energy. Source: Food Security and AgriBiotech News, (25th May) Does Eating Give You Pleasure, or Make You Anxious? While most people have a great deal of difficulty in dieting and losing weight, particularly if a diet extends over many months or years, individuals with anorexia nervosa can literally diet themselves to death. In fact, this disorder has a very high death rate from starvation. A new study sheds light on why these symptoms occur in anorexia nervosa. erhaps the most puzzling symptom of anorexia nervosa -- a disorder that tends to occur in young women -- is the refusal to eat, resulting in extreme weight loss. While most people have a great deal of difficulty in dieting and losing weight, particularly if a diet extends over many months or years, individuals with anorexia nervosa can literally diet themselves to death. In fact, this disorder has a very high death rate from starvation. A new study, now online in the journal International Journal of Eating Disorders, sheds light on why these symptoms occur in anorexia nervosa. Most people find eating to be a pleasant and rewarding experience. In contrast, people with anorexia nervosa often say that eating makes them more anxious, and food refusal makes them feel better. Research over the past decade has provided new insights into the brain mechanisms that are associated with the rewarding aspects of eating. One of these brain chemicals is dopamine, which is released when people or animals eat tasty foods. A study led by Walter Kaye, MD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, used a brain imaging technology called positron emission tomography (PET), which permits visualization of dopamine function

in the brain. In order to provoke dopamine levels in the brain, scientists administered a one-time dose of the drug amphetamine, which releases dopamine in the brain. In healthy women without an eating disorder, amphetamine-induced release of dopamine was related to feelings of extreme pleasure in a part of the brain known as a "reward" center. However, in people who had anorexia nervosa, amphetamine made them feel anxious, and the part of the brain that was activated was, instead, a part of the brain that worries about consequences. Importantly, this study was of people who have recovered from anorexia nervosa for at least a year, suggesting that the feeling provoked may be due to preexisting traits, rather than a response to being at an extremely low weight. In terms of impact on treatment strategies, there are no currently proven treatments that reduce core symptoms in anorexia nervosa, such as eating-induced anxiety. According to the researchers, even though food is accompanied by severe anxiety, it is still critical to eat and gain weight in order to effectively treat this disorder. Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110520 092733.htm (22nd May) Demography... Isn't Destiny, One Hopes: SubSaharan Africa is by far the fastest-growing part of the world, according to the new report from the UNs population division. The population division updates its projections every two years. For the first time, it has projected them as far ahead as 2100. By 2100, Nigeria is projected to be the worlds third-largest nation, with 730 million peoplethe current population of Europe. Rwandas population is projected to rise fourfold, to 42 million, giving it a density five times that of Japan. Chinas population would fall by what the article calls a staggering 450 million from its peak in 2025, to 941 million. The article says: Some of these projections are incredible: they are warnings as much as predictions. Still, the general picture is probably right. Little larger than Europe or Latin America today, sub-Saharan Africa is projected to be bigger than either by the end of the century, and much more than half the size of Asia (it is now only a fifth). The article warns that the consequences could be severe. The Sahel could be turned into a desert by the soaring population of West Africa, it says. The article also notes that China would

be burdened by huge costs from supporting the elderly, and both China and India are likely to experience social unrest if the UN projections that, in the future, young men will significantly outnumber young women, come to pass. The UNs new projections use a different method of calculating future fertility rates, which is said to take better account of local trends. Source: Food Security and AgriBiotech News (16th May) Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Have Evolved a Unique Chemical Mechanism, New Discovery Reveals: For the first time, scientists have been able to paint a detailed chemical picture of how a particular strain of bacteria has evolved to become resistant to antibiotics. The research is a key step toward designing compounds to prevent infections by recently evolved, drug-resistant "superbugs" that often are found in hospitals, as well as in the general population. The work involved studying a protein made by a recently evolved "superbug." Booker explained that, several years ago, genetic studies had revealed that Staphylococcus sciuri -- a non-human bacterial pathogen -- had evolved a new gene called cfr. The protein created by this gene had been found to play a key role in one of the bacterium's mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Later, the same gene was found to have crossed over into a strain of Staphylococcus aureus -- a very common kind of bacteria that constitutes part of the flora living in the human nose and on the skin, and which is now the cause of various antibiotic-resistant infections. Because this gene often is found within a mobile DNA element, it can move easily from a non-human pathogen to other species of bacteria that infect humans. The gene, which has been found in Staphylococcus aureusisolates in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Italy, and Ireland, effectively renders the bacteria resistant to seven classes of antibiotics. Clearly, bacteria with this gene have a distinct evolutionary advantage. However, until now, the detailed process by which the protein encoded by that gene affected the genetic makeup of the bacteria was unclear; that is, we didn't have a clear 3D picture of what was going on at the molecular level. To solve the chemical mystery of how such bacteria outsmart so many antibiotics, researchers investigated how the Cfr protein accomplishes a task called methylation -- a process by which enzymes add a small molecular tag to a particular location on a

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was confirmed by fine-grained DNA analysis of both armadillo and human samples done at EPFL. Leprosy bacilli found in armadillos It has been known since the 1970s that armadillos are potential carriers of the disease, most likely introduced by European immigrants 500 years ago. But the current study shows inter-species contamination and the presence of a unique strain. The study included 33 wild armadillos known to have the disease and 50 leprosy patients. The new strain of the bacteria, named 3I, was found in 28 armadillos and in 22 patients who reported no foreign residence. The researchers used genome sequencing to identify the new strain and cross check it with other known strains from Europe, Brazil and Asia, and used genotyping to identify and classify the population infected. It became clear that leprosy patients who never travelled outside the US but lived in areas where infected armadillos are prevalent were infected with the same strain as the armadillos. These findings prompted the researchers to state in the article that "Frequent direct contact with armadillos and cooking and consumption of armadillo meat should be discouraged." The study also suggests that armadillo range expansion should be monitored. It is not known exactly why armadillos contract and carry leprosy. While their low body temperature (89 F / 32 C) makes them perfect incubators for the bacteria, which grow in temperatures between 86 F and 89 F (30 C to 32 C), there are almost certainly other factors such as immune deficiency that also play a role. Similarly, the bacteria attack the extremities of humans because our core body temperature is too high for a generalized infection, and over 90% of humans who come into direct contact with the disease spontaneously fight it off. Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110427 171459.htm (28th April) First Comprehensive Gene Map of the Human Brain: More Than 90 Percent Similarity Among Humans:

nucleotide -- a molecule that is the structural unit of RNA and DNA. When this molecular tag is added by a protein called RlmN, it facilitates the proper functioning of the bacterial ribosome -- a gigantic macromolecular machine that is responsible for making proteins that bacteria need to survive. Many classes of antibiotics bind to the ribosome, disrupting its function and thereby killing the bacteria. The Cfr protein performs an identical function as the RlmN protein, but it adds the molecular tag at a different location on the same nucleotide. The addition of the tag blocks binding of antibiotics to the ribosome without disrupting its function. Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110428 143151.htm (29th April) Indigenous Cases of Leprosy Found in the Southern United States: Human Contamination Through Contact With Armadillos: Using advanced DNA analysis and extensive field work, an international research team has confirmed the link between leprosy infection in Americans and direct contact with armadillos. In a joint collaboration between the Global Health Institute at EPFL in Switzerland and Louisiana State University, clear evidence was found that a never-before-seen strain of Mycobacterium leprae has emerged in the Southern United States and that it is transmitted through contact with armadillos carrying the disease. There are only around 150 cases of leprosy in the United States each year. Most of these victims have worked abroad in areas in which leprosy is endemic, making it likely that they may have acquired the disease while outside the US. But, to the alarm of health authorities, a third of all patients infected appear to have contracted the disease locally. The hypothesis that the disease is transmitted though contact with armadillos -- aside from humans, the only other known carriers of the leprosy-causing bacteria --

The Allen Institute for Brain Science has released the world's first anatomically and genomically comprehensive human brain map, a previously unthinkable feat made possible through leading-edge technology and more than four years of rigorous studies and documentation. The unprecedented
mappings are the foundation for the Allen Human Brain Atlas, an online public resource developed to advance

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the Institute's goal to accelerate understanding of how the human brain works and fuel new discovery among the global research community. In developing the Allen Human Brain Atlas, the Allen Institute has now thoroughly characterized and mapped the biochemistry of two normal adult human brains, providing opportunities for scientists to study the brain with new detail and accuracy. The data reveal a striking 94 percent similarity between human brains, establishing strong patterns as a critical foundation for translational and clinical research. In addition, data analysis from the two human brains indicate that at least 82 percent of all human genes are expressed in the brain, highlighting its tremendous complexity while also providing an essential genetic blueprint to understand brain functionality better and propel research in neurologic disease and other brain disorders. Similar to a high-powered, multi-functional GPS navigation system, the Allen Human Brain Atlas identifies 1,000 anatomical sites in the human brain, backed by more than100 million data points that indicate the particular gene expression and underlying biochemistry of each site. Scientists can use the Allen Human Brain Atlas to explore the human brain and identify how disease and trauma, including physical brain injuries and mental health disorders, affect specific areas of the brain. This powerful resource makes it possible to pinpoint where a particular drug acts anatomically in the brain, to ultimately better control the successful outcome of numerous therapies. Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/1104121 21238.htm (13th April) Overcoming resistance: Altering microbial enzymes can lead to more powerful drugs that are effective against bacteria resistant to traditional antibiotics: The evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has left researchers scrambling to develop new, stronger antibiotics. Now researchers have successfully used a method that may allow them to keep up -- manipulate the pathways used by microbes to produce the antibacterial products from which antibiotics are derived. The researchers used the technique to create a powerful new antibiotic that is highly effective against vancomycinresistant Enterococcus bacteria in vitro and in mice, according to the study published online on April 10 in Nature Chemical Biology, and they are hopeful that it

can be applied to other antibiotic systems. Because glycopeptide antibiotics, such as vancomycin and teicoplanin, which work by inhibiting the ability of the bacterium to build cell walls, are toxic to human cells as well, they are only used as a last resort to fight bacterial infections. In the last five years, however, vancomycin use has gone up 79 percent, according to a recent study from the Veterans Healthcare Administration, increasing the chances that bacteria will evolve resistance to the drug. Indeed, there have been many reports of vancomycin resistance among common infectious bacteria, and even in methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired bacterial infections. Many antibiotics used today were originally isolated from soil microbes, such as fungi and bacteria, which use the compounds to protect themselves against competing microorganisms. Studying the bacterium Nonomuraea and its natural defense product, a glycopeptide antibiotic A40926, the researchers played with the molecular machinery responsible for the compound's production to see if they could alter its effectiveness against other bacteria. They focused on an enzyme involved in the last step of A40926 synthesis, whose structure suggested that it could be easily manipulated. By providing different building blocks, the researchers could coax the enzyme to make slightly different variations of the antibacterial compound. Testing the variations against vancomycinresistant Enterococcus (VRE), a gram-positive bacterium similar to MRSA, the team identified a particularly promising candidate that worked better than vancomycin or teicoplanin at reducing bacterial cell counts in vitro and in the blood of VRE-infected mice. Source: Overcoming resistance - The Scientist Magazine of the Life Sciences http://www.thescientist.com/news/display/58111/#ixzz1JGs2YtGZ (12th April)

FOOD SECURITY AND GM CROPS

GEAC Meet Delay May Put Off Trial Plans for GM Crops: Field trial plans for genetically modified (GM) varieties of crops like rice, cotton, corn, castor, sorghum, and potato could be delayed because of the postponement of an important meeting of Indias Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), biotechnology industry representatives have said. The

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meeting, which had been scheduled for June 8, was rescheduled for July 8. The article says that GEAC, which is responsible for approving new GM field trials in India, has not given any specific reason for postponing the meeting. Its website simply stated that the 110th GEAC meeting had been rescheduled for July 6. Biotechnology industry representatives said one reason that the postponement might lead to a delay in their field trials is that after GEAC has given its consent, they must then gain consent from the different Indian states where the trials would be conducted. (This later is a new requirement this year.) The GM crops up for field trials have been developed by some private companies like Bayer, DuPont, Pioneer, and the Monsanto-affiliated Mahyco and also by some government-run institutions like the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), the Central Research Institute For Dryland Agriculture, and the Central Potato Research Institute. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (22nd June) Drought Tolerant GM Wheat Makes Great Progress in China: Genetically modified (GM) wheat designed for drought tolerance is being grown in field trials in China, a press release from the Chinese Academy of Agriculture (CAAS) reports. On May 26, 60 participants from 12 Chinese government units, including the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the CAAS, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), attended an onsite exhibition-meeting of China's major program "Abiotic-tolerant GM Wheat New Variety Development. The meeting took place at Chinas National GM Wheat Pilot Trial Experimental Base at the Shijiazhuang Academy of Agricultural Sciences. "Many drought tolerance GM wheat lines have been developed within two years since the program was launched. Genes used for transformation were cloned from soybean and wheat, and all these genes are our own intellectual properties," said Youzhi Ma, chief scientist for the program. Youzhi Ma reported that "46 GM wheat lines have been tested in pilot trial of which 4 have advanced to Environment Release trial. A batch of elite drought tolerant wheat lines with production application prospect was developed after multi-locus characterization in 2009 and 2010." The press release says officials from the Ministry of Agriculture praised the progress made by the program as well as recommending that steps be taken to: 1) strengthen the management of GM biosafety assessment to ensure

biosafety during the whole R&D process; 2) inform the public about the technology; and 3) establish joint innovation teams to speed up the progress of new GM variety development. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (22nd June) South-South Cooperation and Biotech in Asia: An India-based think tank, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), argues in a new policy brief that a focused, collaborative approach to biotechnology is essential for developing countries in Asia. The policy brief is entitled in "Contours of SouthSouth cooperation and biotechnology in Asia: Strategizing for agricultural and industrial growth." The brief recommends that developing countries take several steps, including: 1) identifying appropriate technology based on country needs; 2) designing action plans to encourage technology transfer and collaboration among developing countries; and 3) focusing on investing in both the quality and capacity of human resources. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (16th June) GM Rice Spreads, Prompts Debate in China: Genetically modified (GM) rice has been spreading illegally in China for years. Two strains of GM rice were approved for open-field experiments but not commercial sale in 2009. In January, the agriculture ministry said "no genetically modified cereals are being grown in China" outside the test sites. But in April, an environment ministry official told the news weekly Nanfang Zhoumo that a joint investigation by four government departments had found that "illegal GM seeds are present in several provinces because of weak management." The agriculture ministry did not respond to a request by Agence France Presse for clarification. Testing of GM rice in China has been taking place for some years, and the anti-biotech group Greenpeace says that GM rice seeds have been intermixed with Chinese rice supplies since 2005. GM rice was found at markets in Chinas Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces last year, says Greenpeace spokesman Fang Lifeng. And according to the website for the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, European countries found foodstuffs from China containing GM rice 115 times between 2006 and May this year. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (15th June) Improving Investments, Policies, and Productivity Is

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Critical to Combating Hunger and Malnutrition: Global demand for major grains, such as maize, rice, and wheat, is projected to increase by nearly 48 percent from 2000 to 2025 and by 70 percent between 2000 and 2050, according to research presented by Mark Rosegrant, director of Environment and Production Technology at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). As a result, food prices are projected to increase significantly. In a business as usual scenario, economic modeling carried out by IFPRI suggests that even without climate change, the prices of rice, maize, and wheat will increase by 25 percent, 48 percent, and 75 percent, respectively, by 2050. Climate change will further slow productivity growth, increasing staple food prices and reducing progress on food security and childhood malnutrition. Rosegrant spoke on the subject during a keynote speech at last months 2011 Ag Innovation Showcase in the U.S. city of St. Louis. Climate change, high and volatile food and energy prices, population and income growth, changing diets, and increased urbanization will put intense pressure on land and water and challenge global food security as never before . . . If agricultural production and policymaking continues down its present course, there could be severe consequences for many poor people in developing countries, said Rosegrant. He emphasized, however, that current projections are not inevitable. For example, it is projected that with US$7 billion of additional annual investments in research to improve crop and livestock productivity, nearly 25 million fewer children in developing countries would be malnourished in 2050, as compared to a business-as-usual scenario. Increasing agricultural productivity would have the benefit not only of improving food security but also of limiting environmental damage by requiring less land for agriculture. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (11th June) GM Bananas: Ugandas National Agricultural Research Laboratories Institute has launched field trials of genetically modified (GM) bananas designed to resist the Xanthomonas musacearum or BXW, a wilt-causing bacterium. Results from the trials are expected by the end of 2011. The GM bananas were developed in Uganda. Scientists at Ugandas National Banana Research Program, led by Wilberforce Tushemereirwe, obtained three banana varieties resistant to BXW by transferring two different sweet pepper (Capsicum

annuum) genes into bananasone coding for the hypersensitivity-response-assisting protein and another for the plant-ferredoxin-like protein. The next step is a multilocation field trial that will take a further two years, says Leena Tripathi, a biotechnologist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), which is also involved in the project. Support comes from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation in the U.K., the Kenya-based African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The transgene patent holder, Taiwan's Academia Sinica, issued a royalty-free license for commercial production in subSaharan Africa. Crop scientists in the country are making significant progress for both GM banana and drought-tolerant maize. Parliament should now pass the biosafety law needed to permit an eventual release of these improved varieties to farmers. Food Security and AgBiotech News (10th June) Peru Approves 10 Year Ban on GM Crops: he Peruvian Congress has, in a plenary session, approved a 10-year moratorium on the importation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for cultivation, breeding or of any transgenic production. The proposal was approved with 56 votes in favor, zero against, and two abstentions. Anibal Huerta, president of the Agrarian Commission, sustained the approval of the moratorium. Huerta said that in the face of the danger that can arise from the use of the biotechnology, a moratorium is needed to take care of Peruvian biodiversity. Peruvian legislators Raul Castro and Juan Carlos Eguren expressed opposition to the moratorium, saying that imported genetically modified (GM) foods are already consumed in Peru and that GM technology is necessary for meeting food needs. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (10th June) Bolivia Government Switches, Will Allow Expanded Use of Genetically Modified Foods: The government of Bolivian President Evo Morales has sent a measure to Congress that would allow a broader array of genetically modified (GM) crops to be approved for commercial cultivation in Bolivia. The idea is to increase food production, according to the article. At present, only export-oriented GM soybean seeds are approved for commercial planting in Bolivia. Based on this development, the article says that Morales who was a leading of the battle against genetically modified food,

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is switching sides. For years, Morales has been a critic of GM foods, saying they harm the earth and require harmful chemicals. He suggested last year they might contribute to baldness. Under Morales proposed measure, GM crops would be approved on a case-by-case basis by a committee, which would be assigned with ensuring that they will not harm human health or the environment. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (10th June) World Food Prices Set to Remain High: High and volatile agricultural commodity prices are likely to prevail for the rest of this year and into 2012, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAOs) biannual Food Outlook report. The report cites a sharp rundown on inventories and only modest overall production increases for the majority of crops as reasons for continuing high prices. The next few months will be critical in determining how the major crops will fare this year, the report says. Although prospects are encouraging in some countries such as Russia and Ukraine, weather conditions, featuring too little and in some cases too much rain, could hamper maize and wheat yields in Europe and North America. The FAO reports that international food prices, which earlier this year soared to levels seen in the 2007-8 food crisis, dropped a modest one percent in May. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 232 points in May, down from a revised estimate of 235 points in April. The index was still 37 percent above May 2010 levels, however. Declines in international prices of cereals and sugar are said to have been responsible for the slight decrease in the May Food Price Index, more than offsetting increases in meat and dairy prices. According to the FAO, current prospects for cereals in 2011 point to a record harvest of 2,315 million tons a 3.5 percent increase over 2010, which marked a one percent drop over 2009. But food production in 2011, despite its record high level, is expect to barely meet consumption since demand for cereals has also been increasing. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (9th June) SACAU Gives Green Light to Boosting GM Crop Use: The Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) has given the green light to boost genetically modified (GM) crops in the region, this article reports. The decision was taken at the organization's annual policy conference, held last month

in Vereeniging, South Africa. Ishmael Sunga, chief executive of SACAU, said: "Following the fruitful discussions, we will enlighten our members in the region on how best to communicate our policies to farmers and interact with governments to endorse biotechnology. We will also work closely with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa to achieve the best results." Marnus Gouse of the University of Pretorias department of agricultural economics, extension, and rural development in South Africa, said in a keynote speech at the conference that GM crops had significantly benefited both commercial and smallholder farmers in South Africa. Farmers' gross margins increased, which led to increased welfare and development of rural areas, Gouse said. However, due to institutional failure, there were some cases in which Bt adoption by smallholders did not lead to sustained development. "New GM technologies, Bt and HT (herbicide tolerant) can overcome problems such as weeds and insects but not institutional issues such as policies, politics, credit and market failure, which are to a certain degree the main limiting factors to agriculture in Africa. Africa missed the green revolution, largely due to institutional failure," Gouse said. [According to its website, SACAUs current members are agricultural and farmers unions in the Southern African states of: Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.] Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (9th June) ICRISAT Germplasm Materials Making Impact on Global Food Security: Germplasm and breeding materials from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) have been used to develop a total of 735 highly-nutritious and drought-tolerant crop varieties that have been released by the national agricultural research systems (NARS) in 78 countries, says this press release. According to a report, these 735 crop varieties include 242 varieties of sorghum, 163 of pearl millet, 145 of groundnut, 120 of chickpea, and 65 pigeonpea varieties. Of the varieties, 347 were released in Asia (198 in India), 319 in sub-Saharan Africa (183 in East and Southern Africa and 136 in West and Central Africa), and 69 in the rest of the world. The collaborative research partnership between ICRISAT and India has

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been particularly productive, says the press release. For example, ICRISAT and its Indian partner institutions creation of the worlds first hybrid pigeonpea is now making major impacts on the income and nutrition of many poor people worldwide. The pigeonpea hybrids are said to increase yields by an average of 33 percent in on-farm trials, adding about US$400 to farmers net income per hectare. The press release says this will revolutionize the production of the high-protein poor peoples meat crop across India, Myanmar, and China in the coming year. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (3rd June) Spurious Bt Seeds, Weather Take Toll on Cotton Yield: Cotton yields in the country has fallen since 2007-08 as a result of erratic weather conditions and also of the increased use of uncertified, spurious Bt cotton seeds, industry insiders say. According the governments Cotton Advisory Board, Indian cotton yields have fallen from an average of 554 kilograms per hectare in 2007-08 to 524 kilograms, 498 kilograms, and 475 kilograms in 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11 respectively. Of the entire Bt cotton crop India, the article says that an estimated 10 to 12 percent is now illegal or non-registered. "The certified Bt cottonseed requires a minimum level of genetic purity of 90 per cent, which is much lower in the illegal seeds, notes Vidyasagar Parchuri, managing director, Vibha Seeds. Uncertified seeds tend to generate lower yields and lower quality cotton, says the article. "The illegal or duplicate Bt seeds are extremely hazardous for the cotton growers as it also hurts the financial viability of cotton cultivation. In [the Indian state of] Gujarat alone such spurious seeds are consumed in the range of 1.1 million to 1.6 million packets every year. There is no assurance of good productivity from such duplicate seeds. It would reduce the yield. Ideally, with the introduction of [the] improved Bollgard II [Bt] variety of seeds, the yield per hectare should have risen to 900 kg, while it has been reversed to 659 kg per hectare in 2010-11," says N.M. Sharma, managing director of the Gujarat State Cooperative Cotton Federation (Gujcot). Indian government statistics indicate that the percentage of the Indian cotton crop that was Bt grew by 10 percent over the past year; Bt cotton is now said to comprise 88 of total cotton acreage. [According to a related article (Times of India), the government of the Indian state of Maharashtra is considering a law that would crack down on the illegal sale of uncertified Bt

cotton seeds. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (31st May) Brazil's Search for Transgenic Drought-Resistant Soy, Bean, Cotton, Sugarcane and Corn: The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) is working to develop genetically modified (GM) drought tolerant varieties of soybean, cotton, sugarcane, and corn, this article reports. "There are areas where you cannot grow certain plants today, but that will change in the future, the risk (of losses) is going to decrease," says Francisco Arago, head of the genetic engineering laboratory at Embrapa's National Center of Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (Cenargen). Arago adds, however, that new drought tolerant GM varieties are unlikely to be released for commercial cultivation within the next 10 years. Biosafety testing alone should take about five years; that is in addition to the time it takes to develop a new crop, Arago says. In an early sign of progress, Embrapa has announced the development of GM drought tolerant sugarcane plants. Embrapa says that in the next few months the plants should be bred in vitro, and by May 2012 they should be evaluated regarding their resistance to drought. After that, they will undergo practical testing. The aim of the work is said to be to expand area in which sugarcane can be grown in Brazil. At present, sugarcane cultivation is limited to Brazils Center-South and Northeast. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (26th May) Farmers Sore over Low Supply of Bt Cotton Seeds: Farmers outside the city of Mysore in Indias Karnataka state have staged several protests over a shortage of Bt cotton seeds, this article reports. Earlier this month, over 10,000 farmers from villages around Mysore blocked traffic as they gathered in an attempt to buy the seeds. The article says that many farmers were not able to purchase Bt cotton seeds in sufficient quantities. They were also unable to buy seeds from the company Mahyco. The seeds that could be obtained were from the companies Bollard and Rasi. Farmers complained that these were lower quality. Even if we pay Rs 1,500, Mahyco seeds are not available. We have to buy the seeds of the other two companies. They are inferior in quality and hence priced less, said one farmer. We never faced such a situation. It is only this time we have to struggle to get the Bt seeds. I have been coming every day for the last four days. Today I could get only one packet, though I need 10 packets,

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said another farmer. Sit-ins and other actions have been staged in protest. Government authorities have made promises to alleviate the situation. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (20th May) Cutting Food Waste to Feed the World: A report commissioned by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has found that roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year approximately 1.3 billion tons gets lost or wasted. The phenomenon results in a huge waste of resources and, in developing countries, lost income for small farmers and higher prices for poor consumers, the press release says. The report, entitled, Global Food Losses and Food Waste, was conducted by the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology (SIK). The report finds that industrialized and developing countries dissipate roughly the same quantities of food: 670 and 630 million tons respectively. But the food dissipation is of two different types: food loss and food waste. Food losses occurring at the production, harvest, post-harvest, and processing phases are most important in developing countries, due to poor infrastructure, low levels of technology, and low investment in the food production systems. Food waste is more a problem in industrialized countries, most often caused by both retailers and consumers throwing perfectly edible foodstuffs into the trash. In developing countries, the report recommends strengthening the food supply chain by assisting small farmers to link directly to buyers. The private and public sectors should also invest more in infrastructure, transportation, and in processing and packaging. In industrialized countries, the report urges less emphasis on the appearance of food (which causes retailers to throw out otherwise good-quality food) and consumer education. Fruits and vegetables have the highest wastage rates of any food. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (17th May) Peru relaxes GM rules: Critics from both the public and private sectors in Peru fear that new biosafety rules, which will regulate the research, production, and trade of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), jeopardize the countrys biodiversity, according to this article. The Peruvian Society of Environmental Rights has said farmers do not need genetically modified (GM) to be productive and has called for the country to heed the precautionary principle of the Cartagena Protocol

on Biosafety, which Peru signed in 2004. But Jorge Alcantara, head of genetic resources and biotechnology at Perus National Institute of Agrarian Research (INIA), has denied that the regulation opens the door to indiscriminate GM crop production. "On the contrary, it will regulate all activities related to the use of GMOs under strict scientific control measures," Alcantara said. Under the law, INIA will be responsible for the security of biotechnological activities in the agricultural sector and for developing GM research. To ease concerns, INIA has started mapping areas containing wild varieties of maize, cotton and potatoes. If there is an application for planting GM crops close to these native varieties, "it would be very difficult to approve a release," Alcantara said. He added that the Cayetano Heredia and San Martn de Porres universities, the International Potato Center, and INIA will be the first to benefit from the law as it will allow them to conduct research. But, according to the article, there are moves to restrict the new law. This week Peru's Congress is scheduled to discuss another bill that would set a 15year moratorium on the entry of GMOs into the country. Perus environment minister, Antonio Brack Egg, who heads the movement, said a moratorium is needed "to scientifically analyse the potential impacts, and to have infrastructure and institutional capacity to face an eventual presence of GMOs in the country." But the agriculture minister, Rafael Quevedo, said that, if the moratorium is approved, Peru will suffer trade reprisals and jeopardize free-trade treaties, without any scientific evidence of risk for either human health or the environment. Source: Food Security and AgBiotech News (16th May) PG Economics Releases the Latest Annual Global Biotech Crop Impact Report Covering Economic and Environmental Impacts for the Years 1996-2009: The latest update report from U.K. consultancy P.G. Economics says the global adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops has made farming more environmentally sustainable, profitable, and productive. According to the report, the use of GM crops reduced pesticide spraying over the 1996-2009 period by 393 million kg (-8.7 percent) and as a result decreased the environmental impact associated with herbicide and insecticide use on the area planted to GM crops by 17.1 percent. Because of reduced fuel usage and additional soil carbon storage from reduced tillage, both of which are associated with GM crops, the report says 17.7

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billion kg of carbon dioxide were removed from the atmosphere in 2009, an amount equal to removing 7.8 million cars from the road for one year. "Net economic benefits" at the farm level are found in the report to have amounted to US$10.8 billion in 2009: a sum equivalent to adding 4.1 percent to the value of global production of the four main GM crops of soybeans, corn, canola, and cotton. Of the "total farm income benefit," 57 percent (US$36.6 billion) is said to have been due to yield gains, with the balance arising from reductions in the cost of production. Two thirds of the yield gain are said to have derived from adoption of insect resistant GM crops and the balance from herbicide tolerant GM crops. The report says that the total farm income benefit in 2009 was equally divided between farmers in developed and developing countries. Farmers in developed countries, meanwhile, payed much higher royalties, in part due to lower levels of intellectual property enforcement in many developing countries. Source: http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_art icle=16153&id_region=&id_category=1&id_crop (20th April) ISAAA's GM Approval Database: The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) has developed a public online database of genetically modified (GM) crops that have been approved in various countries around the world, either for commercial planting or for importation for use in food and animal feed. Entries in the database have been sourced primarily from the Biotechnology Clearing House (BCH) sites of approving countries and from country regulatory websites. The database can be accessed online at the link below. http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/de fault.asp?ID=7643 (9th April)

THE DEVICE: This tiny biological fuel cell, the smallest of its kind with a total volume of just 0.3 microliters, was built using microfluidics and relies on bacteria to produce energy. Bacteria colonize the anode, the negatively charged end of the system, and through their natural metabolism produce electrons that flow to the cathode, creating a circuit. Together, the anode and cathode are only a few human hairs wide, but the tiny circuit generates a consistent flow of electricity. WHATS NEW: In 2008, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign created a 3 millimeter square hydrogen-powered fuel cell, hailed as the worlds smallest fuel cell at the time.

Four microbial fuel cells, placed side by side COURTESY OF KELVIN GREGORY, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY

The following year, a team at the University of California, Santa Barbara, produced a microbial fuel cell with a volume of 1.5 microliters. This latest fuel cell is five times smaller, making it possible for use in places where larger fuel cells cannot fit or to pack many fuel cells together without space concerns.

BIENERGY, BIOFULES ENVIRONMENT NEWS & ROUND-UP

AND R&D

Next generation: Itsy bitsy fuel cell- The worlds smallest microbial fuel cell could be used to power underwater remote sensors or even medical implants: Cathode and anodeCOURTESY OF KELVIN GREGORY, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY

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The new fuel cell also takes a different approach to the separation of the two fluids in the cell, one in the cathode and the other in the anode. Most microbial fuel cells rely on a semi-permeable membrane to keep the liquids from mixing while still allowing protons to travel from one side to the other. Thats a big issue for microbial fuel cells, said Leonard Tender, a fuel cell researcher at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, who was not involved in the research, as engineering tiny membranes and seals into smaller and smaller fuel cells has been a challenge. In this new cell, the researchers solve that problem by simply getting rid of the membrane altogether and relying on microfluidic channels to successfully keep the two liquids apart, like two rivers flowing side by side that dont mix because one flows at a different rate than the other. Its a single compartment microbial fuel cell that has no membrane, yet is able to function at presumably good efficiency, said Tender. Its a very interesting first step.

such cells attractive alternatives for fueling remotely deployed devices that need to be self-powered over long periods of time, such as underwater sensors or even someday medical implants or sensors, experts say.

Bacteria growth on the anodeCOURTESY OF KELVIN GREGORY, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY The value is that you can have very small power supplies that run on biological fuels, said Tender. NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: For now, however, the microbial fuel cells produce only very tiny amounts of electricity up to 127 amps per cubic meter, about 7,000 times less than a AA battery, said Gregory. At this level, a single microfluidic microbial cell could potentially power itself as a remote sensor, but for larger applications, many cells would need to be stacked together to increase the power output. Luckily, multiplexing is a common feature of microfluidics, said Philip LeDuc, co-author on the paper and a mechanical engineer at Carnegie Mellon. Its like computer chips you can put a ton of these things in parallel. Source: http://thescientist.com/2011/06/23/next-generation-itsy-bitsyfuel-cell/ (23rd June) Policy Update: Biofuels and commodity price increases: short- and long-term implications: Food commodity prices have in many cases surpassed the high levels attained at their peak in July 2008. At that time there were many papers discussing what was responsible for the price increases [1]. The price increases were attributed to growing global demand for food commodities, the major decline in the value of the US dollar, crop failures in parts of the world and the growth of the biofuel industry. Now it is appropriate to consider again what is driving the surge in food commodity prices. Is it these same factors or are there other factors at play? In this short piece I cannot hope to provide a complete answer, but I will attempt to

Fabricating microfluidics channels COURTESY OF KELVIN GREGORY, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY Furthermore, because microfluidics can be easily massproduced, this bitty technology is scalable, cheap and easy to construct, said senior author Kelvin Gregory, an environmental engineer at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. Once we had the microfluidics in hand, the assembly became fairly simple to do. IMPORTANCE: Fuel cells have numerous advantages over chemical batteries as power sources. In addition to being cheaper and lasting longer, they are made of natural components and thus dont run the risk of leaking toxic chemicals into the environment. Microbial fuel cells, in particular, which rely on energy generation from biological systems, also serve as a renewable power source, as they may consume renewable fuels such as organic waste matter. These benefits make

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describe the situation as I see it and to delineate what we do and do not know. The first major point concerning the role of biofuels is that the short- and long-term implications are quite different. Biofuel policies in the USA and EU have led to the creation of biofuel industries with significant output capacity mainly ethanol in the USA and biodiesel in the EU. The US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) [2] calls for 47.6 billion l of ethanol and 3 billion l of biodiesel in 2011. Production capacity already exceeds these amounts. Since these levels of consumption are mandated by the RFS, the demand for ethanol, and consequently the demand for corn to make the ethanol, is not responsive to price. In economic terms, we say the demand is inelastic.Figure 1 shows the demand and supply for corn with and without the biofuels mandate. The demand curve DD is the norm, without biofuels demand, and the DbfD curve is with biofuel demand, reflecting the more inelastic demand when a large portion of the consumption is mandated and not price responsive. So represents the original supply curve for corn and S1 represents a supply shock due to a yield reduction. Po is the original price derived from the intersection of the base supply and demand curves. P1 is the price derived from the supply curve with the yield shock and the original demand. P 2 is the price that comes from the demand with biofuels and the supply curve with the yield shock. The figure illustrates that the price change from Po to P2 is much larger than the change from Po to P1. This difference is due to the inflexibility of the demand from the biofuels mandate, which has to be met regardless of the corn price. That is the situation in which we find ourselves in the short term. The added inflexibility (or inelasticity) increases the price response due to a crop shortfall, either in the USA or elsewhere. To be even more accurate for a short-term change, we might draw the two supply curves vertically, since supply is also fixed in the short term. This change would make the price difference with biofuel mandates even more dramatic. The bottom line is that the current version of US biofuels policy with a fixed requirement for blending (RFS) leads to greater price response in the event of a crop shortfall, in the short term. We saw this in 2008 and we see it now in 2011. But are the drivers in 2008 and 2011 the same? I would argue they are not. The drivers in 2008 were many, including the fall of the US dollar, which has not fallen dramatically in 20102011.

Global demand has continued to grow for agricultural commodities, minerals, crude oil and other commodities. The 2011 surge appears to be built more on commodity scarcity than before. In 2008, commodity prices rose quickly and in the second half of the year they plummeted just as quickly. There may well have been speculative behavior that contributed to the rapid swing. However today, even with trend yields around the world, we will end the year with stocks-to-use ratios near historic lows. Stocks-to-use ratios are a primary driver of commodity prices because they give us an indication of the cushion we have for shortfalls somewhere in the world. So the current upswing appears to be due to commodity scarcity. There were below normal crops, but not a huge supply disruption. The USA had a 2010 yield lower than 2009 but it was still a very good yield, therefore the disappointment in yield cannot be counted as a crop failure. What about the long term? With several years to adjust, we would expect there to be a considerable supply response to the higher commodity prices worldwide. This increased supply will eventually reduce the scarcity, increase stocks-to-use ratios and attenuate the higher prices. In fact, to the extent that developing countries permit the higher prices to be transmitted to their farmers, the higher commodity prices could be a real stimulus to economic growth and development in rural regions of developing countries. Most of the worlds poor live in rural areas in developing countries. One problem is that developing countries often attempt to isolate their domestic markets from world prices, particularly price increases, in order to protect the urban citizens who are politically more powerful. However, this policy can stymie rural development and diminish poverty alleviation. While both these short-term and long-term stories are simplifications, they do convey the essence of some critical short- and long-term drivers of price changes. US biofuel policies inevitably lead to larger price responses to supply shocks in the short term. In the long term, the higher prices have the potential to be an engine of economic development in poor rural areas around the world. Thus, it is very important to distinguish between the short- and long-term implications of biofuel mandates. References:

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1 . Abbott P, Hurt C, Tyner W. Issue Report: Whats Driving Food Prices? Farm Foundation, IL, USA (2008). 2 . US Congress. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. HR 6, 110 Congress, 1st Session, H.R. 6 (2007). Source: Article by Wallace E Tyner; http://www.futurescience.com/doi/full/10.4155/bfs.11.14 (5th June) Policy Update: Carbon offsets and biofuels: Firms regulated under a cap and trade regime can purchase carbon offsets from unregulated sectors that prove a reduction in GHG emissions or an increase in GHGs sequestered [1]. Such offsets are projects where baselines are established to ensure additionality (emissions are not below baseline emissions with no carbon offset revenues), permanence (emissions are not simply shifted to another time period) and no leakage (emissions are not simply shifted to another location or sector as a result of a change in market forces resulting from the economic effects of a carbon offset). The per unit value of the subsidy to unregulated firms of such offsets is the permit price under the cap and trade regime. Meanwhile, regulated firms can substitute the offsets for permits under the cap and so can expand GHG emissions from traditional sources in lieu of purchasing the offset. In this way, the permit price declines, as offsets are a less expensive way to meet a predetermined GHG reduction target. Currently, the clean development mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol is the most widely used carbon offset program. Carbon offsets benefit both the cap and trade economy (by reducing the costs of carbon emission reductions reflected in lower permit prices) and developing countries who are obtaining a subsidy to reduce emissions. One option for carbon offsets is biofuels. The CDM under the Kyoto Protocol does, however, not currently accept the production of biofuels per se it does only accept, for example, projects for bagasse used in electricity production. Given the attention paid to biofuels in environmental policy debates, it is legitimate to ask whether or not biofuels should be considered for carbon offsets, especially in developing countries where coal or other dirty energy sources could be replaced. Biofuels could be, in theory, part of the CDM, because

CO2 sequestered in growing the biofuel feedstock crop is exactly offset by emissions when burning the fuel. Biofuels generate GHG savings as long as they replace fossil fuels and the amount of fossil fuels used in the production of biofuels (which can be measured by lifecycle accounting) is lower than the savings. Recent findings by the US Environmental Protection Agency show sugarcane ethanol in Brazil reduces GHGs by over 61%, relative to the gasoline it is assumed to replace [101]. However, there are several important questions to resolve before biofuels could be part of a carbon offset program. In this commentary, we briefly discuss several issues that need to be considered before any final decision is made. Implementation of carbon offsets is done on a project basis. The regulated sectors can claim GHG reduction only if the reduction meets the additionality principle, that is, the cut is beyond what would have been the case without the project. To be able to assess what is and what is not beyond the business-as-usual scenario, project-specific baselines must be known. However, these are not easy to determine. The global biofuel production is significantly affected by production and/or consumption subsidies, such as the US blenders tax credit or the EU tax exemption, blend or consumption mandates, or trade barriers, such as import tariffs, hence the difficulty in providing a counterfactual outcome, that is, an outcome with no policies. None of these policies are compatible with the carbon offsets eligibility rules. This would require a forecast of baseline biofuels production. Any trade distorting policies such as production subsidies for US corn and corn-ethanol and ethanol import tariffs should be eliminated before any biofuel be considered to be eligible for a carbon offset. Where does the land come from? If land used for biofuel production comes from other crop uses, then there could be a carbon saving. But if the land comes from conversion of forests, huge upfront carbon emissions are generated. In this respect, conversion of former forest land will produce a much higher carbon release, due to the amount of carbon stored in the soil over the lifetime of a forest.

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There is a role of future carbon prices and choice of the right discount factor for the assessment of the future monetary benefits of biofuels (for purpose of their costbenefit analysis). To the extent that the carbon prices are projected to rise [2], what is the implication for the inclusion of biofuels to the carbon offset program? There is a possibility that high future carbon prices could make biofuels attractive, even if their actual carbon savings vis--vis fossil fuels, based on simple carbon balances, are relatively low. The time profile of carbon sequestration potential of various biofuels feedstocks should be considered. This is crucial for determining whether or not biofuels should be incorporated into the carbon offset program. The issue will gain importance especially with the second generation of biofuels, as those are expected to be based on cellulose, and the feedstock will mostly come from byproducts of timber harvest. Conditional on the tree species, time is the key determinant of how much carbon is saved during the lifetime of the tree and what the lost carbon savings resulting from cutting the tree are. The reliability of the life-cycle accounting method which compares emissions of biofuels with those of fossil fuels needs to be addressed. The possibility of shuffling is an issue here, as the standard can easily be circumvented by using clean inputs, such as natural gas for biofuel production, while the dirtier inputs (e.g., coal that would have otherwise been used in biofuel production) are now used in production elsewhere that is not covered by the standard [3]. It is worth noting that shuffling might be less of an issue in countries already using biofuel byproducts to run production plants, for example, bagasse in Brazil. Finally, to what extent do biofuels replace fossil fuels (i.e., oil-based transportation fuels, such as gasoline)? Project-based carbon offsets are also required to generate no carbon leakage, which can be substantial in the fuel market. One cannot assume that one gasolineequivalent gallon of ethanol replaces one gallon of gasoline. Drabik et al. show how under plausible assumptions, US ethanol is likely to produce more carbon in comparison to gasoline contrary to the assumption of no leakage [102]. In summary, many aspects of biofuel production need to be considered before a decision can be made on

whether or not biofuels will be part of the carbon offset program. References: 1. de Gorter H. Integrating developing country agriculture into global climate change mitigation efforts. In: Non-Distorting Farm Support to Enhance Global Food Production. Elbehri A, Sarris A (Eds). Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy (2009). 2 . de Gorter H, Tsur Y. Costbenefit tests for GHG emissions from biofuel production. Europ. Rev. Agr. Econ.37(2),133145 (2010).[CrossRef] 3 . de Gorter H, Just DR. The social costs and benefits of biofuels: the intersection of environmental, energy and agricultural policy.Appl. Econ. Perspect. Pol.32(1),432 (2010). Websites 10 Environmental Protection Agency. Renewable Fuel 1 . Standard Program (RFS2) regulatory impact analysis.http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dock ey=P1006DXP.txt(Accessed February 2010). 10 Drabik D, de Gorter H, Just DR. The Implications of 2 . Alternative Biofuel Policies on Carbon Leakage. Working Paper 2010-22. Charles H Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, USA. November 2010.http://dyson.cornell.edu/research/researchpd f/wp/2010/Cornell-Dyson-wp1022.pdf (Accessed March 2011). Source: Article by Harry de Gorter & Dusan Drabik http://www.futurescience.com/doi/full/10.4155/bfs.11.16 (5th June) Scotch whisky biomass CHP starts construction:

Construction on a 60.5 million biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Rothes in Speyside, Scotland, has begun. The biomass CHP plant will use
the by-products from a Scotch whisky to generate electricity and produce animal feed. Helius CoRDe Ltd a consortium comprising Scotch whisky producers the Combination of Rothes Distillers, energy firm Helius Energy Plc and project equity company Rabo Project Equity BV is behind the biomass CHP plant. The plant is expected to generate 7.2 MW of electricity, and could employ around 20 full-time people when operational in 2013. Source: http://mail.elsevier-

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alerts.com/go.asp?/bEEA001/qN9M5Z2F/xZ07NZ2F (25th May) Is the bioethanol market reaching its limit? Biofuels

are more and more in demand with increasing oil prices and policies promoting emission reductions, but can the biofuels market source enough feedstocks to meet demand? In 2010 US bioethanol consumption

increased by a 20% to a total of 49 billion litres, up from 41bn in 2009. However, demand is now unlikely to increase significantly having hit the E10 blend wall the effective saturation point for ethanol use at 10% of petrol. Over the past 18 months, the US has swung from a netimporter to exporter of bioethanol, and the most viable point of supply for many countries around the world. This looks set to continue in 2011 as US production now exceeds implied E10 demand by around 5%. US bioethanol prices are at 33-month-highs, but they have not rallied to the same extent as corn due to current over-supply in the market, and producers margins are being squeezed. Coupled with further demand later in the year as US citizens take their vacations, pressure is being added on buyers of US ethanol abroad. Brazil: Brazilian supply has been unable to match the rise in bioethanol demand resulting in a shortfall in availability. Lack of new investment in cane production, rising sugar prices and production and underlying weaknesses in the earnings structure resulted in ethanol production falling short of 2010/11 forecasts, reaching only 25.3bn litres, just 3% higher than 2009/10. During Q1 of 2011 pump prices of bioethanol in many Brazilian states have traded at a large premium to gasohol, and are currently being sold at record highs, forcing consumers to switch to gasohol. Higher returns from sugar has meant that ethanol producers are not encouraged to reallocate cane to bioethanol. This raises a number of issues for the Brazilian Government given the competing objectives of containing inflation, maintaining growth in the economy and ensuring energy needs are met. Europe: Given European Commission targets, European bioethanol demand has surpassed 5bn litres in 2010, driven by growth in demand in the UK, Germany and Spain. However, local production has been insufficient to meet demand, providing a good reflection of the

difficult operating environment facing EU processors as high feedstock prices have dented operating margins. EU member states face similar problems to the US with the implementation of higher blend rates as the EU targets to source 20% of energy from renewable sources by 2020. Consumer resistance is a further headache for European producers, who are fighting high grain prices and lower cost US bioethanol imports. Market conditions may swing Brazilian ethanol production away from sugar without the need for government involvement. With the sugar market expected to return to surplus in the 2011/12 season, the fundamental outlook is changing and in this context a change in focus within Brazil may at some stage become economically desirable. Source: http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/18116/isthe-bioethanol-market-reaching-its-limit/ (25th May) It's Not Easy Flying Green: Large Variability in Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Alternative Fuels: here's a race afoot to give biofuel wings in the aviation industry, part of an effort to combat soaring fuel prices and cut greenhouse gas emissions. In 2008, Virgin Atlantic became the first commercial airline to fly a plane on a blend of biofuel and petroleum. Since then, Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways and Continental Airlines, among others, have flown biofuel test flights, and Lufthansa is racing to be the first carrier to run daily flights on a biofuel blend. However, researchers at MIT say the industry may want to cool its jets and make sure it has examined biofuels' complete carbon footprint before making an all-out push. They say that when a biofuel's origins are factored in -- for example, taking into account whether the fuel is made from palm oil grown in a clear-cut rainforest -- conventional fossil fuels may sometimes be the "greener" choice. Hileman and his team performed a life-cycle analysis of 14 fuel sources, including conventional petroleum-based jet fuel and "drop-in" biofuels: alternatives that can directly replace conventional fuels with little or no change to existing infrastructure or vehicles. In a previous report for the Federal Aviation Administration's Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction, they calculated the emissions throughout the life cycle of a biofuel, "from well to wake" -- from acquiring the biomass to transporting it to converting it to fuel, as well as its combustion. In the current Environmental Science and Technology paper, Hileman considered the entire

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biofuel life cycle of diesel engine fuel compared with jet fuel, and found that changing key parameters can dramatically change the total greenhouse gas emissions from a given biofuel. Land-locked In particular, the team found that emissions varied widely depending on the type of land used to grow biofuel components such as soy, palm and rapeseed. For example, Hileman and his team calculated that biofuels derived from palm oil emitted 55 times more carbon dioxide if the palm oil came from a plantation located in a converted rainforest rather than a previously cleared area. Depending on the type of land used, biofuels could ultimately emit 10 times more carbon dioxide than conventional fuel. Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/1105111 34335.htm (22nd May) Delhi Air Quality Regulations Improve Respiratory Health: Recent radical changes in air quality regulations in Delhi, India, have had a substantial positive effect on the health of city residents, according to new research co-authored by Andrew Foster, professor of economics and community health and an associate at Brown's Population Studies and Training Center. The findings from this first systematic study quantifying the heath effects of Delhi's environmental interventions are published in the online issue of Atmospheric Environment. The research is among the first to use remote sensing imagery to look directly at the effects of air quality on health. Ranking among the most polluted cities in the world, Delhi was at its peak of air pollution around the turn of the millennium, prompting the Indian Supreme Court to mandate a series of air quality regulations unprecedented in scope and implementation speed. Chief among the regulations was a mandate to convert all public vehicles -- buses, taxis, and scooters -- to compressed natural gas over a two-year period, substantially limit the flow of diesel trucks through Delhi during working hours, and close polluting industries in residential areas Foster and co-author Naresh Kumar, of the University of Iowa, administered a socioeconomic and respiratory health survey to 1,576 households (3,989 subjects), which collected time-use data, residence histories,

demographic information, and direct measurements of lung function. To calculate pollution exposure at the place of residence, they also collected air pollution data in 2003 by monitoring 113 sites spread across Delhi and neighboring areas, recording particulate matter. To measure air quality levels in the previous years, the researchers analyzed satellite images provided by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Three major findings emerged from the analysis. First, the interventions were associated with a significant improvement in respiratory health. Second, the effects of ambient air varied significantly by gender and income. For example, they found that the effects are significant and negative among the lower-income households. Third, the data suggested that the differences are strongly correlated with the amount of time one spends outside. The poorest men spend an average of seven hours outside per day, while men in the richest households spent almost no time outside at all. The findings suggest that poorer men exhibited a significant negative relationship between ambient air and respiratory health, and better-off men exhibited an insignificant relationship. The paper is among the first to use MODIS remote sensing imagery to look directly at the effects of air quality on health, with the ground data used to help refine and test the validity of remotely sensed air quality estimates. These measures have since been used to look at the effects of voluntary environmental certification in Mexico in work published in the American Economic Review proceedings last year and by Kumar and a colleague at the National Bureau of Economic Research to examine the effects of restrictions on air quality that were imposed by the Chinese government during the Beijing Olympics. This research was funded in part by Brown's Population Studies and Training Center and by two grants from the National Institutes of Health. Kumar is also a faculty affiliate of the Population Studies and Training Center. Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/1104111 64005.htm (12th April)

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