If after reading the questions and answers on this page, you still have questions about Transcontainer, please contact Piet Schenkelaars (pschenkelaars.sbcbiotech@planet.nl, telephone +31 71 523 50 89)
What is Transcontainer?
Transcontainer is a three-year European research project, which comprises 13 partners from universities, research and government institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and an industrial partner. Transcontainer is partly funded from the European Commission Directorate-General Research Sixth Framework Programme. The project proposal was based on the specific objectives stated in the work program for priority 5 (“Food Quality and Safety”, area T5.4.6.7 on page 17), published by the European Commission (Click here).
What is the overall goal of Transcontainer?
The overall goal of Transcontainer is to develop genetically modified (GM) crop plants that are ‘biologically contained’, in order to reduce significantly the potential spread of transgenes of such GM crop plants to conventional and organic crop plants and to wild or weedy relatives, when such exist. Co-existence of GM crops and non-GM crops can be promoted through implementation of biological transgene containment strategies, while at the same time the potential flow of transgenes from GM crops to wild relatives can be reduced significantly. Both in Europe and the United States the issue of transgene containment is becoming increasingly important. Also the World Resource Institute (WRI) has recently stated that designing strategies for preventing (trans)genes from moving into genomes of related species should be of highest priority (Click here). Parallel to the development of these strategies, Transcontainer will also study the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of the use of such strategies in Europe.
Which biological containment strategies will be investigated and developed by Transcontainer?
Transcontainer will investigate and develop the following biological containment technologies: 1) Plastid transformation; 2) Prevention of flowering, and 3) Controlling transgene transmission through pollen and seed. Notably, these biological containment technologies will be complemented with tightly controllable switches to restore fertility. In the case of plastid transformation, there is no need to apply such switches, because the fertility of the crop will not be impaired. The crops to be used are representative for crops grown for their seeds (oilseed rape), for their fruits (tomato and eggplant), or for their vegetative parts (sugar beet, rye grass, red fescue, poplar and birch), and because of their relevance to European agriculture. For some of these crops, several biological containment strategies will be compared.
Will Transcontainer apply Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (GURTs), some of which are also known as ‘Terminator Technologies’?
Transcontainer aims at developing biologically containment strategies. These strategies are not aimed at restricting the use or propagation of crops, which is the primary goal of GURTs. GURTs is the collective term for biotechnology-based switch mechanisms to restrict the unauthorised use of genetic material, according to the FAO report of 2002 (click here). The FAO report distinguishes between variety use restriction (V-GURTs), of which the most famous example has become commonly known as Terminator Technology, and use restriction of a specific trait (T-GURTs). In addition, it addresses two other aspects: agricultural productivity contributions and biological containment of transgenes. In the Transcontainer project technologies will be specifically developed and studied for biological containment. These biological containment technologies commonly involve some form of interference with normal plant reproduction, and as such will only partially resemble GURTs. However, in contrast to GURTs, these biological containment technologies will also include functions to restore the fertility of the crops. Other technologies, which are already generally accepted and in use in some version, such as male sterility and parthenocarpy (for fruit developing without seeds) will also be studied and complemented with fertility restoring functions. In summary, in all cases the biological containment technologies to be studied and developed by Transcontainer do not aim at restricting use but aim at biological containment and restoring fertility.
Will GURTs or biological containment strategies not decrease the possibility for European farmers to save seeds from crops they grow on their farm for planting in the next season?
Not necessarily. Transcontainer will study and develop technologies that prevent transgene spread from GM crops, while at the same time their fertility can be restored. Moreover, Transcontainer is specifically targeted at European agriculture and European crops, and European farmers do not generally save seeds from crops they grow, mostly due to the improved quality and uniformity of commercial seeds and the crop plants derived thereof. Prominent examples of seeds that European farmers prefer or have to purchase each planting season include hybrid crops, because their progeny is not genetically uniform, seedless fruits and vegetables, like melon, cucumber and tomato, maize because of poor quality seed, and sugar beet because the crop does not reach the seed production stage. In addition, Transcontainer will assess the environmental and socio-economic impact of the use of biologically contained GM crops in European agriculture, which includes possible effects on the re-use of seeds. However, the project partners are aware that GURTs may become a problem for farmers in developing countries, where seed markets are often not functioning well and/or where farmers are not adequately informed about the properties of the seeds they use. Read more in the FAO report on the potential impacts of GURTs (Click here).
In 2000 the Conference of Parties within the context of the Convention of Biodiversity adopted a moratorium on field trials and the commercial use of Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (GURTs) (click here for the decision text). The moratorium was reaffirmed in 2006 (click here). Does Transcontainer not run counter this moratorium?
Whether they apply GURTs or not, the biologically contained GM crops developed by Transcontainer will only be tested in laboratories or greenhouses and they will not be tested in the field or commercialised within the scope of the project. It should also be noted that the Conference of Parties encouraged to undertake further research on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the use of GURTs. The environmental and socio-economic impact of the novel biological containment strategies will be examined thoroughly by the Transcontainer project. The results of Transcontainer will contribute to an informed decision whether the moratorium should be continued or modified in the context of supporting EU coexistence measures.
Does Transcontainer aim at creating public acceptance for the use of Terminator Technologies, or Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (GURTs) in general?
Transcontainer aims at communicating the results of the technical, biosafety and socio-economic research to parties interested in (regulatory) policy and public debates on ‘co-existence of GM and non-GM crops’ and ‘outcrossing from GM plants to wild plants’. The overall goal of this communication is to facilitate informed policy and political debates on the potential of biologically contained GM crops for adoption by the European market. It is up to governments and society as a whole to decide whether the existing risks of transgene spread of GMOs are at an acceptably low level in order to allow their release in the field. As with many other technologies involving certain hazards, this requires careful weighing of the benefits and risks.
Will biological containment strategies always be entirely fail-safe?
Possibly, but in reality the complete, hundred percent prevention of transgene spread cannot be proven scientifically. One can experimentally determine only that transgene spread is lower then a certain frequency.
How will environmental effects be assessed?
One objective of Transcontainer is to perform an environmental assessment that targets the efficiency of containment strategies, as well as the potential impact of the new genes that will be employed in these strategies on non-target organisms, such as wild (crop) relatives, beneficial animals, or their effects on human health. In general, the risk assessment strategy follows the guidance document of the European Food Safety Authority (click here). Environmental effects will be explained and assessed based on our current knowledge of plant biology, metabolic pathway integration and interconnectivities.
Will the results of Transcontainer become publicly available?
Yes, eventually all results will become publicly available, albeit sometimes with a delay to allow for publication in peer-reviewed journals, or for intellectual property protection