ATOMIZER
To some environmentalists, they're frankenfoods: dangerous superplants spawned by scientists run amok. To the US Supreme Court, they look like innovation. The court in December upheld the right of agribusiness to patent hybrid and genetically modified varieties of plants. The decision was a victory for DuPont, a major producer of seed corn and other re-engineered edibles. It also validated some 1,800 plant and plant-process patents awarded to universities and corporations like Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences, and Syngenta. Here are some samples from this monster industry.
Extra-Firm Tomatoes
It could bring an end to watery ketchup. The Agricultural Research Service, a division of the US Department of Agriculture, has applied for a patent on its process for cultivating tomatoes that are up to 40 percent firmer than average. Researchers isolated the genes responsible for an enzyme that removes galactose residue from plant walls. This sugar plays an important role in helping cell walls retain structural integrity. By reversing the gene sequence that leads to the breakdown of galactose, the tomatoes remain firmer longer and can be left to ripen on the vine without fear they'll spoil before reaching the market. Such tomatoes are also useful for making thicker processed foods like ketchup and tomato paste. The ARS plans to license the technology. Potential US market: $660 million
Bug-free Corn
Monsanto's Roundup Ready/YieldGuard corn is known as a "stacked trait" transgenic because it contains more than one genetically engineered feature. Not only does it have built-in tolerance for Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, it also produces an insecticidal protein, derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, that renders it fatal to corn borer larvae. The herbicide resistance allows for direct application of Roundup, which controls 145 different weed species. The genetically created resistance to corn borers reduces the need for topical pesticides. The variety, used in processed foods and for animal feed, was introduced in 2000 and planted on more than 140,000 acres in the United States. In 2001, Monsanto estimates, more than 1 million acres of corn were borer-free and Roundup ready. Potential US market: $18.6 billion
Virus-Resistant Papayas
An added gene makes these SunUp papayas resistant to the ring spot virus that decimated Hawaii's crop in the early '90s, causing the fruit to end up shriveled and covered in brown spots. Using recombinant DNA techniques patented by Monsanto and Cornell University, researchers isolated and cloned a gene that controls the production of the virus' coat protein. When this gene was shot into papaya tissues, it caused the plants to overproduce and then suppress this protein, leaving the virus unable to reproduce. Resistant cells were then bred into existing papaya lines. The SunUp and its cousin, the Rainbow, make up about half of the papayas grown to maturity in Hawaii. Potential US market: $16 million
Extra-Ripe Bananas
Extra-ripe fruit first appeared in grocery stores in the mid-'90s in the form of a big juicy tomato. Now the technology is coming to bananas, the world's most popular fruit. DNA Plant Technology's patented recombinant DNA process controls the expression and activity of ACC synthase, and therefore ethylene, the protein that stimulates ripening. The genetic coding suppresses ethylene production as the fruit reaches maturity, allowing it to be left to grow sweet on the plant longer and still have a long shelf life. DNAP hopes to put its extra-ripe bananas in supermarkets soon. Potential global market: $5 billion
Giant Lettuce
Seminis' Sharpshooter iceberg was 10 years in the breeding, but in the end it's a big success. Really big. Patented in 1999, Sharpshooter is 40 percent heavier than other icebergs. Scientists used traditional crossbreeding to mate a lettuce called El Toro (known for vigorous growth) with Montello (prized for resistance to corky root rot, a common scourge in California). The hybrid was then crossbred with another strain that's resistant to downy mildew. In each generation, 1 to 15 lucky offspring were selected to self-pollinate, reinforcing the desired traits in the next generation - until Sharpshooter emerged. The patented salad-bar staple tastes like any other iceberg - just OK - but it's cheaper to grow. Potential US market: $1 billion
Superefficient Refrigeration For The Kitchen, The Pc, And The Lab.
Decaf Coffee Beans
Forget water process. Researchers in Japan have isolated and cloned a gene for caffeine synthase, an enzyme that catalyzes the final steps of caffeine production in young tea and coffee plants. By suppressing this gene, they hope to create decaffeinated tea leaves and coffee beans. Such varieties are still a few years away but could produce decaf coffee with the same flavor and aroma as leaded versions. It's one biotech invention that could help you sleep sounder. Potential US market: $400 million
Golden Rice
In January 2001, Swiss and German scientists unveiled this health-boosting rice after implanting two genes from a daffodil and one from a bacterium in a common japonica rice called Taipei 309. The three genes give the rice seeds an ability to produce beta-carotene, a source of vitamin A. In the developing world, vitamin A deficiencies cause thousands of deaths and cases of blindness each year. Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, and others donated their patented technologies to the research effort. They're taking credit with a worldwide publicity campaign aimed at promoting health - and winning over a public that's queasy about biotech. Although the rice will be licensed free of charge in the developing world, Syngenta owns the right to exploit it commercially elsewhere. Potential US market: $1 billion
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