By PAUL BENTLEY The experts will today share the map of the wheat genome online for free, allowing growers around the world to develop super strains of the crop. The development could also lead to massively increased production – and in turn lower bread prices. But last night there were fears the breakthrough could open the doors to genetically modified 'Frankenstein foods' as scientists will now be able to manipulate the wheat DNA. The mapped genome will also allow growers to identify weaknesses, filtering out poor quality seeds. It is hoped new breeds of crops will be producing higher wheat yields in as little as five years' time. This could mean a significant reduction in the price of bread and greater food security in the developing world. It is estimated that world food production will have to increase by 50 per cent over the next 40 years to feed the rising population. Wheat yield is also of particular concern this summer because of the failure of the harvest in Russia. Professor Neil Hall, a genome scientist at Liverpool University – one of three research centres to carry out the study – said the breakthrough would increase wheat production dramatically. 'A process that now takes five or six years will take one or two years,' he said. 'It is quite possible that in five years' time a loaf of bread will be cheaper because of this.' Professor Keith Edwards, from Bristol University, said the findings were highly significant. 'In a short space of time we have delivered most of the sequences necessary for plant breeders to identify genetic differences in wheat,' he said. Cheaper: The price of bread could fall if the new wheat leads to increased production, while also improving food security in the third world 'The public release of the data will dramatically increase the efficiency of breeding new crop varieties.' Over the past decade wheat yields have hit a plateau, failing to keep up with increased demand, largely because of constantly evolving diseases. Professor Hall said: 'It is estimated that in Europe, productivity needs to double to keep pace with demand and to maintain stable prices. 'We need to start breeding new varieties of wheat that will be important in five or ten years' time.' But Professor Hall warned that 'nature may not be enough' and that 'genetic modification will also be necessary to boost yields'. The decoding of the wheat genome was completed in less than a year by the British scientists. The research project cost £1.8million and was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. 'Sequencing the human genome took 15 years . . . but with huge advances in DNA technology, the wheat genome took only a year,' Professor Hall said.
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The Raelian Movement
for those who are not afraid of the future : http://www.rael.org
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Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1306576/Coming-soon-wheat-revolution-DNA-scientists-pave-way-cheaper-bread.html
British scientists have cracked the genetic code for wheat – paving the way for a new breed of crops resistant to disease.
Coming soon, the wheat revolution: Scientists DNA breakthrough paves the way for cheaper bread
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WARNING FROM RAEL: For those who don't use their intelligence at its full capacity, the label "selected by RAEL" on some articles does not mean that I agree with their content or support it. "Selected by RAEL" means that I believe it is important for the people of this planet to know about what people think or do, even when what they think or do is completely stupid and against our philosophy. When I selected articles in the past about stupid Christian fundamentalists in America praying for rain, I am sure no Rael-Science reader was stupid enough to believe that I was supporting praying to change the weather. So, when I select articles which are in favor of drugs, anti-semitic, anti-Jewish, racist, revisionist, or inciting hatred against any group or religion, or any other stupid article, it does not mean that I support them. It just means that it is important for all human beings to know about them. Common sense, which is usually very good among our readers, is good enough to understand that. When, like in the recent articles on drug decriminalization, it is necessary to make it clearer, I add a comment, which in this case was very clear: I support decriminalizing all drugs, as it is stupid to throw depressed and sad people (as only depressed and sad people use drugs) in prison and ruin their life with a criminal record. That does not mean that there is any change to the Message which says clearly that we must not use any drug except for medical purposes. The same applies to the freedom of expression which must be absolute. That does not mean again of course that I agree with anti-Jews, antisemites, racists of any kind or anti-Raelians. But by knowing your enemies or the enemies of your values, you are better equipped to fight them. With love and respect of course, and with the wonderful sentence of the French philosopher Voltaire in mind: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
"Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and
orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism,
through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and
new technologies.
There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history,
it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations.
On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies
unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the
myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease,
death and the sweat of labour.
Rael
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