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                           NBIAP NEWS REPORT
                             July  1,  1993

FDA SEEKS ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON LABELING ISSUES ARISING FROM
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS
July 27 is the deadline for submitting data and other information
to the Food and Drug Administration concerning how foods derived
from genetically engineered plants should be labeled.  Such
submissions were invited by the FDA in an announcement in the
April 28 issues of the Federal Register, Vol. 58, No. 80, pp.
25837-25843.

Written comments should be submitted to the Dockets Management
Branch (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, Room 1-23, 12420
Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20857.  For information contact:
James Maryanski, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
(HFS-13), Food and Drug Administration, 200 C Street SW,
Washington, DC  20204, telephone [phone].

RISK ASSESSMENT RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM
June 14 was the closing date for submission of proposals under
the USDA's 1993 Risk Assessment Research Grants Program.  Sixty
research proposals were received and have been distributed for
peer review.  The Peer Review Panel will meet during the first
week of August to select those proposals that will be recommended
for funding.

AN ECOLOGICAL APPROACH FOR DETERMINING THE RISK OF TRANSGENIC
PLANTS
In what could lead to a new method for determining the impact of
transgenic plants on natural ecosystems, a group of British
scientists has reported in the journal Nature on a unique three
year study to test the invasive properties of oilseed rape, a
plant from which canola oil is derived.

Under the test protocol, the scientists sowed both genetically
altered and unaltered seeds of oilseed rape in 12 natural
habitats under a variety of ecological conditions in three widely
separated areas of England and Scotland.  Then, they compared
their behavior for three growing seasons.  Oilseed rape was
chosen because it has wild relatives and its potential to
colonize natural habitats has caused particular concern.

In all, some 2,000 seeds were sown in the springs of 1990, 1991,
and 1992.  The sowing localities were in Cornwall in southwest
England where winters are mild and the growing season starts
early; in Berkshire in southeast England, where winters are cold
and summers dry; and in Sutherland in northeast Scotland, where
the growing season starts late and summer days are long.  In each
locality, four habitats typical of the region were selected for
the test.  Habitat conditions provided contrasts of sun and
shade, wetness and dryness.

In each habitat, seeds genetically modified with an antibiotic
marker gene and for herbicide resistance and seeds which were
unmodified were sown.  Neither antibiotics nor herbicides were
applied to the plots, since the purpose of the test was to
determine if the process of genetic modification itself would
give the plant an advantage.

Within each habitat some sixteen different biological
manipulations were carried out.  They ranged from fencing to
pesticide treatments.  The object was to create growing
conditions ranging from "extremely benign" to "extremely hostile"
for both the modified and the unmodified plants.

By measuring the germination rate of the seeds and the growth
rate of the plants, the scientists found that under no set of
conditions did the transgenic plants exhibit different rates of
population growth from the unmodified ones.  In short, genetic
modification did not increase the invasive tendency of oilseed
rape in any of the ecological characteristics measured.

As Dr. Michael Crowley, one of the scientists who conducted the
test, pointed out, the results are limited to the invasiveness of
oilseed rape and cannot be extrapolated to apply to other crop
species or genetic modifications.  However, the test shows a way
toward the development of testing procedures that can assess the
ecological risks of any transgenic plant.

Peter Kareiva, of the University of Washington, commented in
Nature that the importance of the study comes not so much from
its results, but from its scope and timeliness.  The USDA has
recently published guidelines for applications to deregulate
transgenic plants.  To accomplish this, firm evidence must be
presented that the phenotype of the transgenic crop poses no
greater risk than does the unmodified plant from which it is
derived.  The British study points to one possible way this can
be realized.
(Nature, June 17, 1993)

HOW MUCH SCIENCE DO WE NEED?
REPORT RECOMMENDS ALLOCATING FEDERAL R&D FUNDS IN SCIENCE ON
BASIS OF COMPETITIVENESS OF FIELDS
A committee of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of
Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering has released a
report titled, "Science, Technology, and the Federal Government:
National Goals for a New Era" recommending that the federal
government allocate its $70 billion science and technology
research and development budget based upon evaluation of the
competitiveness of the various science fields.  Under the
proposed system, a series of independent panels, staffed by
experts in the fields of basic science would gauge where the U.S.
stood compared with other countries.  The panels could "judge
where the most exciting and promising ideas were emerging,
consider where the best new talent is located, and examine the
comparative capabilities of research facilities or equipment,"
the report said.  Competitive evaluations would also be made in
the fields of applied technology.

The competitiveness evaluations by the independent panels would
be used either to increase or cut funds in the various areas.
Overall, the report states that the U.S. should strive to remain
"among the world leaders in all major areas of science," and be
No. 1 in a selected number of fields.  The U.S. should try to
dominate those scientific fields that are important to such R&D
intensive industries as microelectronics and biotechnology,
according to the report.

The report's recommendations are generally in line with the
Clinton Administration view that the government should promote
commercially useful technology and stay ahead of competitors.
Dr. Phillip Griffiths, Chairman of the NAS Committee and Director
of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton expressed the
belief that the goal of being world leaders in several science
areas and near the lead in all the major sciences, "in the short
term could be met with current funding."  The report is sure to
provoke much positive and negative comment.
(NY Times, June 22, 1993; Wall Street Journal)

VIRTUAL REALITY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
To hasten the production of new drugs and therapies, biomedical
researchers are utilizing computers in novel ways to replace
lengthy biological experiments.A physicist at IBM has devised a
system that uses chunks of computer code (automata) programmed to
act like simple organisms.

He's simulated some key parts of the human immune system in a
mainframe computer so that immunologists can do more of their
research with computer models.  Some people call the computerized
immune system "A-life" (artificial life).  For the IBM A-life
immune system, automata have been created that act like simple
versions of the cells and molecules that help humans fight
disease.  The scale is, of course, far less elaborate than a real
immune system and is only two dimensional.

The National Institutes of Health is funding the IBM work and
progress is being made on making movies of the model in action
using a graphics computer.

Meanwhile, scientists from Britain's York University and the drug
firm Glaxo are developing a computer driven "virtual
reality" technique for understanding the structure of molecules
involved in disease and then designing drugs to block them.
Wearing a headset with two tiny television screens giving a three
dimensional effect, researchers have the illusion that they are
actually working around inside a molecule.  As they move, the
computer redraws the image.  A special glove can be used to reach
out and grab parts of the molecule, twisting and flexing the
structure to look at its makeup.  However, the visualization is
still relatively poor and present technology is being pushed to
the limit.

Computers are, and will continue to help in, keeping down the
cost of developing new drugs.   Computers produce relatively low-
cost information that can help researchers decide whether or not
to synthesize a compound.  This information would otherwise
require expensive laboratory research to obtain.

(The foregoing was compiled by Jay H. Blowers.)

IMPORTED BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS NEED PERMITS TO ENTER THE UNITED
STATES
About 30 percent of all animal and plant material sent
internationally to U.S. scientists is delayed or stopped because
it lacks an import permit from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

"Scientists could spare themselves inconvenience and delays by
applying in advance for import permits for materials of plant or
animal origin," said Lonnie King, acting APHIS administrator.
King said valuable or perishable specimens, cultures and tissues
also could be expedited more easily through a U.S. Customs or
USDA station if the proper USDA-APHIS import permit requirements
are met in advance.

Scientists intending to import animal or plant materials should
contact the following permit units:

-For the importation of biological materials of animal origin or
 derivation, contact the Import-Export Product Staff of APHIS'
Veterinary Services program at [phone].

-For the importation of plant material or soil, contact the
 Permit Unit of APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine program
 at [phone].

-For the importation of genetically engineered plants or
 microorganisms, contact the Biotechnology Permit Staff of
 APHIS's Biotechnology, Biologics and Environmental Protection
 unit at [phone].

To write to any of the above offices, the address is USDA, APHIS,
6505 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, Md. 20782.
(Reprinted from APHIS News)

NEWSLETTER UPDATE
Freiberg Publishing invites readers to call for a free sample
issue of the Biotech Reporter.  Formerly Agbiotechnology News,
the publication has been expanded to cover human medical,
environmental, bioprocessing/food processing and related
industries, as well as plant and animal areas.

Freiberg Publishing has also started two additional newsletters,
the Environmental Business Trendletter and the International
Trade & Licensing Hot List. New technologies or tech transfer
opportunities may be submitted to the Hot List by contacting
Karol Wrage at 319-277-3599.

For free samples of any of these publications, call 1-800-959-
3276 or fax [phone].


RESEARCH UPDATE - ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HEALTH
J. Glenn Songer, PhD, University of Arizona

ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO UNFOLD
The introduction of monoclonal antibody technology in recent
years led to rapid progress in many areas of scientific research
and disease therapy.  This progress has continued, and the time
is drawing ever nearer when the production of monoclonal
antibodies as recombinant gene products will become a practical
reality.  In the pharmaceutical field, the application of
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology is allowing the
development of therapeutics for use against a variety of medical
conditions.

There is particular hope for products that will be effective
against viral infections such as human immunodeficiency virus,
hepatitis B virus, herpes viruses, respiratory syncytial virus,
parainfluenza viruses, cytomegalovirus, and rhinoviruses, and
against systemic effects of infections by Gram-negative bacteria
(Gram-negative sepsis).  Recombinant monoclonal antibodies could
also find use in modification of cellular responses (such as
antibodies against cytokines for amelioration of the effects of
acute inflammation).  It is even conceptually possible to produce
a molecule with multiple activities, one which can carry out
several different "tasks."

Antibody diversity in natural systems is based upon the variable
region of the antibody molecule: a specific portion of an
antigen, referred to as an epitope, is recognized by a specific
variable region.  With an understanding of the structure of a
particular epitope, PCR can be employed to alter, or even
construct from scratch, a gene giving rise to a recombinant
monoclonal antibody -- actually a recombinant variable portion of
an antibody -- with the characteristics necessary for specific
interaction with the epitope of choice.  The use of these
variable portions of the antibody as a therapeutic has advantages
over the use of intact monoclonal antibodies, in that they have a
lesser tendency to give rise to a neutralizing immune response
and are cleared from the body more rapidly.

On the down side of this very promising field of endeavor are
recent trials of monoclonal antibodies for therapy of Gram-
negative sepsis: results have been disappointing, and have
apparently had a strong negative impact on the fortunes of at
least two biotechnology companies.  A clinical trial of Centoxin
(a monoclonal antibody directed against endotoxin, produced by
Centocor, Malvern, PA) was halted in January because the death
rate in a treatment group (a group of ill patients who did not
have Gram-negative sepsis) was higher than in a control group.

A large part of the potential significance of this finding is in
the fact that treatment of patients suspected of having sepsis is
often begun before a definitive diagnosis is made.  Along with
stopping the clinical trial, Centocor has removed Centoxin from
the market in countries where it has been approved.  Tests of
another antisepsis product, Antril (developed to interfere with
the activity of interleukin-1, and produced by Synergen, Boulder,
CO) have also been disappointing.  In the case of both Centocor
and Synergen, these outcomes have been financially devastating,
leading to drastic reductions in the value of company stock.

DELIVERY OF FOREIGN ANTIGENS BY BACTERIA
Delivery of a foreign antigen, or perhaps several antigens, by a
bacterium has been proposed as a strategy for immunization of
humans and domestic animals.  Much research has been directed
towards the development of mutant bacterial strains, called
auxotrophs, which are unable to grow unless supplied with a
particular nutrient (such as an amino acid).  An example is the
aro mutant strains of Salmonella sp., which cannot produce
certain aromatic amino acids.  The genes for important antigens -
- which give rise to protective immune responses -- of pathogenic
bacteria can be cloned and expressed in the Salmonella sp.
nutritional mutants.  When cultures of these recombinant mutants
are introduced into a host (usually by the gastrointestinal
route), multiplication is limited (due to lack of a readily
available in vivo supply of the aromatic amino acid), but
sufficient amounts of the protective antigen may be produced to
yield a prophylactic immune response in the host.

Recent work by scientists at a Melbourne laboratory of
Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organization (CSIRO) has brought a new twist to the expression of
foreign antigens in bacteria.  Dr. Adrian Hodgson and co-workers
produced a mutant of the bacterial pathogen of small ruminants,
Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. The mutant is incapable of
producing the organism's toxin and most important virulence
factor, phospholipase D.  When inoculated into sheep, this mutant
establishes and multiplies briefly, but the infection quickly
resolves.  A large proportion of the sheep inoculated in this
manner are immune to subsequent challenge with fully virulent
strains of C. pseudotuberculosis.  This is, in itself, an
important advance, but further work has shown that this mutant
may be useful in delivery of antigens for immunization against
other infections, as well.  Genes for protective antigens are
cloned into a plasmid which is capable of replicating in C.
pseudotuberculosis and then this recombinant plasmid is
introduced into the mutant strain.  Production of recombinant
antigen has been demonstrated and trials are now underway to
evaluate the usefulness of this technology in immunization of a
variety of domestic animals.

DEVELOPMENTS IN PRODUCTION AND USE OF TRANSGENIC ANIMALS
Tissue plasminogen activator is a recent entry into the
therapeutic regimen for victims of heart attacks.  In many cases,
this compound now replaces streptokinase (a natural product of
bacteria of the genus Streptococcus) as a means for dissolving
clots which occlude coronary arteries and often lead to death and
degeneration of the surrounding cardiac muscle (referred to as
myocardial infarction).  In a new comparative study,
recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (produced by Genentech)
administered with intravenous anticoagulant reduced mortality in
heart attack patients by nearly 15% over streptokinase and
anticoagulant.  A new development is the production of transgenic
rabbits which express active tissue plasminogen activator in
their milk.

Although it remains a highly debatable topic, there is continued
interest in DNA delivery by sperm cells.  Use of DNA treated
sperm for in vitro fertilization of mice has resulted in
expression of foreign genes in a small proportion of offspring.
The potential benefits of such technology are obvious and far-
reaching.

PUBLIC INTEREST IN BIOTECHNOLOGY INCREASES WITH SPOTLIGHTING OF
FOOD SAFETY ISSUES
Gerald Guest, former director of FDA's Center for Veterinary
Medicine, spoke at the recent annual meeting of the Livestock
Conservation Institute, pointing out that the future of drugs
used in animal production -- and possibly in therapy -- may be
modeled by experience with bovine somatotropin (BST).  BST was
deemed safe by the FDA, the American Health Institute, and the
General Accounting Office.  However, Jeremy Rifkin's "failed"
lawsuit, which was based upon potential negative environmental
impacts of BST, led to bans on this substance by Wisconsin,
Vermont, and Minnesota.  Dr. Guest stated that, in the future,
there may be a public-mandated move away from use of drugs which
are not for therapy but are rather used strictly to boost the
economic value of a food animal or its products.


UNCONVENTIONAL AGENTS OF HUMAN AND DOMESTIC ANIMAL DISEASE
COMPLICATE PRODUCTION OF BIOTHERAPEUTICS
The description and study over the past two decades of the agents
of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease and Kuru in humans, and the continued
study of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie in domestic
ruminants, has led to interesting challenges for companies which
manufacture biotherapeutic products of animal origin (Stiles GE.
1993.  Unconventional viruses pose unique biotherapeutic
production challenge.  Genetic Engineering News 13: 7-8).  The
current putative problem with spongiform encephalopathy in
British cattle has been well-publicized; less well-known are the
reported possible contamination of human growth hormone with the
agent of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, and the apparent transfer of
this agent from patient-to-patient as a result of failed
sterilization of implements used during brain surgery.

These disease-causing agents are not viruses, nor are they
virus-like; the incubation period of the diseases they induce may
be extended to months or years.  No nucleic acids (DNA or RNA)
are present, implying the direct reproduction of proteins, and
the lack of immune response to infection greatly complicates
diagnosis. Infection leads inescapably to death.
The agents are highly resistant to inactivation by chemical or
thermal means.  These factors (low infectious dose, high attack
and case fatality rates, resistance to traditional methods for
sterilization) have led to extensive work to assess risks and to
subsequently assure the quality of animal-derived biotherapeutic
products.  Validation of products has also necessitated work with
animal models, since these agents cannot be cultivated in cell
cultures.  Overall, this promises to be a significant challenge
to the industry for years to come, and solutions will come
through work in the laboratory and on the farm, with changes in
animal management practices.

RESEARCH UPDATE - MICROBES AND PLANTS
Charles Hagedorn, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State
University

The recent report of plasmid DNA transfer between strains of
fast-growing rhizobia in non-sterile soil has emphasized concerns
over potential gene transfer from genetically engineered
microorganisms to indigenous soil bacteria (Kinkle and Schmidt.
1991. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 57:3264-3269).  More recently,
Kinkle et. al. (1993 Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 59:1762-1766)
reported plasmid DNA transfer between slow-growing rhizobia in
non-sterile soil, but not in plant nodules.  In their report, the
IncP plasmid r68.45, which carries several antibiotic resistance
genes, and IncP plasmid pJP4, which contains genes for mercury
resistance and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid degradation, were
evaluated for their ability to transfer to soil populations of
rhizobia.  Transfer of r68.45 was detected in nonsterile soil by
using Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 123 as the plasmid donor and
several Bradyrhizobium sp. strains as recipients.  Plasmid
transfer frequencies ranged up to 9.1 x 10-5  in soil amended
with 0.1% soybean meal and were highest after 7 days with strain
3G4b4-RS as the recipient.  Transconjugants were detected in 7 of
500 soybean nodules tested, but the absence of both parental
strains in these nodules suggests that plasmid transfer had
occurred in the soil, in the rhizosphere, or on the root surface.

Transfer of degradative plasmid pJP4 was also evaluated in
nonsterile soil by using B. japonicum USDA 438 as the plasmid
donor and several Bradyrhizobium sp. strains as recipients.
Plasmid pJP4 was transferred only when strains USDA 110-ARS and
3G4b4-RS were the recipients.  The plasmid transfer frequency was
highest for strain 3G4b4-RS (up to 7.4 x 10-6).  Mercury
additions to soil, ranging from 10 to 50 micrograms/gram of soil,
did not affect population levels of parental strains or the
plasmid transfer frequency.

One of the major problems in research on the slow-growing
rhizobia is the inability to readily differentiate between
genetically related strains in the same serogroup cluster.  Judd
et. al. (1993 Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 59:1702-1708)
demonstrated that repetitive extragenic palindromic [REP] and
enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus [ERIC] sequences
used in conjunction with the polymerase chain reaction technique
(REP and ERIC PCR) provide an effective means of differentiating
between and classifying genetically related Bradyrhizobium
japonicum serocluster 123 strains.  Analysis of REP and ERIC PCR-
generated dendrograms indicated that this technique can
effectively differentiate between closely related strains which
were indistinguishable by other classification methods.  To
maximize the genomic differences detected by REP and ERIC PCR
fingerprint patterns, the REP and the ERIC data sets were
combined for statistical analyses.  REP-plus-ERIC PCR
fingerprints were also found to provide a method to differentiate
between highly diverse strains of Bradyrhizobium spp., but they
did not provide an effective means for classifying these strains
because of the relatively low number of REP and ERIC consensus
sequences found in some of the bradyrhizobia.  Their results also
suggest that there is a relationship between nodulation
phenotypes and the distribution of REP and ERIC consensus
sequences within the genomes of B. japonicum serogroup 123 and
127 strains.  Results obtained by restriction fragment length
polymorphism hybridization analyses were correlated with the
phylogenetic classification of B. japonicum serocluster 123
strains obtained by using REP and ERIC PCR.

Large areas of rangeland contain low pH soils that can
reduce the productivity of forage legumes, such as subclover,
that are acid tolerant and suitable for many rangeland
conditions.  Although acid tolerant rhizobial strains for
subclover are relatively easy to isolate, these naturally
occurring strains are usually of poor nitrogen-fixing
effectiveness.  An understanding of the genetics of acid
tolerance may permit construction of superior strains effective
at low pH levels.  Chen et. al. (1993 Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
59:1798-1804) reported that acid-tolerant Rhizobium leguminosarum
biovar trifolii ANU1173 was able to grow on laboratory media at a
pH as low as 4.5.  Transposon Tn5 mutagenesis was used to isolate
mutants of strain ANU1173, which were unable to grow on media at
a pH of less than 4.8.  The acid-tolerant strain ANU1173
maintained a near-neutral intracellular pH when the external pH
was as low as 4.5.  In contrast, the acid-sensitive mutants AS25
and AS28 derived from ANU1173 had an acidic intracellular pH when
the external pH was less than 5.5.  The acid-sensitive R.
leguminosarum biovar trifolii ANU794, which was comparatively
more sensitive to low pH than mutants AS25 and AS28, showed a
more acidic internal pH than the two mutants when the three
strains were exposed to medium buffered at a pH of less than 5.5.

The two acid-sensitive mutants had an increased membrane
permeability to protons but did not change their proton extrusion
activities.  However, the acid-sensitive strain ANU794 exhibited
both a higher membrane permeability to protons and a lower proton
extrusion activity compared with the acid-tolerant strain
ANU1173.  DNA hybridization analysis showed that mutants AS25 and
AS28 carried a single copy of Tn5 located in 13.7-kb (AS25) and
10.0-kb (AS28) EcoRI DNA fragments.  The wild-type DNA sequences
spanning the mutation sites of mutants AS25 and AS28 were cloned
from genomic DNA of strain ANU1173.  Transfer of these wild-type
DNA sequences into corresponding Tn5-induced acid-sensitive
mutants, respectively, restored the mutants to their acid
tolerance phenotypes.  Mapping studies showed that the AS25 locus
was mapped to a 5.6-kb EcoRI-BamHI megaplasmid DNA fragment,
while the AS28 locus was located in an 8.7-kb BG/II chromosomal
DNA fragment.

PATENT DEVELOPMENTS
Virginia C. Bennett,  Bell, Seltzer, Park & Gibson,  Raleigh, NC

A gene conferring male sterility in plants is disclosed in patent
WO 9302197.  This newly described DNA may optionally be coupled
to a lytic enzyme gene which also confers male sterility.
Disclosed in the patent are recombinant or isolated DNA encoding
a callase (endo-1,3-beta-D-glucanase); antisense DNA encoding
antisense RNA complementary to the newly described DNA; DNA
encoding a ribozyme that cleaves RNA encoded by the new DNA; a
microorganism host transfected or transformed with a vector
containing the DNA; and a plant cell containing the new DNA.  The
DNA may also include a marker such as beta-glucuronidase,
antibiotic resistance or herbicide resistance.

Several recent patents disclose methods for producing transgenic
plants.  EP 522880 discloses a new nucleic acid isolate encoding
flavonoid pathway enzymes which can be used to manipulate flower
color.  A method of producing a transgenic plant and the
transgenic plant are also disclosed.  EP 525508 discloses a
method of combatting plant pathogens using a protein of Ustilago
maydis (a fungus).  Microorganisms and plants transformed with
the DNA encoding the protein, and a method of producing a
transgenic plant with disease resistance are also disclosed.  WO
9301294 discloses DNA encoding the gene promoter for a subunit of
glutathione-transferase, as well as a vector containing the DNA
and a chemically switchable gene construct containing the DNA
linked to foreign genes such that gene expression is controlled
by the application of an exogenous inducer.

US Patent No. 5,185,253 discloses a method for producing
transgenic potato and tobacco plants resistant to infection by
potato virus-x (PVX) and virus-Y (PVY).  A double stranded DNA
construct is inserted into the susceptible plant cell, where it
encodes the coat proteins of PVX and PVY.  Transformed plants
capable of expressing the foreign coat protein genes are then
regenerated from the transformed cells.  The DNA construct
contains a heterologous promoter, preferably a modified
cauliflower-mosaic virus 35S promoter, joined to a structural
gene encoding PVX and a second promoter joined to a structural
gene encoding PVY.  Alternatively, a single heterologous promoter
may be joined to a fusion protein of the PVX and PVY genes.

Two recent patents disclose recombinant vaccines useful
against common fowl diseases.  EP 522535 discloses a recombinant
Marek-disease virus (MDV) obtained by the mutation of MDV with a
plasmid.  A multivalent live vaccine for birds and a vector for
administration of a physiologically active substance to birds are
also disclosed.  WO 9301276 discloses a non-lymphoid continuous
cell line capable of replicating Eimeria tenella.  A recombinant
antigen is produced by culturing the cell line, which is
transfected with a recombinant DNA molecule capable of expressing
the recombinant antigen.  A vaccine comprising the antigen
composition, for use in controlling fowl coccidiosis, is also
disclosed.

MORE JURASSIC PARK
On the op-ed page of the New York Times for June 22, Carl
Feldbaum, President of the Biotechnology Industry Organization
(BIO), offers a good antidote by outlining the positive uses to
which biotechnology is being put. Mr. Feldbaum points out that
the industry has created 22 drugs to treat serious illnesses such
as diabetes and heart disease and 130 new drugs are in the
pipeline.

Biotech companies are also working to produce more nutritious
foods that will require less fertilizers, pesticides and
herbicides.  They are also working on genetically modified
microorganisms that reduce toxic chemicals in the environment to
biodegradable compounds.

As Feldbaum notes, "the film does a disservice by leaving the
impression that biotech research is done in a regulation-free
world.  In fact, the biotech industry acknowledges the need for
responsible government regulation and companies work closely with
government agencies to assure that regulation keeps pace with
knowledge despite the fact that it's expensive and delays the
availability of products.  But the public has a right to know, to
be reassured about safety and efficacy."

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The material in this News Report is compiled by Information
Systems for Biotechnology at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University. It does not necessarily reflect the views
of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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