Terminator Technology

7/29/2019 Terminator Technology

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TerminatorTerminator TechnologyTechnologyoror:: howhow toto createcreate aa problemproblem

Sandra Blessin

BUKO Agrar Koordination

Berlin, 22.5.2007


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OverviewOverview

Introduction

What is Terminator Technology? Definition

How does it work

Impacts and risks

Short history

The ban-terminator activities inGermany 2005/ 2006

The transcontainer project, COP9 andpossible activities


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definitiondefinition

Problems:

no official definition in the CBD text

Different components and aims German campaign definition:

Terminator Technology is a geneticmodification of organisms which eliminates

or reduces the germination capacity of thefollowing seed generation. Usually theterminator gene sequence can beactivated through a on or off mechanism.


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definitiondefinition

Our definition includes 4 components: GMO

Germination reduces or eliminated Sterile seeds

inducible

CBD: genetic use restriction

technologies (GURTs) FAO: Biotechnology-based switch

mechanism to restrict the unauthorizeduse of genetic material


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howhow doesdoes itit workwork??

The Terminator Technology isbasically a genetically engineeredsuicide mechanism that can betriggered on or off by aspecific outsidestimulus (the inducer). The preferredinducer is Tetracycline (antibiotic). Asthe result the seeds of the nextgeneration will self destruct by self-poisoning.

Usually there are 3 genes inserted. Allcan fail. The reliabilty of the holeconstruct is 80 % (estimated by R.Steinbrecher)


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How Terminator works in theory (Overview

from Dr. R. Steinbrecher)apply inducer for exampleTetracycline,heat etc.

RRb

a

toxin

molecular

Scissors

molecular

Scissors

elimination ofrepressor

production fromRibonuclease

toxin Pro-moter


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impactsimpacts andand risksrisks

Reliability for biosafety:

enough for use restriction but as an

affective measure to avoid GMOcontamination not enough

Use restriction: negation of farmersrights

undermining of food sovereignty danger for food security

biodiversity loss


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shortshort historyhistory

Curitiba: A lot of protest (over all the international

Ban Terminator campaign)Result: The moratorium remains without limitation.

March 2006

Granada: ad-hoc working group on Art. 8j CBDaccept a recommendation paper for Curitiba withcase by case assessment

January2006

Canadian Government tries to weaken themoratorium by stressing biosafety function ofTerminator Technology. They try to get a case bycase assessment

2005

De facto moratorium on the COP5 of CBD:

recommendation that ..products incorporating suchtechnology should not be approved by parties forfield testing until appropiate scientific data can justifysuch testing

2000

international protest against a Terminator patentfrom Delta and Pine

1998/1999


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germangerman banban--terminatorterminator activitiesactivities

www.freie-saat.de (in german) Initiated in october 2005 by the BUKO Agrar

Koordination Activities:

position paper with 35 signing organizations Press conference Public work: Articles in german newspaper,

TV Participation in Granada demonstration Handover from 2359 signatures to the

German Parliament Action in front of Canadian Embassy Lettres to EU members of parliament

Meeting with the Federal Office of ConsumerProtection and Food Safety (BVL),institution for GMO authorization because ofTranscontainer-project


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signingsigning organizationsorganizations (1)(1)

Kein Patent auf Leben! Aktion 3. Welt Saar Arbeitsgemeinschaft buerliche Landwirtschaft (AbL.) Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Umweltbeauftragten in der Ev.

Kirche in Deutschland (AGU) ATTAC Ausschuss fr den Dienst auf dem Lande in der EKD Bioland Bonner AK gegen Gentechnologie Brot fr die Welt BUKO Agrar Koordination BUKO-Kampagne gegen Biopiraterie Bund fr Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) Bund kologischer Lebensmittelwirtschaft (BLW) Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Evangelische Jugend im

lndlichen Raum (BAG ejl)


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signingsigning organizationsorganizations (2)(2)

Bndnis fr die gentechnikfreie Landwirtschaft inNiedersachsen, Bremen und Hamburg

Brgerinitiative gentechnikfreies Schleswig-Holstein Coordination gegen Bayer-Gefahren

Demeter Dreschflegel e.V. Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (EED) Evangelisches Bildungszentrum Hesselberg Gen-ethisches Netzwerk Gentechnikfreie Regionen in Deutschland

Germanwatch NABU Naturland kologischer rztebund komarkt PAN Germany (Pestizid Aktionsnetzwerk) Share e.V. Umweltinstitut Mnchen Verein zur Erhaltung der Nutzpflanzenvielfalt (VEN) Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft


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Handover from 2359 signatures to the German ParliamentHandover from 2359 signatures to the German Parliament


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presspress actionaction in front ofin front of thethe ParliamentParliament


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OtherOther banban--terminatorterminator campaignscampaigns

Ban terminator campaign: www.banterminator.org Spain : Ecologistas en Accion United Kingdom Canada

Australia


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ResultResult of allof all campaignscampaigns

The CBD moratorium remained in theCOP8 CBD in Curitiba

Two problems:

Not legally binding

Call for new scientific research onTerminator Technology in decision

V/5 Nr. 23 and 25.


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transcontainertranscontainer-- projectproject

a EU-wide official project executed by 8

European Member States Over all: scientific institutions and universities

and two private companies: SweTreeTechnologies AB in Sweden (researching with

trees) and the DLF-Trifolium A/S in Denmark Destination crops: Canola, sugar beet, trees,

aubergine and tomato Aim: To enhance the acceptance of GMO.

Glasshouse-testing in Sweden an Denmark

Transcontainer-workshop 2008 in EasternEurope


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ProjectpartnerProjectpartner

Plant Research International B.V., Wageningen, The Netherlands (coordinator)Drs. Kim Boutilier and Ruud de Maagd

1. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Ume, SwedenProf. Ove Nilsson

2. Research Institute for Vegetable Crops, Montanaso Lombardo, ItalyDr. Giuseppe Rotino

3. Vienna University, Campus Vienna Biocenter, AustriaProf. Alisher Touraev

4. University of Milan, ItalyProf. Martin Kater

5. National University of Ireland, Maynooth, IrelandProf. Philip J. Dix

6. Wageningen University, NetherlandsDr. Justus Wesseler

7. Institute of Plant Genetics-Research (CNR-IGV), Perugia, ItalyDr. Sergio Arcioni

8. Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, Berlin, GermanyDr. Detlef Bartsch

9. University of Plovdiv Paisii Hilendarski, Plovdiv, BulgariaProf. Ivan Minkov

10. Schenkelaars Biotechnology Consultancy, Leiden, The NetherlandsIr. Piet Schenkelaars

11. SweTree Technologies AB, Ume, SwedenDr. Magnus Hertzberg

12. DLF-TRIFOLIUM A/S, Store Heddinge, Denmark

Dr. Christian Sig Jensen


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FertilityFertility confinementconfinement ofof transcontainertranscontainer

Plant Research International B.V., Wageningen, Netherlands; Dr. Kim Boutilier

Vienna University, Campus Vienna Biocenter, Austria; Prof. Alisher Touraev

University of Milan, Italy; Prof. Martin Kater

Research Institute for Vegetable Crops, Montanaso Lombardo, Italy; Dr. Giuseppe

Rotino

Controllable Fertility ObjectivesTo realise a male sterility-based transgene containment system based onamino acid depletion and complementation in oilseed rape and tomato

To realise a male sterility-based transgene containment system based onTAF loss of function and complementation in oilseed rapeTo develop and validate a transgenic containment technique based onthe coupling of parthenocarpy to male sterility in tomato (amino aciddepletion) and eggplant (TAF loss-of-function)

To evaluate the potential of restorable male sterility strategies as a toolfor F1 hybrid breeding in oilseed rape and tomatoTo implement the two-component ablation system in grasses inpreparation for a male sterility-based hybrid system in European foragecropsTo develop a seed lethal transgene containment system based onRecoverable Block of Function (RBF) in oilseed rape.


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COP 9 andCOP 9 and possiblepossible activitiesactivities

Until now nothing on the Agenda; butnew attack from Canada and Australiaprobable

Possible activities:

Take care on the Moratorium Maybe influence on the Moratorium

excluding the call for scientific research

Watch carefully the transcontainer-

project; side-event on COP 9

...

Terminator Technology

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