A research team from Indonesia and Japan produces an environment-friendly GM sugarcane

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Molecular biology scientist from the University of Jember Prof. Bambang Sugiharto on Monday announced that a research team led by him has succeeded in producing genetically modified sugarcane that is safe for the environment. The genetically modified (GM) sugarcane was produced by Sugiharto's research team in collaboration with PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) XI and Ajinomoto, a Japanese company. A gene encoding choline dehydrogenase (CDH) (betA) was cloned from Rhizobium meliloti by Ajinomoto, he said during a “Media Roundtable: The Role of Innovative Technologies in Addressing Agricultural Challenges,” held virtually on Monday. The betA gene was inserted in the pMLH2113 binary vector and transformed into Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A two-step assessment was performed, which involved a greenhouse trial and a confined field trial, Sugiharto, a lecturer at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Jember University, East Java, informed. ...