Biotechnology Information on the Web

General

http://www.ca.uky.edu/brei
Biotechnology Research and Education Initiative: Well-maintained, attractive and accessible site providing educational resources and updates on new discoveries in agricultural biotechnology. Authored by a multi-disciplinary research, teaching and extension team at the University of Kentucky.

http://www.agbios.com
AGBIOS: Extensive site with excellent articles and briefings from different sources on a variety of GM-related topics, together with one of the best searchable databases available. If you have a specific technical question about a transgene, GM crop, transformation event, regulation issue - or whatever - this is a good place to start. AGBIOS is a Canadian consulting company but the site provides good U.S. and international coverage as well.

http://www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/TransgenicCrops/
The Transgenic Crops web site provides balanced and accessible information on the scientific aspects of the biotechnology along with links to many other resources, including: an animation sequence illustrating genetic engineering methods, news briefs on events such as the latest move to label transgenic foods, discussion of risks and concerns associated wit transgenic crops, information about transgenic varieties now on the market and those being developed, information about the U.S. government's system for regulating transgenic crops, references to books and scientific journals containing further information, an extensive list of links to other web sites, and a Spanish-language version, now under construction.

http://special.northernlight.com/gmfoods/
Northern Light Special Edition: Genetically Modified Food: News, views, and links to other web sites provided by this well respected academic search engine.

http://www.nbiap.vt.edu/
Information Systems for Biotechnology: The monthly news reports are an excellent source of reporting on agricultural biotechnology research. Of special note is an extensive annotated list of web sites in the January 200 issue. The site also includes sections on regulatory issues and risk assessment.

http://www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk/NCBE/GMFOOD/menu.html
National Centre for Biotechnology Education, University of Reading, U.K.: News and policy reports on GM foods from a European perspective.

http://www.americanradioworks.org/features/gmos_india/index.html
Minnesota Public Radio story on transgenic crops: This presentation, Engineering Crops in a Needy World, explores many aspects of the controversy in India over transgenic crops.

http://www.checkbiotech.org
Check Biotech: Lots of news items and special reports on such topics as the pros and cons of GM food and Bt and the Monarch butterfly. Good, even-handed treatment of many issues despite its industry funding.

http://croptechnology.unl.edu/
Crop Genetic Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln: A set of lessons accompanied by animations on cloning, manipulating, and exploiting genes in agricultural crops.

Labeling
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/!dms/biolabgu.html
FDA proposed voluntary guidelines for labeling food that does or does not contain GE ingredients. FDA is still accepting public comment on these guidelines.

http://www.agbioforum.org
Accurate labeling would require an extensive identity preservatin system from farmer to elevator to grain processor to food manufacturer to retailer (Maltsbarger and Kalaitzandonakes, 2000. AgBio Forum) To date, 22 countires have announced plans to institute some form of mandatory labeling (Phillips and McNeill, 2000.).

Butterflies
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.211297698
Bellmich et al., 2001, Monarch larvae sensitivity to Bacillus thuringiensis-purified proteins and pollen.

http://www.pnas.org.cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.211234298
Oberhauser et al., 2001, Temporal and spatial overlap between monarch larvae and corn pollen.

http://www.pnas.org.cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.211287498
Pleasants et al., 2001, Corn pollen deposition on milkweeds in and near cornfields

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/21/11931
Stanley-Horn et al., 2001, Assessing the impact of Cry 1Ab-expressing corn pollen on monarch butterfly larvae in field studies.

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.171315698http://171315698
Zangerl et al., 2001, Effects of exposure to event 176 Bacillus thuringiensis corn pollen on monarch and black swallowtail caterpillars under field conditions.

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/21/11937
Sears et al., 2001, Impact of Bt corn pollen on monarch butterfly populations: A risk assessment.

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/21/11931
Stanley-Horn et al., 2001, Assessing the impact of Cry 1Ab-expressing corn pollen on monarch butterfly larvae in field studies.

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.171315698http://171315698
Zangerl et al., 2001, Effects of exposure to event 176 Bacillus thuringiensis corn pollen on monarch and black swallowtail caterpillars under field conditions.