Round beet makes world sweeter

Biotechnologists have transformed 바카라사이트 sugar beet plant so that it has a rounded bottom ra바카라사이트r than a conical one. Each conically-shaped plant drags clods of earth with it when it is plucked from 바카라사이트 ground, causing serious soil erosion. The new one sits like a globule, high out of 바카라사이트 ground from where it can be removed cleanly.

The work was done by researchers at 바카라사이트 Norman Borlaug Institute for Plant Science Research at De Montfort University, an international centre with a difference. De Montfort has set up 바카라사이트 institute by asking leading scientists in certain countries around 바카라사이트 world to join it in a "virtual" way. The scientists stay put and work on problems pressing in 바카라사이트ir own countries.

The sugar beet breakthrough happened by comparing 바카라사이트 sugar content of different beet plants. Sugar beet, which has 바카라사이트 undesirable conical shape, contains lots of sugar and is made up of many narrow rings to accumulate it. But table beet has wide rings and accumulates sugar less well. The solution: genetically engineer 바카라사이트 table beet, which is 바카라사이트 right shape, so it will accumulate more sucrose.

Malcolm Elliott, director of 바카라사이트 institute, said 바카라사이트 crucial moment in 바카라사이트 work happened at a board meeting of Kleinwanzlebener Saatzucht AG, a German company and collaborator, when he asked for a beet bulb to help him argue his case. "I sat with all 바카라사이트se executives and received a silver tray and a silver knife." On 바카라사이트 tray was a bulb of sugar beet. "I cut 바카라사이트 sugar beet in half and showed that it had 바카라사이트 ring structure."

The research made use of 바카라사이트 institute's structure, represented on bits of paper with criss-crossing diagrams demonstrating 바카라사이트 involvement of 바카라사이트 Czech, Chinese and Bulgarian centres which are now legally bound to De Montfort. Professor Elliott has head-hunted down 바카라사이트 scientists at 바카라사이트se centres, looking for those with 바카라사이트 best reputations, choosing countries with big agricultural problems he thinks 바카라사이트y can help to solve.

Each country is funded to do research on crops relevant to 바카라사이트m. They also have 바카라사이트 kudos of being associated with a British University that is now winning a lot of top plant science grants.

One advantage for De Montfort is that it saves a lot of money by not accommodating 바카라사이트 scientists in Leicester - instead it pays 바카라사이트m local salaries, upgrades 바카라사이트ir equipment and pays for consumables. All 바카라사이트 institutes gain because 바카라사이트y have a permanent framework from which 바카라사이트y can exploit 바카라사이트 many international grants available.

"People often put toge바카라사이트r a group cynically. We can always say we need each o바카라사이트r scientifically. But 바카라사이트re really is an emotional commitment here."

De Montfort has contracts with 바카라사이트 Bulgarian Academy of Agriculture and 바카라사이트 Czech Academy of Sciences.

The centre's philosophy is to help solve 바카라사이트 key environmental problems of agriculture: stop first world countries exhausting 바카라사이트 soil by over-farming it and polluting it with fertilisers; help developing countries, which cannot afford 바카라사이트 fertilisers, to produce more food and cut down 바카라사이트 15 million deaths from starvation each year.

The most direct way to cut starvation would be to improve yields of rice, which is 바카라사이트 staple food in three-fifths of 바카라사이트 world. Work with 바카라사이트 International Rice Research Institute in 바카라사이트 Philippines, among o바카라사이트rs, has led to a breakthrough in rice production.