Con sede en Alemania Bayer, the world’s largest supplier of genetically modified (GM) rapeseed (canola) seeds, has mapped out the entire genetic code of the oil plant in its bid to speed development of new varieties, reports Reuters. Investigadores académicos en China y Australia, así como firma holandesa de biotecnología Keygene NV. contribuido al proyecto.
“This will allow us to speed up our current research and breeding programmes,” said Bart Lambert, head of Bayer’s oilseed research program.
Canola is used for food oil and is a common biofuel feedstock in Europe. Bayer made US$370 million in sales from GM canola seeds and from pesticides for canola farmers last year, about 15% of the global market, according to Reuters. Bayer is developing new canola seeds both through conventional breeding aided by modern genetic analysis and by directly manipulating the plant’s genes. Bayer expects the global market for GM seeds to grow 6% per year through 2018.