Are millets safe from biopiracy?
2023 is the International Year of the Millets and during the year, efforts would be made to promote this superfood
Old wisdom, new threats
Traditional knowledge has long been under threat but the proposed text of talks at World Intellectual Property Office is unlikely to protect it …
Field report
Bt cotton farmers in Karnataka are an insecure and confused lot, and neither the government, nor Mahyco or the anti-Mahyco groups are any help at all
No small fry: Tiny fish can nourish the world; here is how
Fresh and dried fish are staples of the local diet in many areas and are frequently more affordable or readily available than alternatives like …
Playing God
The creation of the first artificial dna gives rise to endless possibilities
Meet the Kerala farmer who preserves genetic diversity of rice
He received the National Plant Genome Saviour Award for his efforts towards conserving 45 varieties of rice seeds
Reason to celebrate?
The biodiversity bill has finally been approved by the Parliament standing committee on science, technology and the environment. But is the way …
Mapping the reek
The genetic variability of sandalwood trees in India has reduced considerably because of their increased susceptibility to diseases
Genomics could help cure cancer
Eugene W Myers , vice president for informatics research at Celera Genomics, usa , is the brain behind computer applications used to assemble …
Birds of a feather
BIRDS AND PLANT REGENERATION·Tara Gandhi· Orient Longman Ltd· New Delhi·2000·pp81
A pair too rare
Gaolao breed of cattle is cherished for its capacity to carry load and quality milk, but only 3,000 of them are left
Treasure and the tricks
Conserving genetic purity of 750 varieties of rice with limited resources like a small piece of land and no workforce is a major challenge. Debal …
The Smithsonian steps on the ants
Iconic museum files patent claim on fungi to control leafcutter ants—a well-known fact
A North-South conflict
BIORESOURCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY: POLICY CONCERNS FOR THE ASIAN REGION·Edited by Suman Sahai·Gene Campaign·New Delhi, 1999&…
Modified treaty
The Biosafety Protocol has finally been adopted in the hope that it will bring some transparency into the trade in genetically-modified products. …
Numbering the game
A team of British specialists in population ecology have made a breakthrough in the collection of rare data on some endangered animals by …
Finally, microorganisms and pollinators receive much needed support: Technical working group formed by FAO
19th session of Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture held July 17-21, 2023 in Rome to decide on the agenda for next two years
Report accuses India-born businessman of unchecked land grabbing across continents
Sivasankaran’s land grabbing spree has threatened millions of livelihoods, says report
Genes and extinction
GENETICS AND THE EXTINCTION OF SPECIES·Editors – Laura F Landweber and Andrew P Dobson·Princeton University Press·…
Busy preludes to biodiversity meet
Crucial issues such as protection of traditional knowledge, and creation of an international regime on access to genetic resources and benefit …
Maya of Indian Science
Lies, denial and outright fraud have become the hallmark of Indian agricultural research because there is no accountability
Environet
This column will bring you an update on various groups and individuals working in fields related to environment, development and the sciences. …
Environment, genes and mutations
Pollutants in the environment cause dreaded diseases like cancer by mutating some genes. Scientists have begun to explore the human genome to …
Access, yes. Sharing, no
The access and benefit-sharing protocol on biodiversity may do little to deter multinationals from grabbing the planet’s resources
Act of omission
Public institutions do not seek permission from the biodiversity authority before genetically manipulating crops