Platform To Translate Biotech Breakthroughs
A new platform funded with $6.2 million has been launched in India to translate transgenic technology and harness its products to meet the needs of agricultural growth, it was learned from Dr. William Dar, director general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) based in India.
The Platform for Translational Research on Transgenic Crops (PTTC) is a collaborative project of ICRISAT and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the government of India. PTTC will serve as a facility of reference to strengthen national, regional and international linkages in transgenic R&D, exchange of materials and information, as well as support training, consultation and technology commercialization.
Speaking at the launching of the project, Dr. Dar said that research breakthroughs in agri-biotechnology hold the potential for increasing crop productivity and the resistance of food crops to pests and diseases, thereby helping solve the food crisis. He stressed that the future food demand cannot be met merely from incremental gains from conventional plant breeding. A quantum change in yield improvement is needed, such as that which occurred during the Green Revolution.