Line 4Line 4 Copyic/close/grey600play_circle_outline - material

ARTICLE: Scientists Engineer Corn to Boost Protein

The following is an excerpt of a story from the news service AFP reporting that scientists have genetically engineered corn to produce a specific protein

US scientists have found a way to genetically engineer corn to produce an amino acid contained in meat, boosting the nutritional value of one of the world's most important crops.

The process involved inserting a bacterial gene that causes corn to make methionine, a crucial nutrient for the health of skin, nail and hair.

Researchers said the discovery could benefit millions of people in the developing world who depend on corn as a staple, and could reduce animal feed costs, according to the report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal.

"We improved the nutritional value of corn, the largest commodity crop grown on Earth," said co-author Thomas Leustek, professor in the Department of Plant Biology at Rutgers University.

"Most corn is used for animal feed, but it lacks methionine -- a key amino acid -- and we found an effective way to add it."

To read the entire story, please visit the AFP website