AgResearch experiments on genetically modified goats have resulted in the animals producing mostly transgender offspring, which are being milked to find out whether they carry the intended human protein. [...] Soil and Health New Zealand spokesman Steffan Browning, who recently toured the facility, said 75 per cent of the goats were females in sterile male bodies. AgResearch staff refer to them as ”goys”. AgResearch’s general manager of applied biosciences, Dr Jimmy Suttie, said the goats were transgender because of the cell line used to produce them, and had nothing to do with genetic modification.

A group including some of Hawke's Bay's biggest horticulturists, producers and marketers is urging its councils to declare the region a GE-free food producing area. Pure Hawke's Bay believes genetically engineered food production and outdoor field trials involving genetically modified organisms pose a threat to the region's growers and the regional brand. It wants a ban on GE field trials and food production in Hawke's Bay to be ratified in the district plans of five councils.

A Centre for Integrated Research in Biosafety report published yesterday shows that AgResearch may have intentionally mislead the Environmental Risk Management Authority and allowed risky genetic contamination in the Waikato Region, according to the Soil & Health Association of NZ. Because of the biosafety risk of significant adverse effects to people or the environment, AgResearch was required by ERMA to monitor soil microorganisms for the uptake of transgenes by horizontal gene transfer at the offal pits where genetically engineered cattle were disposed.

Plant and Food scientists working on a GE red apple have been pipped to the post by the commercial launch of the RedLove variety of apple. The RedLove apple is the work of Swiss researcher Markus Kobelt, who over 20 years has successfully developed a number of red fleshed apple varieties that are sweet, tangy and delicious. [...] This highlights the slowness of GE over conventional breeding techniques and the reluctance of New Zealand researchers to fully disclose what natural breeding development techniques are available to achieve the same result without Genetic engineering.

New DNA technology is set to help plant breeders in their war against the illegal use of seeds as the New Zealand Plant Breeding and Research Association steps up its campaign against those who are reportedly stealing millions of dollars from breeders. [...] Seed growers who illegally produce proprietary seeds cannot continue to cheat plant breeders by not paying legally due royalties, association chairman John Caradus warned.

A grassroots movement against genetically modified organisms could start in Northland, activists say. Councils can now restrict or prevent the outdoor use of genetically modified organisms under the Resource Management Act. A clarification from Environment Minister Nick Smith means GMOs could be banned entirely if the community wants.

A University of Otago survey of tourists concludes that it is highly unlikely that the introduction of genetically-modified drought-tolerant pasture to New Zealand would have long-term adverse effects on this country’s ‘clean green’ image overseas. The survey involved interviews with 515 first-time overseas visitors (261 males and 254 females, with ages ranging from 20 to over 70) at Auckland International Airport.

”Everything we eat that is farmed is genetically altered,” [Pamela Donald] explains. ”It is just the result of a long line of 10,000 years of gene manipulation.” She should know. She is professor of plant pathology at University of California’s Davis research campus. With husband Raoul Adamchak, she has written Tomorrow’s Table on the worlds-colliding idea of integrating genetic engineering with organic farming.

the mechanism of cell commitment in early embryos differs between mice and cows, suggesting that development in mice may not be representative of development in other mammals, including humans. This research suggests "that the mouse alone is not the ideal model if you want to study mammalian embryogenesis," said Michael Bader, a cardiovascular biologist who works on rat embryogenesis at the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin and was not involved in the research.

The axe has fallen on AgResearch’s controversial livestock cloning facility at Ruakura amid reports only 10 per cent of animals involved survived. But applied biotechnologies general manager Jimmy Suttie said this morning the Hamilton facility – capable of containing up to 200 animals – had closed in September because stem cell research showed more promise. Reports released by the Crown research institute under the Official Information Act show unacceptable death rates of laboratory animals forced AgResearch to end its cloning trials.