ANGEL: Analysis of geneflow from crop to wild forms in lettuce and chicory and its population-ecological consequences in the context of GM-crop biosafety

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 00.0585

Key words (English)

Gene flow; lettuce; molecular markers; phylogeography; microsatellites; PCR-RFLP; biosafety;
Biotechnology; Environmental Protection; Innovation; Technology Transfer; Life Sciences; Medicine; Health; Waste Management

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: QLK3-CT-2001-01657

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.1.3 The 'cell factory'

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: Plant Research International B.V., Wageningen (NL)

Abstract (English)

The anticipated risk of escape of transgenes from genetically modified crops to wild allies has revealed a serious lack in knowledge about gene flow from cultivated to wild forms of crop plants and its possible consequences for the environment, such as increased weediness. Therefore, this proposal aims at developing molecular tools dedicated to assessing gene flow in two model crops, one basically out crossing, chicory, and one basically selfing, lettuce. Consequences of gene flow for fitness will be studied by demographic monitoring of natural and experimental hybrid populations. Wild lettuce, L. serriola, also will serve as a model species for invasive behaviour and its recent expansion into Northwestern Europe will be studied biogeographically with the aid of molecular markers. The results will be integrated into a model from which recommendations will come for assessing GM-crop biosafety.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 00.0585