ResearchconductedinBrazil,jointly
withSouthAfrica,theUnitedStates
andBritaingetsaninternationalaward
forusingtheoilseedasabiofactory
R
esearch focused on the use of
biotechnology to confer soybean
resistance to herbicides, insects,
diseases, climate stresses and sa-
line soils is rather common in the
majorityoftheongoingworks.However,the
chances for biotechnology breakthroughs
are uncountable and other paths have been
pursued. They could make a difference not
only for field results and rise in consump-
tion, but also for specific purposes. Brazil
has stood out in some of them.
Work conducted by such organizations
as Embrapa Biotechnology and Genetic
Resources, the United States National In-
stitutes of Health (NIH), the London Uni-
versity, in Britain, and the Council (CSIR)
of South Africa, was given an award by the
Federal Laboratory Consortium-Mid-Atlan-
tic Region (FLCMAR), in 2017 for their excel-
lence in technology transference. The study
managed to attest that geneticallymodified
soybean seeds (GM) constitute the most ef-
ficient biofactory and a viable option for
large-scale production of cyanovirin, a pro-
tein extracted from algae, very efficient in
the fight against HIV, virus of the Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids).
FLC comprises 300 laboratories of
North-American research institutions and
schools, like the US Department of Agricul-
ture (USDA) and the Universities of Cornell,
North Carolina and Maryland, among oth-
ers. The award will be handed over dur-
ing the FLC MAR regional meeting, on 15th
November 2017, at the University of Shady
Grove, in Maryland, USA. Researcher Elibio
Rech, from Embrapa Biotechnolgy and Ge-
netic Resources, Brazilian coordinator of the
studies, will be given the award jointly with
representatives of the institutions that took
part in the researchworks.
To him, the award represents scientific
acknowledgement achieved by Brazil, and
attests to the importance of technical coop-
eration for the development of state-of-the-
art research works in the area of biotech-
nology. “This homage crowns decade-long
research works, which achieved excellent
results thanks to the partnership with inter-
national institutions”, he commemorates.
The study had already been the subject of
an article in the “Editors Choice” section, in
Sciencemagazine in 2015.
Innovative, this research is character-
ized by a strong social and humanitarian
appeal. Developing countries where Aids
is rampant, like in some African countries,
for example, will be authorized to produce
and use the substance without any royal-
ties. These countries are the most affected
by the disease, especially in the Sub-Saha-
ran region, where one of every five deaths
are caused by Aids. The World Health Orga-
nizationestimates that inZambiaandSouth
Africa 20% of the entire adult and young
populations are infected by the disease.
In Brazil, the number of infected people
soared 3% from 2010 to 2016, contrary to
the global average, which dropped 11%.
n
Ally
against HIV
Projectmakes it possible to derive efficient
proteinagainst HIV fromsoybeanplants
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