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its genetically engineered cotton which is currently undergoing field trials. RESEARCH NEWS Chinese Scientist Discovers Mutant of Hepatitis B Virus Antigen Professor Wen Yu-Mei, chief of the Key Laboratory o n M o l e c u l a r Vi r o l o g y o f t h e S h a n g h a i M e d i c a l University, has discovered a mutant of hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigen in her research on hepatitis-related pathogenic genes. China used blood-derived hepatitis B vaccine to immunize neonates in the 1980s, and switched to genetically engineered hepatitis B vaccine in 1990s. However, some of the inoculated infants still get infected with HBV. Scientists studied the structural variation of genes on different Chinese hepatitis B virus strains in animal experiments. They found that Chinese Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) “a” determinant has L129 variant strain, i.e. the number 129 amino acid has changed from Gln to Leu. This mutation nullified the protection given by inoculation. This discovery will help Chinese scientists develop more effective and safer vaccines for hepatitis B. ICAR to Develop Genetically Engineered Crops The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has recently announced the launch of a major project to develop genetically engineered cotton, rice and pigeon pea. The aim of the project is to use biotechnology to develop varieties that are high-yielding as well as resistant to major pests, therefore minimizing the use of pesticides. The project will be handled jointly by the Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) in Nagpur, the New Delhi-based Biotechnology Research Center at the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) and the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in Lucknow, and the University of Dharwad in Karnataka. As part of the project to develop genetically engineered cotton, rice and pigeon pea, scientists have identified three major genes from the bacterium, Bacillus thurigiensis . The three genes are Cry1AA which is specific to cotton bollworm, gram pod borer and rice stem borer, Cry1F which is resistant to cotton bollworm, and Cry11A5 which is resistant to rice stem borer. The ICAR director general, R S Paroda, said that the three genes are different from the one used by Monsanto in 92 APBNV4N4 China Creates Clones from Somatic Cells of Goat China has succeeded in creating two clones from somatic (or adult) cells taken from a genetically modified goat. The feat was accomplished by scientists from a research institute under the China Academy of Sciences and the Yangzhou University in Jiangsu Province. The researchers injected the cellular nuclei taken from the ovary of the four-year-old black donor goat into the enucleated oocytes of a number of white goats. After the reconstructed eggs had developed into embryos, they were implanted into surrogate mother goats. This nuclear transfer technology created two cloned lambs, which were female and black like the donor goat. The procedure was acclaimed as one of the country’s top ten scientific research achievements of 1999. ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE Traditional Chinese Flu Medicine Doing Well in the US and Europe Banlangen ( Radix isatidis ), a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of flu, is becoming popular in the US and Europe. There is a growing demand for the medicine in the western world and its largest manufacturer, Guangzhou BYS Group, received export orders worth RMB8.44 million (US$1.02 million) in January alone. Another manufacturer, Jing Xiu Tang Pharmaceutical Plant, has seen a 30 percent surge in its export of the medicine year-on-year. Banlangen is effective in preventing and treating the flu menace. It can be easily taken after mixing with boiling water. The US Food and drug Administration had approved Guangzhou BYS Group’s banlangen in January 1999 and the company now exports the medicine to the US under the Chongji brand name. A packet of banlangen is sold for RMB0.30 (US$0.04) while a packet of Chongji banlangen is sold for RMB3.20 (US$0.40) in the US. “Banlangen is effective in preventing and treating the flu menace.” APBN • Vol. 4 • No. 5 • 2000 92 3/8/00, 10:30 AM