Taiwanese scientists have created a genetically modified rice strain that contains 25 to 30 percent more vitamin B1 without diminishing yield, research project head Hsieh Ming-hsiun (謝明勳) said.
The research, which involves splicing genes that govern vitamin production in Escherichia coli with Taiwan’s indigenously developed rice variety Tainun 67, was published in The Plant Journal in November last year.
White rice, which is consumed as a staple food in most of East Asia, is produced by removing the bran and germ from the grain through polishing, said Hsieh, a research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology.
Photo: Taipei Times file
Unfortunately, the parts removed in the polishing process are also the main store of gluten and vitamin B1 in the grain, resulting in a loss of essential nutrition, he said.
Brown rice, which retains the bran and germs, is more nutritious than polished rice, but its rough texture is considered displeasing by most people, he said.
To improve public health and well-being, the research team headed by Hsieh sought to boost the vitamin B content in rice via genetic manipulation, he said, adding that the project took five years to complete.
A significant challenge that the team overcame was ensuring the designed crop had a high enough yield to make planting economically viable, he said.
Three years ago, a group of Dutch scientists had created gene-modified rice that contained two to three times the vitamin B of normal rice, but the variety’s poor yield prevented commercial success, he said.
The Academia Sinica team’s creation, which features an
identical yield to its parent variety, stores vitamin B1 in the grain itself, allowing the rice to be polished without losing nutritional value, he said.
Vitamin B1 deficiency could cause many conditions including swelling in the lower limbs, numbness, nerve damage, enlarged heart and digestive problems, Hsieh said, citing data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Taiwanese for the most part are free of vitamin B deficiency and cultivating genetically modified crops is prohibited by law, but the rice the team designed could still be useful for poor countries with a rice-dominant diet, he said.
The team is continuing work to increase the variety’s vitamin content and palatability, he said.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taiwanese officials are courting podcasters and influencers aligned with US President Donald Trump as they grow more worried the US leader could undermine Taiwanese interests in talks with China, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has said Taiwan would likely be on the agenda when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) next week in a bid to resolve persistent trade tensions. China has asked the White House to officially declare it “opposes” Taiwanese independence, Bloomberg reported last month, a concession that would mark a major diplomatic win for Beijing. President William Lai (賴清德) and his top officials
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
RSS