Search Engines
Public Sector Sites
- Information Systems for Biotechnology: http://www.nbiap.vt.edu/
The monthly News Reports are an excellent source of reporting
on agricultural biotechnology research. Of special note
is an extensive Annotated List of Web Sites in the January
2000 issue. The site also includes sections on regulatory
issues and risk assessment.
- AgBioForum Magazine: http://www.agbioforum.org/ Publishes articles on scientific, economic,
and public policy aspects of ag. biotech.
- Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST):
http://www.cast-science.org/biotechnology/index.html This public
policy advisory group has issued a series of position statements
on biotechnology, including assessment of risks and benefits.
- National Agricultural Biotechnology Council: http://www.cals.cornell.edu/extension/nabc/ Promotes discussion
and understanding of scientific, economic, legislative and
social issues associated with ag. biotech. The council is
made up of not-for-profit research and/or teaching institutions
in Canada and the U.S.
- Iowa State University Biotechnology Homepage: http://www.biotech.iastate.edu/ Contains links to ag. biotech resources
at Iowa State and elsewhere.
- Field of genes: http://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu:80/062ag_gene_eng/index.html Discusses
methods and issues surrounding transgenic crops. Nice graphic
design and overview of the transgenic process.
- National Centre for Biotechnology Education, University
of Reading, UK http://www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk/NCBE/GMFOOD/menu.html News and policy
reports on GM foods from a European perspective.
- Agricultural Biotechnology and the Poor: Proceedings
from an international conference. Oct. 21-22, 1999. http://www.cgiar.org/biotech/rep0100/contents.htm Discusses ag.
biotech in the context of food security for developing countries.
Includes status reports from 13 countries, discussion of
environmental, health, and social risks of biotechnology,
public and private sector roles, and intellectual property
rights.
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT):
http://www.cimmyt.cgiar.org/
CIMMYT is a major research center located in Mexico and
focused on improving maize and wheat production in developing
countries, both through traditional plant breeding and biotechnology.
- U.S. House of Representative, Committee on Science:
http://www.house.gov/science
The report "Seeds of Opportunity", released in April 2000,
assesses the benefits and risks of genetically-modified
crops and foods.
- What's up in biotechnology?: http://plantbio.berkeley.edu/~outreach/WHATIS.HTM#0 This site,
developed by Dr. Peggy Lemaux of the University of California
at Berkeley, contains a comprehensive slide set and narrative
on agricultural biotechnology.
- Ohioline Information on Genetically Modified Organisms,
The Ohio State University: http://ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu/gmo/ Contains an "Ask a question"
feature on GMO's, a Frequently Asked Questions sheet, and
links to other GMO sites.
- Designer seeds: http://www4.nas.edu/beyond/beyonddiscovery.nsf/web/seeds?OpenDocument
Detailed information on genetic engineering of plants from
the U.S. National Academy of Science.
- Kansas State University Agricultural Biotechnology
Web Site: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/pr_biotech/
- World Health Organization site on foods derived from
biotechnology: http://www.who.int/fsf/GMfood/index.htm Contains links to a number
of reports issued by WHO on human health aspects of biotech
foods.
- Minnesota Public Radio story on transgenic crops:
http://www.americanradioworks.org/features/gmos_india/index.html
This presentation, Engineering Crops in a Needy World, explores
many aspects of the controversy in India over transgenic
crops.
- University of California at Davis Seed Biotechnology
Center: http://sbc.ucdavis.edu/ Many discussions of specific crops and
several slide presentations. The "Outreach" link leads to
several choices, including "Resource Series" and "Lectures
and Editorials on Seed Biotechnology." Financed by the University
of California and major companies in the seed industry.
- Agricultural Biotechnology Briefing Room: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Biotechnology/ A USDA site offering
printable/downloadable reports on the economic issues associated
with biotech crops.
- Biotechnology Research and Education Initiative:
http://www.ca.uky.edu/brei/ A little of everything--news, FAQs,
slide presentations, discussions of topics. This site is
maintained by the College of Agriculture at the University
of Kentucky. Many videotapes are available on loan.
- UCBiotech.org: http://ucbiotech.org Offers a searchable database with the citations
and often the abstracts for hundreds of scientific journal
articles relating to biotechnology. Created by Dr. Peggy
G. Lemaux and Dr. Petra Frey at the University of California,
Berkeley, in collaboration with the Plant Biotechnology
Group, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Crop Genetic Engineering: http://croptechnology.unl.edu/
The University of Nebraska at Lincoln provides information
on many aspects of agricultural biotechnology, organized
in lesson format. The lessons are open to the public. University
credit is also available via distance education for those
who enroll and complete assignments.
- Genetically Engineered Organisms: Public Issues Education
Project: http://www.comm.cornell.edu/gmo/gmo.html
This site at Cornell University follows a concise question-and-answer
format to discuss issues of concern to consumers. Sections
on transgenic foods currently on the market are particularly
informative.
- Ag BioTech InfoNet: http://www.biotech-info.net/index.html
This site carries a wide range of information and opinions
on many aspects of agricultural biotechnology, well organized
by topic.
- SciDevNet: http://www.scidev.net/dossiers/gmcrops/
Sponsored by international aid agencies, the Third World
Academy of Sciences, and the journals Nature and Science,
this site reports on science and technology issues relevant
to developing countries. A weekly update is available in
English, Spanish, French, and Chinese. The section on GM
crops includes news stories, policy briefs, opinions, and
links.
- Agricultural Biotechnology: Informing the Dialogue:
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/comm/gmo/PDF/GMO2002.pdf
The New York Agricultural Experiment Station and Cornell
University have prepared this primer on the issues involved
in genetically engineered crops.
- Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture:
http://www.fao.org/biotech/
This site, maintained by the Food and Agriculture Organization,
provides a wealth of documents, including position papers
and reports from a variety of committees that address the
issues associated with genetically engineered crops, and
many links to other sites.
Private Sector Sites
- Agriscape:
http://www.agriscape.com
A commercial site providing a directory of links to many web sites
with agricultural content.
News Media
- New York Times Web Site on Genetically Modified Food:
http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/
health/gm-index.html
Provides access to recent N.Y. Times articles on various
aspects (technical, political, socioeconomic) of transgenic
crops and foods. Also contains a discussion forum on genetically
engineered food.
- Guardian (UK) website on genetically modified food:
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/gmdebate/ Access to a collection
of articles on the GM debate which have appeared in the
Guardian, one of the leading UK daily newspapers. Provides
information on European developments and perspectives.
Regulatory Issues
- United States Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/usregs.htm Excellent source of information
and links regarding U.S. federal regulation of transgenic
crops.
- USDA Agricultural Biotechnology Information: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/ Describes the USDA's role in regulating
and monitoring the use of biotechnology for agriculture.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Bioengineered Foods
page: http://www.fda.gov/oc/biotech/default.htm FDA's regulatory role,
policy statements, and transcripts of recent public fora.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Biopesticide
Web Page: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/ Contains detailed
and up-to-date information on the plant-pesticide transgenic
varieties that EPA registers, including policy and regulatory
developments.
- Regulation of Genetic Engineering in Minnesota:
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/BioTech/regulations.HTM Example of state
regulation of transgenic crops in addition to federal regulation.
- Canadian government's Plant Biotechnology Office:
http://www.cfia-acia.agr.ca/english/plaveg/pbo/pbobbve.shtml Maintained
by the Variety Section, Plant Health and Production Division,
Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
- Canadian government's Office of Biotechnology, Consumer
Information http://www.cfia-acia.agr.ca/english/ppc/biotech/conse.shtml Sponsored
by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the site contains
extensive information on labeling, food safety, and legislation.
- Biosafety Information Network and Advisory Service
(BINAS): http://binas.unido.org/binas/ Sponsored by the U.N. Industrial
Development organization. Monitors regulatory status and
risk assessment strategies concerning GM crops around the
world.
- AgBios: http://www.agbios.com/_Synopsis.asp A database of trangenic plants
that have been approved for environmental release, use in
livestock feed, or use in human food. The information is
organized by crop and by trait. Details of the transgene
are provided. Maintained by Agriculture and Biotechnology
Strategies (Canada) Inc.
- Ag Biosafety: http://www.agbiosafety.unl.edu/
This site is maintained at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
with funding from the Council for Biotechnology Information,
an industry group. Of special note is the database of released
transgenic crop varieties, with details on the genetic modifications
and extensive information on food and environmental safety
evaluations of each variety.
- Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST):
http://www.cast-science.org/
This site has an evaluation of the U.S. Regulatory Process
for Crops Developed through Biotechnology (October 2001).
Publications Catalog, Crop Biotechnology section.
- PewAgBiotech: http://www.PewAgBiotech.org/
This site includes a Guide to U.S. Regulation of Genetically
Modified Food and Agricultural Biotechnology Products, written
by the staff of the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology.
Advocacy Group Sites
User beware!
By their nature, advocacy group and seed company sites do
not provide balanced coverage of the GM crop debate. While
they may not present outright false information, they will
certainly put a spin on their presentations favorable to their
positions. Do not expect to see any information on these sites
that is contrary to their basic viewpoints.
Advocacy Groups, Anti-Transgenic
Crops
- Union of Concerned Scientists: http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/index.cfm Critical of
transgenic crops, but more responsible than many such web
sites.
- Greenpeace Genetic Engineering page: http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/ge/ Extremely anti-transgenic site.
- Alliance for Bio-Integrity: http://www.biointegrity.org/#anchor2468503 Non-profit group campaigning
against genetically engineered foods. Best known for its
lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to
force changes in the way transgenic foods are regulated.
- Consumers Union, Food Safety page: http://www.consumer.org/food/food.htm. Contains a long list of
reports on various aspects of genetically engineered food,
as well as other food safety topics (bovine growth hormone,
pesticides, mad cow disease).
- The Center for Food Safety:
http://www.foodsafetynow.org/ News and action items on a variety
of food safety issues.
- Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI):
http://www.rafi.org/
Campaigns against transgenic crops and other developments
it considers threats to genetic diversity in agriculture.
- Ag BioTech InfoNet:
http://www.biotech-info.net/ Site run by Benbrook Consulting Services
with news reports and extensive links to many other sites,
mostly critical of transgenic technology.
- Center for Ethics and Toxics:
http://www.cetos.org
Devoted to concerns about exposure to toxic substances in
water, food, and the environment. This site has many short
articles on topics related to agriculture and biotechnology.
Advocacy Groups, Pro-Transgenic
Crops
- The Alliance for Better Foods: http://www.betterfoods.org/ Sponsored by a consortium of industry
and scientific organizations supportive of ag. biotech.
- Biotechnology Industry Organization: http://www.bio.org/welcome.html Covers plant and animal agriculture
and medical applications of biotechnology.
- Soybean.com's Biotech Education Series: http://www.soybean.com/bseries.htm This site favors the use of
transgenic crops, but has numerous links to sites and documents
on both sides of the debate.
- International Food Information Council: http://ificinfo.health.org/ Provides information on biotechnology-derived
foods, as well as diet, nutrition, food additives, and related
topics.
- American Soybean Association: http://www.amsoy.org/biotech
Includes information to help farmers make decisions on planting
transgenic or non-transgenic varieties.
- Agbioworld:
http://www.agbioworld.com/ Offers a petition supportive of the
use of transgenic technology for crop improvement.
- AgCare (Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources
and the Environment:
http://www.agcare.org/
Represents farmers and farm organizations in Ontario.
- CropGen: http://www.cropgen.org/ Informative British site staffed by a panel
of scientists who emphasize the benefits of crop biotechnology.
Although the site is funded by industry, the scientists
claim to operate independently and none are employed by
the funding companies.
- Council for Biotechnology Information: http://www.whybiotech.com/main.html This site is part of a $50
million campaign to publicize the benefits of biotechnology
in agriculture and medicine. Founding members of the council
are Aventis, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Monsanto, Novartis, Zeneca,
and the Biotechnology Industry Organization.
- ProBiotech: http://www.probiotech.fsnet.co.uk This site, maintained by a
University of London (UK) professor, contains sections on
news stories, FAQ's, safety, a discussion forum, resources,
and other features.
- International Consumers for Civil Society: http://www.icfcs.org/
An international umbrella group of market-oriented organizations
that emphasize the benefits of market economies for consumers.
The site includes several position statements and reports
on biotechnology, including an extensive report on U.S.
regulation of ag biotech products.
Seed Companies
General Biotechnology
and Life Sciences Information
- Crop Genetic Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln:
http://croptechnology.unl.edu/ A set of lessons accompanied by
animations on cloning, manipulating, and exploiting genes
in agricultural crops.
- Access Excellence: http://www.accessexcellence.org/ A site for bioscience teachers
and students. Includes a section on biotechnology and an
extensive graphics gallery.
- BioTech, Life Sciences Resources and Reference Tools:
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu Includes a Life Sciences dictionary,
a section on Bioinformatics, and chemical acronyms database.
- Biotechnology Information Resource: http://www.nal.usda.gov/bic/ Sponsored by the U.S. National Agricultural
Library; contains a wealth of links to biotech publications,
educational resources, and news sources.
- Plant Pathology Internet Guidebook: http://www.scisoc.org/ppigb/ Many resources on plant diseases and
pests and an extensive list of biotechnology links.
- National Biotechnology Information Facility: http://www.nbif.org/
Provides access to a wide variety of biotechnology-related
sites, including databases, instructional materials, journals,
and career information.
- CSUAG.com: A web page with links to agricultural
information available at Colorado State University http://www.csuag.com
- AgBiotechNet: http://www.agbiotechnet.com/ This is a commercial site, operated
by CAB International, that provides a variety of information
services on agricultural biotechnology. Many, but not all,
of the features require a subscription.
- Field of Genes, Making Sense of Biotechnology:
http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/ycc/ffg/FSCI.html Developed by the
national 4-H Council, this site contains a curriculum and
activities designed for K-12 education.
- People and Plants Online: http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/peopleplants/ A site devoted to ethnobotany,
conservation, and community development in developing countries,
sponsored by World Wildlife Fund international, UNESCO,
and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research: http://bti.cornell.edu/
"A private not-for-profit organization dedicated to the
study of plants and associated organisms for the betterment
of society." Includes work on plant-based edible vaccines.
- USDA Plants Database: http://plants.usda.gov/plants/index.html Contains a wealth of
information on plants, both cultivated and wild, including
a photo gallery, phylogenetic information, lists of endangered
plants, and links to other botanical sites.
- Recombinant DNA Technology: http://present.smith.udel.edu/biotech/
This animation from the University of Delaware illustrates
the basics of recombinant DNA technology.
- Agriculture in the Classroom: http://www.agclassroom.org/
This education-oriented site has resources for teachers
including lesson plans, discussion boards, and links to
other resources. It is sponsored by the USDA and state agriculture
funds and gets input from a variety of farm-related and
agribusiness groups.
- The Genomic Revolution:
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/genomics/0_home/index.html
This site is a companion to the American Museum of Natural
History's exhibit on the technology and societal implications
of genomics. Included is a section that includes the pros
and cons of transgenic foods.
- CAMBIA Intellectual Property Resource: http://www.cambiaIP.org/cambiaIP/Home/welcome.htm
This site has a wealth of information on ag biotech patents.
It was developed by the Australian nonprofit group CAMBIA
and includes a patent database and an analysis of major
patent positions on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation
of plants.
Scientific Societies
Page last updated : May 17, 2007
?Copyright Department of Soil and Crop
Sciences at Colorado State University, 1999-2007. All Rights
Reserved.
View CSU's copyright policy.
For permission to use specific portions of this site, contact
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