University of Edinburgh researcher, Alan Raybould, and team conducted a comparative study to find out if transgenic protein expression will not significantly increase due to stacking. This is vital in ecological risk assessment of transgenic crops with stacked insecticidal traits, to make sure that existing margins of exposure are within acceptable levels.

Over 20 studies were analyzed to compare the expression profiles of insecticidal proteins developed by commercial events in different combinations of conventionally bred stacks. Results showed that many of the tests analyzed had no significant increase in insecticidal protein expression due to combination by conventional breeding. Most of the variations observed in protein expression are likely caused by genetic and environmental factors. Thus, all transgenic protein concentrations were all within the conservative margins between exposure and corresponding no-observed-effect-concentrations (NOEC).

The results of the study support the conclusion that protein expression data generated from single events and the conservative manner for setting non-target effects test concentrations allows for the transportability of existing NOECs to the ecological risk assessment of conventionally bred stacks.

Know more in Transgenic Research.