American biologists say they have created a genetically modified type of rice that's more resistant to drought, cold and salt water.
The Cornell University team combined sugar-making genes from the E.coli bacterium with a common rice plant variety.
The genes made the plants more hardy by adding a sugar called trehalose.
Trehalose is present in small amounts in some plants, bacteria and insect species, enabling them to survive long periods of drought.
The scientists say the genes are active only in the rice plant's stem and leaves and do not appear in the grain.
In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, lead author Ajay K. Garg said the new plants were about twice as resistant to salt water and able to withstand temperatures about 10 degrees lower than other plants.
Several more years of experiments - including large-scale field tests - are needed before the new rice strain can be certified for general agricultural use.
Re: Scientists use bacteria genes to create tougher rice (Score: 1) by Kungfu on Saturday, November 30 @ 17:43:04 CST (User Info | Send a Message | Journal)