1. PIP and the AMICA-Science-EEIG board (the management structure of the 'Project of Technological Priority', a consortium of 117 EU funded laboratories organised in 15 research themes) have taken steps to reach an agreement on methods for technology transfer and protection of intellectual property rights. The arrangement would further re-enforce existing academic and industrial links within the EU supported research projects within the Framework III Biotechnology programme. It is PIP's intention to eventually cooperate with all EU funded plant-biotech projects on a similar basis, and prolong these efforts in the Framework IV and future European RTD programmes. Refer to page 2 and 7.
2. PIP is organising, when granted support from the EC, a second workshop entitled: 'EU research and protection of results: a dialogue between academia and industry' in Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands, June 20-21 1996. The activity is undertaken to fully support the described intended arrangements on technology transfer and protection of IPR. PIP members, who seperately receive an invitation to the meeting, will have ample opertunity to interact with the new research coordinators of research projects who succesfully applied for EU funds during the first and second call for applications of the FP IV Biotechnology programme. Refer to page 3 for more information.
3. In this Newsletter further information on the use of the Internet is presented. In the light of the theme of this Newsletter (technology transfer, IPR, patents) it seemed useful to investigate possibilities for patent searches, general information on IPR etc. Possibly not surprising, most Internet activity and information in this area stems from the US. Refer to page 10.
It may have gone unnoticed, but the January issue of the PIP Newsletter has been skipped in favour of the organisation of a PIP members meeting as well as several other background activities, of which an account can be found below. In January, PIP members have also received a preprint of the annual AMICA progress report, containing accounts of all PTP projects, which provided an up-to-date information source for this large research programme.
Ir. A.L. Breure, Mogen International N.V., The Netherlands
Dr. S. Bright, Zeneca Seeds, United Kingdom
Mr. A. Buchter-Larsen, Danisco A/S, Denmark
Dr. M. Cambolive, Pioneer Genetique S.A.R.L., France
Dr. H. Coumou, S&G Seeds B.V., The Netherlands
Dr.ir. A.M.M. de Laat, D.J van der Have B.V., The Netherlands
Ir. J.P.C. de Wit, Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt, Zaadhandel BV, The Netherlands
Dr. R. Freeman, Diatech Ltd., United Kingdom
Dr. G. Freyssinet, Rh“ne Poulenc S.A., France
Dr. P. Gay, Ciba-Geigy Seeds, Switzerland
Dr. T. Kramer, Royal Sluis, The Netherlands
Dr. M. Lefebvre, SES Europe N.V./S.A., Belgium
Dr. R. Nehls, PLANTA Pflanzengenetik Biotech.GmbH, Germany
Dr. S. Rogers, Monsanto Europe S.A., Belgium
Dr. D. Segonds, R.A.G.T. S.A., France
Dr. A. Toppan, Rustica Prograin G‚n‚tique, France
Ir. B.J. van der Knaap, De Ruiter Zonen, The Netherlands
Dr. M. Verhoeyen, Unilever Research, United Kingdom
Dr. M. Ward, Advanced Technology Cambridge, United Kingdom
Dr. P. Weibull, Sval”f Weibull AB, Sweden
Dr. M. Zabeau, Keygene N.V., The Netherlands
The following persons are active in PIP's Steering Committee:
Dr. George Freyssinet, Rhone Poulenc (chairman).
Dr. Reinhard Nehls, Planta/KWS.
Dr. Simon Bright, Zeneca Seeds.
Dr. Thomas Kramer, Royal Sluis.
vacant position
The composition of the PIP-SC changes on a regular basis, depending on the needs and activities of PIP and also to ensure that each PIP member will be able to actively participate in the platform.
Introduction. The interaction of industry with academia within the framework of Community sponsored RTD programmes is often very limited. This problem has been recognised by both the European Commission and the Member States and was one of the reasons why the Project of Technological Priority (PTP) was established. All participants within the PTP have a contractual obligation to ensure that interactions with European industrial companies occur and that the results emanating from Commission sponsored RTD programmes are made available at an early stage and in a form that is understandable to potential users of the technology.
AMICA-Science-EEIG, as the coordinator of a number of European supported plant science research consortia (PTP), and PIP, who represent an increasingly large proportion of EU based plant science companies, have been working together for a number of years in an informal way. It is proposed that the relationship should now be formalised to aid academic and industrial links concerning EU plant science in the Framework III Biotechnology programme. Both parties would work together with the aims of sustaining the European plant science research base and increasing the longer term economic competitiveness of European bio-industries.
Intellectual Property. The scientific community supported by EU funds is requested to recognise valuable intellectual property and transfer it under appropriate arrangements to industry. IP is owned by the host institution in which the discoveries are made, unless it is assigned to others by agreement. Therefore it is the responsibility of individual scientists and their host institutions (who supply 50% of the costs) to manage the IP. Because EU research is organised in sharing networks, agreements between partner laboratories should be in place to deal with joint discoveries.
Recognising the value of a discovery is not simple or straightforward. Because patents cannot be taken out if any information is released via publication, a presentation or a poster, it is essential to spot valuable discoveries very early and not to release unevaluated findings.
AMICA-Science-EEIG is keen to use its linkage to PIP companies and to introduce any PTP scientist to PIP companies, confidentially, so that advice on the value and patenting of IP and possibly licensing oportunities are available early. Sharing of published information. AMICA-Science-EEIG requests that summaries or abstracts of papers, presentations or posters to be published are sent to the PTP management office for circulation to PIP as long before publication as possible. This action will be on a confidential basis. It is envisaged that this method will help PIP members to keep abreast of developments and may stimulate meaningful, valuable, academic-industrial links. PIP will set up confidentially agreements with its members. Legal implications and requirements are being analysed at the time of writing.
PIP has taken the initiative to organise a workshop entitled: 'EU scientific research and protection of results: a dialogue between academia and industry', to be held June 20-21, in the Leeuwenhorst Congres Centre, Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands. Block your agenda for this meeting!
Through the organisation of this workshop PIP creates an excellent possibility for new research programme coordinators from the FP-4 Biotechnology programme (2nd call) to meet PIP's industrial members and to learn from their experience in the application of results. PIP members, on the other hand, will be able to expand their networks through these new contacts.
It is envisaged that the workshop will define a model for proper dissemination of information and methods from EU funded research programmes. It will facilitate application of research results through understanding of Intellectual Property Rights, while safeguarding possibilities for scientific publication.
Objectives of the meeting:
An important hurdle in strategies leading to application of promising results is formed by premature disclosures, while scientific publications are a first goal of academic researchers. It is felt of utmost importance to show that there are excellent possibilities to safeguard intellectual property rights and at the same time publish results from funded research projects without delay.
It has therefore been suggested to organise workshops following the second and third call for proposals in the Biotechnology Framework-4 programme and invite successful applicants to be introduce to PIP's activities. During the workshops appropriate speakers will be invited to shed light on matters like IPR, patents, licensing and necessary precautions to be taken; technology transfer; partnerships; structured dissemination of results; EU funding programmes; involvement of industry.
An important deliverable will be formed by an agreement between the Plant Industrial Platform and new research programme coordinators on the dissemination of results. The agreement will be modelled according the arrangement as developed between PIP and the AMICA-Science-EEIG board for the 'Project of Technological Priority'.
In line with the efforts of the European Commission to increase the involvement of SMEs in research programmes, the Plant Industrial Platform aims to reach a larger group of European companies in the field of plant biotechnology, breeding and seed production, to interact and disseminate relevant information. Currently the PIP membership (23) can be characterised as follows:
33% SMEs
66% Large companies
42% National operating companies
58% International companies
85% of SME's are national operating companies.
86% of the large companies are international companies.
Many small breeding and seed producing companies in Europe face difficulties in finding time and resources to follow and interpret new developments in plant molecular biology and subsequent evolving novel applications. Up-to-date information and competent awareness of progress is essential to make reliable judgements and for a sound European competitive industry.
PIP's proposal to increase awareness among SMEs involves usage of existing databases containing information on European plant biotechnology, breeding and seed producing companies. After identification and characterisation of relevant European enterprises different activities will be employed to facilitate the integration of these companies in PIP's activities:
Supply of basic information on the EU funding structure and Framework Programmes.
Supply of information on the results of previous and ongoing research projects.
Maintenance of an information base (partly on the internet) to stimulate cooperations between scientists and EU-SME representatives.
Yearly meetings
Initiate a 'PlantBiotechnology-exchange': one-page information sheets containing digested information/results from ongoing research projects.
The expanded alliance of enterprises in plant biotechnology, which is expected from this activity, offers many advantages:
European scientists will be served with much enhanced possibilities to find partners for further development of their results.
The European Commission will be served with an expanded information base regarding industrial needs and future developments.
The companies involved will, as members of the PIP, benefit from a wider range of activities, including a resourceful technology transfer by the Plant Industrial Platform.
The European Union has sofar designed and brought to execution four Framework RTD programmes. The fourth framework is in full operation, while a fifth programme is under development. As science progresses and the needs of industry shifts, it will be important for the European Commission to receive expert advice, feedback and support from appropriate specialists and professionals with hands-on experience to maximally benefit from current efforts and to support a sound development of the Framework Programme V.
The Plant Industrial Platform is one of 8 European Industrial Platforms which all form a unique expert base for sounding out future needs and possible bottlenecks in order to secure and strengthen the position of European industry on a global scale.
It is therefore that PIP produces its position paper. This document provides the opinion of the Plant Industrial Platform regarding the importance of EU programmes to industry, the organisation of EU funded research and scientific areas of strategic importance. Recommendations are made regarding the management of future research programmes, both on scientific level as well as on the necessary requirements for technology transfer. It will be essential that PIP members redistribute this document among their national representatives. PIP members receive a copy of this document separately from this Newsletter.
The second call for research proposals in the fourth Framework Programme has closed January 15th. Currently selection and ranking of the proposals is under way. In May succesful applicants will have been selected and PIP will invite the new research project coordinators to the workshop on intellectual property issues, to be held June 20 and 21. More information on this event is presented elsewhere in this issue!
Quite important to note is the fact that the third call for proposals in Biotechnology will open in June this year with a deadline in September. Essentially this call will be the last opportunity in the fourth Framework Programme to apply for, or participate in, plant-biotechnology related research programmes. Relevant areas (total of 11) open for proposals will be:
Function search
Comparative Analysis
Plant Molecular & Cellular Biology
Demonstration Projects
During the final, fourth, call for proposals (June 1997) only the following areas (total of 11) are of interest:
Sequencing
Biosafety
Biodiversity
Demonstration Projects
More detailed information is available from the Internet (refer to the contribution on CORDIS) or can be found in the Biotechnology Information Package. These documents can be obtained from the Commission: Dr. A. Hoeveler, European Commission, DG XII (E-1), Rue Montoyer 75, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium.
The third call for research proposals just closed (March 15th). Three more calls for proposals are expected (deadlines Sept 96, March 97, Sept 97). The programme aims to promote and harmonize research in the major European primary production food and non-food sectors of agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture and its links with the input and processing industries, together with the rural activities, the end user and the consumer.
During the next call for proposals, open from June until September 1996, research projects from the following areas will be eligible:
Scaling-up and processing methodologies
Generic Science and advanced technologies for nutritious foods:
@--INSPRING 9 = Consumer nutrition and well-being
@--INSPRING 9 = New and optimized food materials and nutritious food products
@--INSPRING 9 = Advanced and optimized technologies and processes
@--INSPRING 9 = Generic food science
Demonstration Activities in all areas mentioned above, including 'Integrated production and processing chains'.
More and detailed information can also be obtained from the Internet (refer to the contribution on CORDIS) or can be found in the FAIR Information Package.
These documents can be obtained from the Commission: Dr. L. Breslin, European Commission, DG XII (E-2), Rue Montoyer 75, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium.
CORDIS is the Community Research and Development Information Service. It provides information about all Research and Technological Development (RTD) activities supported by the EU, and some privately funded RTD activities. CORDIS is managed by the Dissemination of Scientific and Technical Knowledge Unit, DG XIII/D-2, which is responsible for the dissemination and exploitation of RTD results, technology transfer, and innovation.
The CORDIS Service forms a central source of quality information that is important to all organizations wishing to participate in EU research programmes, or to exploit their results. Its main purpose is the dissemination of RTD information throughout European industry and commerce. It is also important for researchers in academic and industrial establishments who need to have knowledge of research trends and details of projects, and it is an important tool for research policy makers in Member States.
CORDIS databases.
CORDIS offers over 130,000 documents in ten databases. CORDIS databases are available on the ECHO Host (http://www.echo.lu), and on the CORDIS CD-ROM. Various publications and other CORDIS products are also available.
The CORDIS CD-ROM is the only medium providing access to comprehensive information about EU research and development activities at all levels from the overall programme to the detailed technical and scientific papers resulting from the research. The CD-ROM carries the full content of on-line databases:
details of completed and on-going EU research and development projects.
contact information for EU Commission people, responsible for research policy and administration.
a bibliography of R&D publications.
leads, names, addresses and telephone numbers.
The ECHO Host can alternatively be accessed on-line using a direct telephone line, through a local telephone Packet Switched Data Network (PSDN) or via the INTERNET (using Telnet access). Access is also available via gateways from other systems.
The CORDIS Electronic Document Delivery Service. This service aims to make available the full text of all these documents as soon as they are published, to be accessed from the World Wide Web, or by anonymous ftp. This Service allows you to down-load the full texts of all workprogrammes and related documents in the Fourth Framework Programme Calls for Proposals.
The European Commission is responsible for the implementation of the Fourth Framework Programme through specific programmes, each of which shall determine its precise objectives. These specific objectives are set out in detail in Work Programmes and, in some cases, Information packages. The final details of specific Calls are set out in Calls for Proposals. Calls for Proposals for various Programmes are published every quarter, on the 15th of March, June, September, and December in every year, with normally a three-month response time.
RTD-News. Advance notice of the broad scope of the forthcoming Calls are usually published a few weeks beforehand and details are carried as News items in CORDIS RTD-News. The CORDIS RTD-News Database brings comprehensive, up-to-the-minute coverage of all topical Community RTD activities.
Divided into categories for easy, rapid search in any chosen area, RTD-News makes available the most recent information on tenders and calls for proposals, upcoming events, publications, general R&D-related news items, RTD policy, details of Commission proposals and activities in preparation, Community legislation, programme results and exploitation, and programme implementation.
Sources include the Official Journal of the European Union, minutes and press-releases of the European Parliament, of the Commission and the Council, plus the information services and press offices of the programmes themselves. In the latter case, direct contributions are actively sought, so that current RTD events and actions within each Community programme are covered as fully as possible. A range of other main and secondary sources are also scanned to ensure that the whole spectrum of RTD activity is reported.
RTD-News is updated frequently - calls for tender plus other Official Journal announcements alone account for some twenty entries per week. News items are in English, in the form of a short title and a clear, descriptive text summarizing the main points of interest. Full details of the source document are always included, so that users can easily obtain complete information on a chosen topic. All relevant contact addresses are given, plus application deadlines, publication details and the dates and locations of events. Each entry is cross- referenced to other news items bearing on the same subject. When necessary, a more extensive text may support the brief news item, or the source text itself is made available. While the purely technical aspects of RTD topics are not gone into in depth, enough concise technical information is included to enable researchers or other specialists to pin-point subjects relating to their particular field.
RTD-News is conceived as focal point for the dissemination of Community RTD information. As such, the news it presents is structured to be of value to national and international firms, SMEs, researchers and scientists, university and academic staff, members of the political and civil services, journalists, Euro-watchers, and all those who are involved with, or take an interest in, the great range of Community-supported RTD activities now undertaken throughout the Member States and world- wide.
RTD-Results provides a unique opportunity to publicise your research results which require further development or exploitation support. Requests can concern technologies as well as processes, methodologies or know-how. Submitting information to RTD-Results is free of charge. The entry form for RTD-Results can now be obtained from the Internet server.
Much more is to be explored on the ECHO host, but it should also be mentioned that paperware still exists: ECHO publishes ECHO Facts for Users. This Newsletter is a service provided at no charge by the CEC - DGXIII: Telecommunications, Information Market and Exploitation of Research. Contact: ECHO, P.O.Box 2373, L-1023 Luxembourg, Email: echo@echo.lu
Research
Programmes
Details of the three main research programmes in the area of plant biology have regularly filled the columns of the PIP Newsletter. In January PIP members have separately received the progress report of all projects in the Project of Technological Priority research programme. In this issue contributions from AMICA, the ESSA sequencing programme and the Molecular Genetic Screening research programme have been included. This last programme has now led to the formation of a new platform entitled 'The Biotechnology for Biodiversity Platform' (BBP). The PIP secretariat takes part in these activities as one of its members.
AMICA Science EEIG moves to establish a closer alliance with PIP. At a recent meeting of the directors of the AMICA EEIG, the legal body that currently coordinates the Project of Technological Priority (PTP), it was agreed that a formal agreement with the plant Industrial Platform should be established. This agreement would reflect the desire of both parties to work more formally together to sustain the European plant science research base and contribute towards the longer term economic competitiveness of European Bio-industries. The agreement would further re-enforce existing academic and industrial links within European Union supported projects within the Framework III Biotechnology programme.
The initial version of the agreement would cover the management of intellectual property, the early circulation via the PIP network of research papers arising from EU supported work before they entered the 'public domain' and agreements to facilitate greater academic/industrial dialogue and exchanges of information. The precise details of the agreement still have to be agreed with the PIP Steering Committee but it is anticipated that a final document will be signed on behalf of AMICA and PIP within the next two months. Members of PIP will be invited to all future PTP scientific meetings and given the opportunity to discuss the exploitation potential of the scientific results achieved by the PTP to date and to initiate dialogue on future collaborative efforts around problems of mutual concerns and interest.
PIP and AMICA are also organising a series of intellectual property workshops in order to raise awareness about issues relevant to the protection, management and future exploitation of intellectual property. The first workshop, organised by AMICA and to be run in May 2-3, will be specifically targeted to scientists working within the PTP, but it is also hoped that members of PIP would be able to participate in order to give an industrial perspective to the deliberations. Further seminars will be organised in the future and when the need is identified.
AMICA has reinforced its commitment to aiding and facilitating technology transfer through the adoption of a technology broker service. The EEIG will assist those PTP partner institutions who request its assistance by making available the services of technology transfer specialists to offer advise on the patent position and exploitation potential of a specific technology. This information would then be made available subject to the agreement of the owner to the IP, to European industry, including PIP. For further information contact dr. Andy Beadle: (+44)-1603-452-571.
The programme's Newsletter now has a circulation of 137 and is very well received. The latest issue was published in December 1995 and contains a range of preliminary results from different technologies and strategy development groups, working in the four projects: animals, barley, forest trees and general plants.
Reports include progress on DNA extraction procedures from 'critical' species and results from a DNA extraction workshop designed to bring together experts, know-how and protocols to compare and evaluate procedures.
The groups working on broad range tools submitted contributions on the design of chloroplast SSR repeat primers (Pinus thunbergii and rice) to study cytoplasmic diversity and cytonuclear interactions and the construction of microsatellite enriched (50-70%) libraries from maize, willow, Rhodondendron, barley, sunflower, sugarbeet and wheat to investigate the level of polymorphism in wild and cultivated species.
Progress was also reported from the groups which are testing tools (RAPD, RFLP, AFLP, sequencing) on existing classifications of diversity. It is anticipated that complete datasets will be received from all the labs for all samples before the summer of 1996. For further information contact dr. A. Karp: (+44)-1275-392-181.
In the Newsletter the following announcement was made on the establishment of a 'Biotechnology for Biodiversity Platform (BBP):
A Platform is being formed to provide a forum for communication and technology transfer between end-users and the EU-funded BIOTECHNOLOGY (DGXII) project which is developing molecular tools for screening biodiversity (coordinator A. Karp, IACR-Long Ashton Research Station, UK).
increase awareness and understanding of the molecular techniques available and their potential applications to different end-users, (ie, what are they, what can they do and where can they be found ?)
to increase awareness of the end-users' requirements to the producers of the technologies (ie, what are the specific problems different end-users face, can these be addressed by the molecular techniques and, if so, how ?)
provide end-users with fast access to the latest technological developments and their applications
To set into motion mechanisms for training and technology transfer
To provide 'after-care' for trained end-users establishing the techniques in-house
To achieve wider dissemination, promote education and increase public perception of the role of biotechnology in biodiversity conservation.
End-Users in this context are perceived to be:
Industry
Advisory agencies
Agriculture
Conservation bodies
Horticulture
Museums and Herbaria
Forestry
Population Ecology
Genetic Resources
Systematics
Botanic Gardens
Universities and Institutions
Zoos
Educational Organisations
BBP has the following current membership and cordially invites others to join who share these interests :
Lawrence Alderson, Rare Breeds Survival Trust, Kenilworth, UK.
Mike Ambrose/ Glenn Bryan/ JW Snape, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.
Dave Astley, HRI, Wellesbourne, UK.
A F Attere, c/o ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya.
George Ayad / Toby Hodgkin, IPGRI, Roma, ITALY.
Sarah Ball, Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley Woking, UK.
Gianni Bedini, Universit… di Pisa, ITALY.
J Berthaud/ S Hamon/ S Dussert, Research Unit UR 31, ORSTOM, Montpellier, France.
Marcello Broggio, Ministero degli Affari Esteri, Firenze, ITALY.
Jeff Burley, Oxford Forestry Institute, UK.
Harry Dickinson, Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, Edinburgh EH12 8NJ, UK.
Prof Geoff Eglington, Ancient Biomolecules Initiative, Bristol BS9 3RY, UK.
Dr A Fatmi, Biofords Consultants, Evry, France.
Dr M F Fay, / Dr MW Chase, Royal Botaninc Gardens Kew, Richmond, UK.
Dr Helmut Gaugitsch, Federal Environment Agency, Wien, Austria.
Dr. Thomas Geburek, Forstliche Bundesversuchanstalt, Wien, Austria.
Prof. Peter Gresshoff, Ellington Plant Science Building, Knoxville, USA.
Peter Jack, Plant Breeding International Ltd., Cambridge, UK.
A A Jaradat, WANA-IPGRI Regional Office, Aleppo, SYRIA.
Vernon Jennings, Sustainability Ltd, London, UK.
Angela Karp, IACR- Long Ashton Research Station, Bristol, UK.
Dr A. Kudryartsov, Vavilov Inst. Gen. Genetics, Moscow, Russia.
Marianne Lefort, Bureau de Ressources G‚n‚tique, FRANCE.
Kalemani Mulongoy, Convention on Biological Diversity, UNEP, Geneva, SWITZERLAND.
A Nardone, European Association for Animal Production, Roma, ITALY.
John Parker, University of Reading, Whiteknights, UK.
Enrico Porceddu, Department of Agrobiology & Agrochemistry, Viterbo, ITALY.
James Reeves, National Institute of Agricultural Botany, Cambridge, UK.
Tim Roche, National Agricultural and Veterinary Biotechnology Centre, Dublin 4, IRELAND.
Prof Dr Gunter Rothe, Johannes Gutenburg-Universit„t Mainz, GERMANY.
Dr. Stephen Smith, Pioneer Hi-Bred ZInt. Johnston Iowa, USA.
An Vanden Broeck, Inst. voor Bosbouw en Wildbeheer, BELGIUM.
Gert E de Vries, PIP Secretariat, Overschild, The Netherlands.
Xavier Vekemans, Universit‚ Libre de Bruxelles, BELGIUM.
Peter Wyse Jackson, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
Rob Young, Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland, UK.
For further details contact Dr James C Reeves, NIAB, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0LE, UK, phone: (+44)-1223-342272, fax: (+44)-1223 277602.
Coordinator: Dr. Michael Bevan, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.
The first stage of Arabidopsis genome sequencing began nearly 2 years ago in the EC, when a consortium of 17 labs began systematic sequencing chromosome 4 and in other regions. This report describes progress to date, implications of the data for future sequencing strategies, and the future goals of the EU project in the context of an international coordinated effort.
So far cosmids have been sequenced, and most of these have been derived from existing Goodman contigs of Lorist clones, and from subclone libraries of YACs. BAC libraries, made from either Hind3 or EcoR1 digested DNA, which contain 100kb inserts, are now available. These have significant advantages in terms of DNA stability and suitability for larger-scale shotgun sequencing, and their use forms an important aspect of future plans for completing the 100Mb genome in a timely and cost-effective manner. The combined 20x coverage of these libraries indicates large regions may be contigged, with relatively few gaps to be filled by cosmids. Contigs of BACs covering about 600 kb have been assembled in the FCA region using a 4-fold set of BACs, and the success of this indicates that full-scale implementation of contigging chromosome 4 using the 20-fold libraries will give significant coverage with minimal overlap, and remaining gaps can be plugged by cosmid clones. Currently 3 BACs are being sequenced in the FCA region, and at least 6-8 will have been completed by the end of the year.
To date nearly 1000 kb of the FCA region, 150kb of the AP2 region and 275 kb of other regions have been sequenced. In addition, several plant labs have now become proficient at high-throughput genome sequencing and hope to be major contributors to future sequencing programmes. Progress at the FCA region is shown in Figure 1.
Sequence in the central region of the lower arm of chromosome 4, where the FCA region is located, is very information-rich, with a putative or established gene every 5 kb on average, and intergenic distances ranging from 0 (one gene within another) to over 5 kb. Therefore the sequence of approximately 200 genes in a 1000 kb section of chromosome 4 is now known, although the data has not yet been fully analysed or the sequence annotated. Detailed analysis of sequence will be critically important for its comprehension and utility. Presently this analysis involves conceptual translation into 6 reading frames and application of genefinder programmes which recognise ORF structures using an Arabidopsis hexamer code and intron/exon junctions. This data is used to define putative genes. BLAST and FASTA analysis is used to determine the similarity of coding regions to proteins or protein domains of known function. This analysis gives a conservation view of the number of genes, because not all genes are recognised. The systematic sequencing of cognate cDNAs and matches to the EST database are beginning to show that some of the putative genes with no known homologues are transcribed.
Two noteworthy large-scale features of chromosome 4 have been revealed so far. The first is the clustering of functionally related genes, in the case of the heat shock transcription factor and Peronospora resistance gene (RPP5) clusters. The second is the near absence of repeated structures; only 4 retroelements related to copia and hopscotch
have been recognised, along with a new member of the AC superfamily of transcription factors. This observation means that if the distribution of repeats is consistent throught chromosome 4 and other regions then the sequence will be even more information-rich than previously thought. This observation also has good implications for the sequence strategy and accuracy standards adopted for future large-scale work.
About 60% of the putative genes have homologs in other species, and half of these homologs have not previously been observed in plants. But it must be borne in mind that some of these homologies are to genes with no known function in other organisms. This class of genes in yeast is the target of the EUROFAN function search network, therefore hints as to the function of these genes in higher plants will be gained from this work. Table 1 shows that nearly 25% of the genes whose functions may be predicted based on homology to known genes are involved in primary and secondary metabolism, which is remarkable if found to extend to a larger set of genes. The 40% of putative genes with no known homologs may represent a plant-specific set of genes. It is likely that a significant proportion of these genes are bona fide as some of them match sequenced ESTs (see above). To date about 5% of the genes sequenced have been sequenced previously (eg the PRL1 gene), while 15% match an EST sequence from Arabidopsis.
EST sequencing in Arabidopsis has stopped in both the US and the EU. The EU effort produced 2000 unique ESTs and also contributed to the assembly of many longer cDNA sequences. Together both programmes accumulated 22488 ESTs, of which 13689 were assembled into 3555 different cDNA sequences. 8579 ESTs remain as single sequences. The entire set of ESTs represents 14% of known Arabidopsis genes, which is consistent with the 15% of ESSA genes matching ESTs.
This analysed set of ESTs is available at the web site of TIGR, http://www.tigr.org/tdb/at/at.html.
Progress is now adequate to carry the programme forward to complete 1800 kb of sequence from the FCA region, 500 kb from other regions and 450kb from the AP2 region on chr 4 by the end of 1996. The high information content of the genome, the near absence of repetitive structures, and the complex structure of the genes themselves indicates that an approach that yields the most accurate sequence is required in order to interpret the sequence to an extent commensurate with the high potential information content.
The scope of sequence work has extended to the US where plans to sequence 10Mb are being considered. Similarly, in the EU plans to sequence the remainder of chromosome 4 (14Mb) are being considered for funding. Together this work should complete sequencing the 100Mb coding region by about 2004, if not sooner.
For more information: Dr. Michael Bevan, John Innes Centre, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UJ, UK, phone: ++44-1603-452571, fax ++44-1603-505725, Email: bevan@bbsrc.ac.uk
Internet Sources
It is useful to follow the developments on Internet since the procedures to supply and obtain information get increasingly less complicated. Many Internet providers support possibilities to create your own WWW-pages, search engines have gained in power and speed, and the number of discussion groups is growing every day.
Depending on the quality of your Internet provider, probably 3000 discussion groups may be available world wide. When scoring discussion groups containing 'bio', over 100 different groups can be found. A selection is included below. Although a Email address can be used to subscribe to these areas, the messages can also be consulted through the world wide web, as documented below this listing:
bionet.agroforestry
bionet.announce
bionet.biology.grasses
bionet.biology.n2-fixation
bionet.biology.vectors
bionet.cellbiol
bionet.cellbiol.cytonet
bionet.chlamydomonas
bionet.general
bionet.genome.arabidopsis
bionet.info-theory
bionet.jobs.offered
bionet.jobs.wanted
bionet.metabolic-reg
bionet.molbio.evolution
bionet.molbio.gene-linkage
bionet.molbio.genbank
bionet.molec-model
bionet.photosynthesis
bionet.plants
bionet.plants.education
bionet.population-bio
bionet.molbio.genbank.updates
bionet.molbio.embldatabank
bionet.molbio.genome-program
bionet.genome.chromosomes
bionet.journals.contents
bionet.journals.letters.biotechniques
bionet.journals.letters.tibs
bionet.journals.note
bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts
bionet.molbio.proteins
bionet.molbio.proteins.fluorescent
bionet.molbio.rapd
bionet.molbio.recombination
bionet.sci-resources
bionet.software
bionet.users.addresses
sci.bio.botany
sci.bio.technology
The BIOSCI "miniFAQ" is designed to answer the questions that come up the *most frequently*. The main BIOSCI FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is accessible on the World Wide Web at URL http://www.bio.net/ All BIOSCI/bionet full newsgroups are accessible through this URL as well. One can read and reply publicly or privately to both recent postings and archived messages through one's Web browser if it is configured properly to send e-mail. Each newsgroup is equipped with its own WAIS index in addition to the master index for the entire set. The main BIOSCI home page also has access to the BIO-JOURNALS Table of Contents database WAIS index and the BIOSCI user address database described in another item further below.
BIOSCI is a set of parallel USENET newsgroups (the "bionet" groups), mailing lists, and a hypermail archive at URL http://www.bio.net/. The same postings are distributed on all media (except for a small number of mailing-list-only groups at net.bio.net). Unfortunately it is becoming a despicable practice on the Internet (by a few people out to make a fast buck) to do automated mass postings to thousands of newsgroups and mailing lists. These attempts to grab free advertising are refered to as "spams" in the usual, somewhat boneheaded, net terminology. Filing a protest is becoming increasingly useless because spammers are often disguising the addresses where the messages are sent from.
Most newsgroups currently have a discussion leader who is responsible for their newsgroup. The discussions leaders and their e-mail addresses are listed in the BIOSCI Information Sheet which is available on the Web at http://www.bio.net/ With close to 100 newsgroups to run, the BIOSCI staff has to rely on the discussion leaders of each newsgroup to report problems directly at biosci-help@net.bio.net.
The BIOSCI management does NOT act on subscription/unsubscription requests that are posted improperly to the newsgroups and mailing lists. Please be sure to follow the proper procedures below.
Users in Europe, Africa, and Central Asia who use the BIOSCI node at computer daresbury.ac.uk (also known as dl.ac.uk) subscribe and unsubscribe to/from the BIOSCI lists by specifying the full USENET newsgroup name with "bionet-news." prepended. The USENET newsgroup names are listed in the BIOSCI Information sheet on the Web at http://www.bio.net/ For the METHODS-AND-REAGENTS list the USENET newsgroup name is bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts, thus the appropriate commands are:
sub bionet-news.bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts
unsub bionet-news.bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts
These commands are included in a message addressed to mxt@dl.ac.uk, NOT to the newsgroup mailing addresses. As usual, include the text in the body of the message as text on the Subject: line is ignored.
To unsubscribe from all the lists at the UK node, use
unsub bionet-news
Please note that if the address in the list is different than the one in your mail message header, you will not be able to unsubscribe by this method. If you have problems, please mail biosci@daresbury.ac.uk.
Take the opportunity to add your name, address, and research interest information to the BIOSCI User Address Database if you have not already done so. You can fill out the address form directly through our Web page at URL http://www.bio.net/adrform.html. The address database is reindexed nightly for WWW access. If you are not directly on the Internet but can reach it by e-mail, please use the waismail server to access the user directory. You can also request a user address form by e-mail from biosci-help@net.bio.net.
For more information: Dave Kristofferson, BIOSCI/bionet Manager, biosci-help@net.bio.net
On the Internet a wealth of information sources is available on patent issues, descriptions, classifications etc. Sofar most sites contain digested US material. The EPO is the only European contribution:
The European Patent Register: http://www.epo.co.at/epo
The European Patent Register is an English language on-line database, provided by the European Patent Office, which gives a comprehensive view of the legal status of all published European and Euro-PCT applications (PCT applications containing a designation for a European Patent). The Register includes details on the status of the granting procedure before the EPO, such as the expected grant date, cited documents, oral proceedings, oppositions, appeals and licences, and also includes bibliographic data regarding the application.
The information contained in the Register is updated daily, each update being available to the public as soon as it enters the database. Such information would otherwise be available only by way of a more costly and time-consuming file inspection. Other useful information, such as the current EPO schedule of fees, in the various European currencies, is also available on the database.
To access the Register, users log on directly to the EPO computer in The Hague via public telephone lines or packet switching networks. Connection to the latter can be provided by your national telecommunications company or post office on request. The EPO does not charge for subscriptions to the on-line Register. Users pay only DM 2.50 per transaction (that is, per application or publication number searched). Furthermore, the services are available on free trial for a period of one month. A form can be filled out on-line to apply for a free password.
For further information, contact: European Patent Office Elena Sereix, EPIDOS on-line services Schottenfeldgasse 29 Postfach 82 A-1072 Vienna, Austria. Tel: (+43-1) 521 26 307 Fax: (+43-1) 521 26 3292 e-mail: sereix@epo.e-mail.com
The US Patent and Trademark Office: http://www.uspto.gov
The US Patent and Trademark Office does allow browsing through the US Patent Classification database and simple or advanced (boolean) searches.
In order to give an impression of its usefulness, trial searches for 1995 data were performed and resulted in the following scores: bacillus: 79; wheat: 63; seed: 387; cultivar: 97
As an example, from the cultivar result list the abstract from "Sucrose accumulating tomato technology" was selected:
A new tomato cultivar is provided which is homozygous for a genetically fixable recessive genetic factor which confers the ability to bear fruit that accumulate sucrose. The increased sucrose content, in turn, leads to a higher total soluble solids content in the mature fruit. Higher total soluble solids in tomato fruit are of particular importance to the tomato processing industry. A method for producing the claimed cultivar is also provided. The claimed genetic factor can be derived from any Lycopersicon species which accumulates sucrose in the mature fruit. Once genetically fixed in a tomato cultivar, the factor can be transmitted to other plants in a predictable manner. (Inventors: Bennett; Alan B. (Davis, CA); Yelle; Serge (Quebec, CA). The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA).)
Sample (1995) Virus AND plant results:
1.(PP 9,259) Lilium `Ballerina`
2.(PP 9,133) Lilium `Memphis`
3.(PP 9,087) Lilium `Tyrolia`
4.(PP 9,086) Lilium "Ticino"
5.(PP 9,029) Lilium `Gold Dwarf`
6.(5,443,969) RNA packaging system
7.(5,441,868) Production of recombinant erythropoietin
8.(5,436,318) Hepatitis C virus epitopes
9.(5,432,081) Host cells transformed with the E. coli glucoronide permease gene
10.(5,428,146) Wound-stimulated DNA-sequence from solanum tuberosum and its use
11.(5,428,144) Maize dwarf mosaic virus cDNA
12.(5,428,010) Biologically active B-chain homodimers
13.(5,427,928) Thermostable DNA Topoisomerase V
14.(5,426,041) Binary cryptocytotoxic method of hybrid seed production
15.(5,422,259) Transgenic plants belonging to the species Cucumis melo
16.(5,419,914) Phospholipid analogue vesicle
17.(5,419,079) Method of producing virus free potato minitubers
18.(5,418,153) Process for production of exogenous gene or its product in plant cells
19.(5,416,010) Olpidium zoospores as vectors of recombinant DNA to plants
20.(5,413,784) Biopesticide composition and process for controlling insect pests
21.(5,409,811) DNA sequencing
22.(5,407,810) Aqueous multiple-phase isolation of polypeptide
23.(5,393,668) Cultivation of mammalian cells in a protein-free medium on a polyvinylformal and/or polyvinyl butyral surface
24.(5,389,609) Antifungal preparations, and process for making such preparations
25.(5,389,512) Method for determining the relative amount of a viral nucleic acid segment in a sample by the polymerase chain reaction
26.(5,378,619) Promoter for transgenic plants
Sample (1995) Male AND Sterile results:
1.(5,436,386) Hybrid safflower production utilizing genetic dwarf male sterility
2.(5,432,068) Control of male fertility using externally inducible promoter sequences
3.(5,426,041) Binary cryptocytotoxic method of hybrid seed production
4.(5,416,254) Inbred corn line PHRE1
5.(5,409,823) Methods for the production of hybrid seed
6.(5,387,755) Inbred corn line PHFA5
STO Internet Patent Search System: http://sunsite.unc.edu/patents/intropat.html
This is the home page for Source Translation & Optimization's (STO) Internet Patent Search System, a way for people around the world to perform patent searches, and access information on the patenting process. The following actions can be undertaken:
Determine patent class using Manual of Classification
Determine patent class using Index to Classification
Retrieve patent titles using class/subclass code
Retrieve patent abstracts using patent number
Patent documents from the US PTO, UK PO, PCT, etc.
US Code Section 35 - federal patent laws
IPNS Internet Patent News Service
Archive of stories from the IPNS, etc.
Prior art searching services from STO
A shopping mall for patent services
The EDS Shadow Patent Office: http://www.spo.eds.com/patent.html
The service, brought to you by the EDS Shadow Patent Office (SPO) allows free browsing of the latest 52 weeks of patents, access to the USPTO classification manual, weekly patent statistics. The site is good for patent citations by number and title, patentability and infringement searches. There is a charge for full copies of patents.
Searchable database consisting of the full text of United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) patents issued from January 1, 1972 to the present. The database is updated weekly with new patents issued by the USPTO. The patents in the database are continuously updated regarding status and class/subclass changes as these are published by the USPTO.
To learn more about the many services offered over the Web by SPO, the following selections can be browsed: Site Map, Services and Prices, SPO Background, Frequent Asked Questions.
http:/www.micropat.com
Patent Searching facility and allows downloading of patents at $0.25/page.
Need a preliminary novelty search?
Need information on EP or PCT patent publications?
Need a patent portfolio on your company or competitors?
Through a computer based library, the site performs patent searching. There are possibilities to search on over 20 fields including title, abstract, assignee, inventor, U.S. and IPC classification numbers, priority data, application numbers, dates, inventor location, and more, as well as U.S. full text.
The Patent Portal: http://www.law.vill.edu/~rgruner/patport.htm
This home page, by Richard S. Gruner, Professor of Law, is an entry point to patent resources on the Internet. It has three objectives. One is to identify the growing number of patent-related resources available from various sources on the Internet. A second objective is to index and organize links to these resources so as to give users of this portal rapid access to the Internet's patent resources. A third objective is to present new materials on patent issues (such as the patentability of software and biotechnology discoveries) that are currently shaping patent law. The following resources are available through this portal:
Patent News
Materials on Substantive Patent Law
Patents and Patent Searching
Patent Attorneys and Agents
Other Services and Resources Related to Patents
Appendices:
Materials on Patent Law for Non-Lawyers
Examples of Patents and Basic Resource Documents About Patents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) About Patents
Oppedahl & Larson: http://www.patents.com
Oppedahl & Larson is a law firm offering patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other intellectual property services. Their Web server is intended to provide information about intellectual property and about the firm. A selection of available information fields:
Frequently Asked Questions about intellectual property law
General information about patents
General information about copyrights
General information about trademarks
General information about trade secrets
Intellectual property resources on the Internet (very extensive list!)
How to select intellectual property counsel
What things cost
Career opportunities in intellectual property law
How to contact patent offices, copyright offices, trademark offices, and related organizations.
The Canadian Technology Network: http://www.library.ubc.ca/patscan/
PATSCAN is a member of the Canadian Technology Network. The Canadian Intellectual Property Directorat provides information relevant to the filing of patent or trademark applications. PATSCAN is not involved in this activity and acts only as an intermediary to CIPO.
Rh“ne-Poulenc Agro is one of the Sectors which represents a strategic core business for the Rh“ne-Poulenc Group - Life Sciences - and which alone represents more than 55% of the Group's sales turnover.
With consolidated sales of around FF 10313 million for 1995, Rh“ne-Poulenc Agro provides a global approach to Agriculture by helping to ensure sufficient and quality plant production, from seeds through harvesting. Its line of business is plant protection products as well as sales and technological know-how in seeds and products for amateur garden care and indoor plants. Crop protection provides the world of agriculture with herbicides, insecticides and fungicides along with plant growth regulators for the protection and improvement of plant production.
Almost 4 000 products originating from 40 proprietary compounds contribute to the development of a broad range of products meeting the various requirements of local markets. These products are derived from research, in which Rh“ne-Poulenc Agro invests more than 8.6% of its turnover and which is entirely devoted to the creation and development of innovative products which are better targeted, more effective and environmentally friendly. Its major areas for innovation are the development of easily degradable products, active at very low dose rates, and of application techniques based on innovative formulations that may be used on seeds, creating maximum user safety whilst minimising the impact on the environment.
Five Research Centres throughout the world, employing more than 1200 people, form a research network linked with the best universities and research organisations with which many research programmes are undertaken. Their specialist areas are: Insecticides (Research Triangle Park, U.S.A.), Herbicides (Ongar, U.K.), Fungicides (Lyon, France), Asian crops (Akeno, Japan) and studies on the Impact on Man and the Environment (Sophia Antipolis, France). This network for innovation is backed up by 18 permanent research farms and 9 temporary ones for field study evaluation. They are distributed on every continent and enable us to cover the largest possible variety of climates, crops, soils and agricultural conditions.
The high incidence of Rh“ne-Poulenc Agro sales outlets enables the company to be present in more than 80 countries and to develop and distribute its products in almost 140 countries through a geographical organisation covering five large zones: Europe, North America, South America, Asia and African and Eastern European countries.
Since the beginning of the Eighties, Rh“ne-Poulenc Agro has invested in seeds and plant biotechnology in order to build up and develop a palette of skills and activities to support its innovation capacities and to be better prepared for technological developments which should occur at the start of the 21st Century in an increasingly demanding economic context. This ambition was achieved in 1992 through the setting up of a pluriannual research programme Bio Avenir) carried out alongside public research organisations, and later through an alliance with the Limagrain Seed Group concerning fields crops. This association, together with Rh“ne-Poulenc Agro's involvement in the Clause Group, provides the best combination of innovation potential between the Seed Breeding and Agrochemical industries.
Rh“ne-Poulenc Agro's role in several major research programmes (Bio Avenir, Eureka, European programmes) has enabled it, as an industrial company, to manage all target-defining phases, carry out projects and optimise results of complex programmes carried out on an international level. Directing and exploiting research carried out in a fundamental framework and enabling technological barriers to be lifted is the path that Rh“ne-Poulenc Agro has chosen for the development of innovative and economic solutions which should enable challenges to be met at the beginning of the 21st Century.
For more information please contact Dr. George Santini, Rh“ne Poulenc Agro, 14-20 rue Pierre Baizet, BP 9163, F-69263 Lyon Cedex 09, France.
SES (Soci‚t‚ Europ‚enne de Semences) emerged after 1950 as the only Belgian sugar beet seed breeder and producer. The company was one of the first to introduce the genetic monogerm sugar beet seed, in 1970. From there, the company grew rapidly, diversifying its breeding activities in silage corn and cereals. Finally, during the mutation period that the seed industry knew in the middle of the eighties, SES was absorbed by an international group which had great ambitions for its seed branche.
SES Europe has been a subsidiary of ZENECA Seeds since 1987, and as such is essentially active on the European market with a focus in Research and Breeding of sugar beet, fodder beet and European corn. Oilseeds have also become research and breeding programmes of growing importance where SES benefits from the long experience in breeding of other components of ZENECA Seeds who have an established position in sunflower (Argentina) and oilseed rape (Canada).
During the seventies, SES expanded its presence in various European countries, a policy that was continued and fostered by ZENECA. Either breeding stations or production facilities have been set up in all markets where the company intended to be present. In France for example, SES now has corn breeding stations in Mulsans, Rennes and N‚rac, and has recently opened an experimental farm for sugar beet in Gomi‚court in Northern France.
The Company has also developed a high reputation know-how in seed technology and processing of all field crops. Up-to-date seed factories with increasing capacities to clean, treat and to pack seeds are centralized in Belgium and Spain. A growing importance has been given to quality control processes and, as a consequence, R&D objectives are now addressing targeted seed production issues and quality in general.
SES has about 15% of the sugar beet seed market in Europe and a very significant presence in the growing markets in Eastern Europe. SES operating units (research, marketing, seed production and processing) are scattered all across Europe with a total of 340 employees, half of whom are in the R&D activities. 30 scientists and technicians work for the Bioscience section. Bioscience activities, mainly focused on sugar beet, oilseed rape and silage corn, are located in Tienen, Belgium. In both bioscience and breeding, SES is part of the very large worldwide network of competencies available within ZENECA Seeds.
As part of global strategy developed by ZENECA Seeds in the last ten years, SES has invested heavily in targeted bioscience programmes with a particular emphasis being given to sugar beet, still SES leading product line. The bioscience group at Tienen has developed particular skills in molecular marker assisted selection (MAS) in sugar beet and oilseed rape, and has established an efficient proprietary transformation technology for sugar beet, a species hitherto regarded as 'recalcitrant'.
The company has actively developed the use of MAS based on RFLP and RAPDs in all breeding programmes. This integration of MAS in the breeding concept has been proceeded by an intense effort in Research to develop genetic maps, and the appropriate capacity accurately to measure those traits which were subject to correlation with RFLP markers. Integration in the breeding in the last 5 years has led to outstanding results in breeding for disease resistance (i.e. resistance to the Rhizomania virus in sugar beet), an area where breeders, molecular biologists and pathologists have demonstrated that successful breeding has now become a multidisciplinary team effort. Continued success of SES Rhizomania tolerant varieties indicate the benefits of these approaches.
In the last 6 years, SES has been testing genetically modified corn and sugar beet extensively in field trials, to demonstrate that these new sources of traits or genes are part of the breeding applications. Supported by MAS, the development of a first wave of GMO products is in advanced development for placing varieties with tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate on the market before end of the century.
More unique and novel approaches are being undertaken to develop varieties more tolerant to diseases and viruses. Genes encoding anti-fungal proteins are now being expressed in sugar beet and corn to assess in detail, first in bioassays then on the field, their potential contribution to new disease resistance strategies. A genetically modified corn with modified lignin content will be tested for improved silage quality in the field in 1996.
Within the limits of its applied objectives, SES has an established tradition of collaboration with European academics. The company has well established projects with Belgian, UK, Dutch and French institutes and is also a major applicant in three Framework IV projects.
By its presence in the PIP and as a component of a large international seed company, SES wishes to access the expertise and the excellence of the European R&D. In return, it offers its very practical view on targeting plant biotechnology to the needs of the end user, farmers and consumers.
For more information: Dr. Marc LefŠbvre, Biotechnology Manager, Industriepark 15, B-3300, Tienen, Belgium, phone: ++32-16-808-380, fax: ++32-16-808-263