Iowa State, in a joint effort with the University of Iowa and Montana State University, has designed a new project that will use scientific research to assess the risks involved in genetically modifying non-food crops.

The Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products, (BIGMAP), termed a biosafety initiative until it gains recognition from the Board of Regents, will research the effects of plant-made proteins for its first project.

Manjit Misra, director of BIGMAP and the ISU Seed Science Center, said all proteins are marked harmful to a degree.

The main purpose of the project is to determine what the benefits and risks will be to human health, the environment, and to consumers.

“We want to use science to decide what can be grown, what can be grown in Iowa, and what should be kept out of production,” said Misra, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering.

The project will start at the plant transformation level, when the proteins are genetically added and will follow development right up to human consumption.

Some of the risks researchers face are allergic reactions upon consumption, the environmental impacts of growing these plants in an open area and the economic concerns, such as loss of consumer confidence and hesitation of crop buyers.

To asses these concerns, Iowa State will be working with Montana State to design the study, develop ways to analyze the risks and calculate the results. The U of I will provide the medical knowledge to classify the proteins and identify their impacts on human health.

The biosafety initiative will involve the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Agriculture, the Plant Sciences Institute, the Biotechnology Department and the University Expansion office at Iowa State.

“This is a multiunit, multidisciplinary project,” Misra said.

By combining the efforts of the departments and schools, the researchers hope a responsible, safe and environmentally friendly way of scientifically assessing the risks can be developed.

If successful, the modification of crops, for purposes such as pharmaceuticals, would provide a new opportunity for economic growth in agriculture, said Stephen Howell, director for the Plant Sciences Institute.

“Ninety-one percent of the land [in Iowa] is used for agriculture, but only 5 percent of the gross state product is agriculture. We need to [research] and try to develop this if we possibly can,” he said.

In addition to economic growth, genetically modified plants developed under well regulated programs like BIGMAP could greatly improve nutrition and provide a way to mass produce vaccines for third world countries.

Misra said not everyone sees the BIGMAP initiative’s possible benefits. Much of the hesitation comes from the fear that these plants could be inadvertently mixed with crops for consumption before they are approved, he said.

Howell said it is unlikely that genetically modified plants will pose a serious health threat because large quantities of plants can be produced, and production in large quantities generally means there is less harm.

That is what BIGMAP will attempt to determine, Misra said.

“The most integral part is making sure our food supply is safe and secure,” he said. “We want to build public confidence on the bases of science.”