Premium
Detection of airborne genetically modified maize pollen by real‐time PCR
Author(s) -
FOLLONI SILVIA,
KAGKLI DAFNIMARIA,
RAJCEVIC BOJAN,
GUIMARÃES NILSON C. C.,
VAN DROOGENBROECK BART,
VALICENTE FERNANDO H.,
VAN den EEDE GUY,
VAN den BULCKE MARC
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
molecular ecology resources
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.96
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1755-0998
pISSN - 1755-098X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2012.03168.x
Subject(s) - pollen , biology , genetically modified organism , european union , biological dispersal , sampling (signal processing) , genetically modified maize , microbiology and biotechnology , outcrossing , genetically modified crops , botany , genetics , transgene , gene , population , demography , filter (signal processing) , sociology , computer science , business , computer vision , economic policy
The cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops has raised numerous concerns in the European Union and other parts of the world about their environmental and economic impact. Especially outcrossing of genetically modified organisms (GMO) was from the beginning a critical issue as airborne pollen has been considered an important way of GMO dispersal. Here, we investigate the use of airborne pollen sampling combined with microscopic analysis and molecular PCR analysis as an approach to monitor GM maize cultivations in a specific area. Field trial experiments in the European Union and South America demonstrated the applicability of the approach under different climate conditions, in rural and semi‐urban environment, even at very low levels of airborne pollen. The study documents in detail the sampling of GM pollen, sample DNA extraction and real‐time PCR analysis. Our results suggest that this ‘GM pollen monitoring by bioaerosol sampling and PCR screening’ approach might represent an useful aid in the surveillance of GM‐free areas, centres of origin and natural reserves.