THE genetically engineered crops of tomorrow could be created in
orbit. Away from the Earth's gravity, it becomes much easier to
insert foreign genes into soya beans, claim biotechnologists in
Indiana. Millions of hectares in the US are already planted with
genetically modified soya beans. But creating these crops was
hard work because soya is notoriously reluctant to accept new
genes. "It's a major stumbling block," says Rick Vierling of
Purdue University in West Lafayette. Like many plant
biotechnologists, Vierling and his colleagues use the natural
pathogen To deliver its genetic cargo, To continue reading this
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