A new genetically modified yeast variety designed for use in wine production has been found to behave similarly to the parent commercial yeast strains during fermentation, according to its manufacturer First Venture Technologies. [...] First Venture Technologies’ propriety yeast claims to be able to reduce levels of the carcinogen ethyl carbamate, a compound that can naturally occur in fermented foods and beverages, such as wine, beer and bread. The firm says its yeast can reduce levels of the substance in red wine by up to 89 percent, and in bread by up to 54 percent.

A bill that would ban the testing and growing of genetically modified taro in Hawai’i for five years advanced out of the House Agriculture Committee yesterday. A similar measure calling for a 10-year moratorium is moving through the Senate. Supporters of a moratorium consist primarily of Native Hawaiian taro farmers who say the development of genetically modified taro, or kalo in Hawaiian, is unnecessary and an affront to Hawaiian culture and tradition.

A federal judge ruled yesterday that the Agriculture Department violated the law by failing to adequately assess possible environmental impacts before approving Monsanto’s genetically engineered alfalfa. Judge Charles R. Breyer of Federal District Court in San Francisco said the agency had been ”cavalier” in deciding that a full environmental impact statement was not needed because the potential environmental and economic effects of the crop were not significant.

Austin-based Whole Foods Market Inc. says it will not allow any meat or milk from cloned animals or their offspring to be sold in its stores. ”We require producers who sell to us to use only natural breeding or artificial insemination as acceptable breeding practices,” said Margaret Wittenberg, vice president for communications and quality standards for the natural and organic grocer.

A federal lawsuit by a British company is seeking damages from Stuttgart-based Producers Rice Mill over traces of unapproved genetically engineered rice that were found in the food supply. Tilda Ltd. of Essex filed the suit in federal court in Little Rock on Jan. 23.

YOU, or someone you love, may die because of a gene patent that should never have been granted in the first place. Sound far-fetched? Unfortunately, it’s only too real. Gene patents are now used to halt research, prevent medical testing and keep vital information from you and your doctor. Gene patents slow the pace of medical advance on deadly diseases. And they raise costs exorbitantly: a test for breast cancer that could be done for $1,000 now costs $3,000.

With its tranquil ponds and rolling fields, the GTC Biotherapeutics farm in Charlton, Massachusetts, looks like a typical pastoral retreat. But its 1,400 goats don’t produce any butter or cheese. Instead, the animals are sophisticated drug incubators, with millions of dollars of potential profit accumulating in their udders each day.

Disparate, powerful factions are unified that the world needs to find an alternative to fossil fuels. The World Economic Forum and President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address both sounded the alarm on America’s dependence on foreign sources of energy. Hopes are high for the United States to find ways to become less dependent on gasoline The tides have finally begun to shift, and the world is now embracing the challenge of reducing greenhouse gases. Companies that participate in the process intelligently can reap significant economic benefits.

New strains of genetically modified corn will play a key role in meeting soaring demand as U.S thirst for ethanol fuel cuts into supplies, a top seed company scientist said on Friday. Dupont’s Bill Niebur, the firm’s vice president for genetics research and development, said demand for ethanol means the race is on to rapidly ramp up grain yields. ”We doubled average yields in North America in 41 years. We don’t have that much time to make the next step,” Niebur said at a gathering of grain exchanges, traders and consumers in Mexico. ”The challenge for our plant breeders is to move that curve significantly faster.”

There’s growing interest in raising canola seeds for the biodiesel industry, but not in Skagit County. Seed growers would like the state Department of Agriculture to create a canola-free zone. It would cover all of Skagit County, along with parts of Island, Whatcom, Snohomish and Clallam counties. The growers worry that canola could cross-pollinate with certain vegetable seeds, particularly cabbage, and hurt the area’s $20 million seed industry.