GM grass could snuff out sneezes
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Hay-fever affects millions around the world.
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LONDON, England -- Scientists have developed a new way to deal with the misery of hay fever -- a hypoallergenic grass.
Australian researchers genetically modified ryegrass and removed two of the most common allergens found in it. Scientists say the resulting grass does not spark symptoms of hay fever.
"The beauty of this grass is that it will benefit the wider public," German Spangenberg, of the Plant Biotechnology Center at La Trobe University in Melbourne, told New Scientist magazine Wednesday.
Hay fever is a common condition that affects millions of people around the world. It is caused by an allergy to pollen or sometimes mould spores and results in sneezing, a running nose and itchy eyes.
During the summer, when grass pollen levels are high, hay fever sufferers sneeze and snivel their way through the day.
The scientists modified ryegrass -- a turfgrass used in lawns and pastures around the world -- which accounts for 70 percent of the grass seed sold in Europe.
Ryegrass is the primary cause of hay fever in Europe and Australia, although ragweed grass is the main cause in the U.S..
Ragweed grass is the main cause of hayfever in the U.S.
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"The big problem (is) other grasses. If someone is allergic to ryegrass, they will also react to almost all temperate grasses," allergy expert Tim O'Meara, of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, told the magazine.
The GM grass will begin trials in the U.S. in November to find out whether it can pollinate other grasses and how far the pollen can travel.
"Safeguards will be included to minimize the chances of the grass and its pollen escaping," the magazine said.
It is expected to be at least five years before the grass is on the market.
The researchers behind the grass hope it will help shift public opinion around the world in favor of GM crops, by highlighting the benefits of genetic engineering.
