Rice is one of the most consumed foods in world: “In places like Bangladesh, almost 80 per cent of the calories that people consume come from rice.”
“About two billion people are suffering from iron deficiency, which makes people sick and can even cause death,” says Felipe Ricachenevsky, a professor with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.
He and colleagues in Brazil, Italy, Chile, and Germany are working to increase the amount of iron in rice, one of the most consumed foods in the world. “In places like Bangladesh, almost 80 per cent of the calories that people consume come from rice. So, if there isn’t enough iron in rice, then people aren’t getting enough iron,” he explains.Video: Enhanced rice could address iron deficiencies around the world
Studies have shown it is possible to increase iron content in rice by modifying an individual gene in the plant. Building on this work, Ricachenevsky and colleagues altered two similar genes in the same plant, hoping it would produce an even greater increase in iron content.
They then used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to analyze their modified rice. The team also imaged their samples at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (SIRIUS) in Campinas, Brazil.
Read more on the CLS website
Image: Felipe Ricachenevsky, centre, with the research team
Credit: CLS