Transgenic barley: From the laboratory to the field

Production of transgenic barley was carried out in this project from the laboratory to the field. Cell and tissue culture and gene transfer techniques were developed for the successful transformation of barley. Here, we present a case study summarizing this research and describe how complementation of the malt enzyme spectrum was obtained using genetic engineering. The applicability of the alfa-amylase promoter and the gene coding for endo-1,4-beta-glucanase was demonstrated to lead to amounts of thermotolerant beta-glucanase in transgenic barley cell lines which were sufficient to reduce wort viscosity during mashing. Consequently, the malting quality of two barley cultivars, Kymppi and Golden Promise, was modified to better meet the requirements of the brewing process. In order to prepare for commercial cultivation of transgenic barley, a risk assessment to measure transgene flow in field conditions through pollen dispersal was also performed.