Golden rice is a variety of Oryza sativa (rice) produced through genetic engineering of bio synthesized beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin-A in the edible parts of rice developed by – Ingo Potrykus and his group. The aim is to produce a fortified food to be grown and consumed in areas with a shortage of dietary Vitamin-A, which kills so many children under five year age.
Golden rice differs from its parental strain by the addition of three beta-carotene biosynthesis , genes namely ‘psy’ (phytoene synthase) from daffodil plant Narcissus pseudonarcissus and ‘crt-1’ gene from the soil bacterium Erwinia auredorora and ‘lyc’ (lycopene cyclase) gene from wild-type rice endosperm. The endosperm of normal rice, does not contain beta-carotene. Golden-rice has been genetically altered so that the endosperm now accumulates Beta-carotene. This has been done using Recombinant DNA technology. Golden rice can control childhood blindness – Xerophthalmia
