Dr Blessed Okole (front row left), with the representatives of the other ABS partners, at the ABS Regulatory Workshop held recently in Pretoria.

The University of California (UC) Berkeley has joined the African Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) Project as its ninth partner. SERA partners, the CSIR and the University of Pretoria, are represented on this US$17.6 million research project by the members of its Food Science and Technology Task Team.

The project is aimed at improving the nutritional value of sorghum cultivated in Africa, and is a Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative, which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It was as part of this initiative that members of the SERA Food Science and Technology Task Team successfully developed a novel, edible sorghum protein coating to extend the shelf-life of pears.

Globally, there is a growing trend towards using nutrition as a health solution - specifically in developing countries. There are an estimated 800 mil undernourished people worldwide. While in other developing countries like India, China and elsewhere in the Asian Pacific, the figures are on the decline - Sub-saharan Africa's current number of approximately 200 mil hungry people is steadily increasing.

The ABS project aims at using recombinant DNA technology and conventional breeding techniques to develop a more nutritious and easily digestible sorghum that grows well in the Arid and Semi-Arid Tropical Areas of Africa and contains increased levels of pro-vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, zinc, amino acids, and protein.

According to ABS project leader, Dr Florence Wambugu, CEO of the Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International, UC Berkeley will focus on the digestibility portion of the project. This work will be based on studies conducted for over a decade by the University's Profs Bob Buchanan and Peggy Lemaux. "The seeds that our scientists will develop should have enhanced protein and starch digestibility so people can obtain improved nutritional value from their sorghum consumption," said Buchanan.

SERA's participation in ABS is led by plant biotechnologist and African Centre for Gene Technologies (ACGT) contributor, Dr Blessed Okole of the CSIR. The CSIR's input focuses on aspects of sorghum biotechnology, and UP on nutritional and product evaluation. Other SERA participants include Food Science and Technology Task Team members, Dr Corinda Erasmus of CSIR and Prof John Taylor of UP. In addition, the Task Team has two MSc Honours and one PhD student involved in work relating to the ABS project.

The other ABS partners are the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the Ghana-based Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa. Pioneer Hi-bred International Inc, a subsidiary of DuPont, is the ninth member.