Evaluation and Assessment of Biosafety for Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-transgenic Rice: Responses of Daphnia magna Fed on Bt-transgenic Rice Variety

Insect-resistant transgenic rice was developed by inserting the mCry1Ac1 a modified gene fromthe soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). For biosafety assessment, we studied the effects onsurvival of cantor Daphnia magna, a commonly used as a model organism in ecotoxicologicalstudies. D. magna fed on Bt rice and its near non-genetically modified (GM) counterparts(Nakdong) grown in the same environment (100% ground rice suspension). The Bt rice wascomfirmed to have the insertion of T-DNA and protein expression by the polymerase chainreaction and ELISA analysis. Feeding study showed similar cumulative immobility and abnormalresponse of D. magna between Bt rice and non-GM counterparts. 48 h-EC