Transgenic Plants in Wheat - In wheat, transgenic plants were produced in 1992) by a non resident Indian (NRI) scientist (lndra K. Vasil) and his coworkers. In these transgenic plants, resistance gene (bar gene) against the herbicide PPT (commercial name 'Basta' = 20% PPT) along with 'gus' marker gene associated with CaMV 35S promoter + Adh I intron (Adh intron was shown to increase the activity of 35S promoter leading to enhanced expression of the associated gene) was introduced into wheat plants.

The transgenic wheat plants showed expression of gus activity and also the resistance against the herbicide PPT. The development of these transgenic wheat plants has been considered a major breakthrough, since wheat is a major cereal crop and its improvement through transfer of foreign genes will be a great" advantage to wheat breeders.

It is thus apparent that transgenic cereals will be produced and field tested in future to be released for cultivation. However, before this is achieved, there is publicity against these transgenic plants questioning, their safety for human consumptions. Therefore, fears of their safety will need to be dispelled before one can be successful in growing these transgenic plants at any large scale.