GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 13298

PURSUANT to section 54 (2) of the Biosafety Act, 2009, notice is given that the National Biosafety Authority has approved the following five (5) research-based projects on genetically modified organisms. The approvals given are valid for five years subject to renewal on request. Title of the Project Applicant experiment Location(s) of Date Objective of Approval Application for establishing a platform for using GM Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit International Centre of Insect Physiology ICIPE, Duduville Campus, Nairobi To establish a platform to use transgenic D. melanogaster to study the physiology 12th July, fly) for research and training at ICIPE. and Ecology (ICIPE). and ICIPE, Thomas Odhiambo Campus, Mbita Point, Homabay and genetics of disease vectors, starting with olfaction in tsetse flies, and to develop new platform for developing tools for vector control. Additionally, to provide a training platform for future African scientists on emerging technologies. Application to conduct contained use activity involving genome editing of yam expressing disease resistance and enhanced Vitamin A, under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) BecA-ILRI Hub, Nairobi To establish genome editing tools using CRISPFt/CAS 9 (cluster regular interspaced short palindromic repeats) for yam with the aim of producing yam varieties resistant to diseases (yam mosaic virus and anthracnose) as well as to enhance its nutritional quality. 26th January, 28th December, 2018 Title of the Project Applicant Location(s) of experiment Objective Date of Approval Application involving development and testing of transgenic potato with resistance to bacterial wilt using pflp and efr genes, under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) ILRI collaborating with International Potato Centre (CIP), Nairobi To develop farmer preferred potato variety (Shangi) with resistance, to Bacterial wilt disease by introducing genes (pflp and efr) that protect the plant by causing a hypersensitive reaction to diseases. Additionally, the research will contribute to increasing capacity development in biotechnology in Kenya. 26th January, Application to conduct contained use activity involving banana and plantain research for nematode resistance under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) BecA—ILRI Hub, Nairobi To produce and test banana and plantain lines expressing resistance to nematodes by overexpressing synthetic peittides under glasshouse conditions. 26th April, Application for development of markers to assess f.ate and success of potent. ICIPE Metarhizium fungi isolates exhibiting epizootics on different arthropod pests. International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) ICIPE, Duduvi Ile Campus, Nairobi. To transform selected isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae with fluorescent protein reporter genes that could be utilized for measuring the fate, success, potential non-target effect of the isolates in contained lab environment. 26th April, Dated the 30th June, 2018. DORINGTON OGOYI, MR/5800350 Chief Executive Officer, National Biosafety Authority.