Researchers at the University of Cape Town in South Africa have developed a new kind of genetically modified (GM) maize that is designed for drought resistance. The maize contains four genes from the indigenous, desiccation-resistant Xerophyta viscosa plant, commonly known as the "resurrection plant." The X. viscosa genes act as a signal to the maize plant to go into survival mode when it becomes dehydrated, says Jennifer Thomson, the project leader and a microbiologist at the University of Cape Town. "We are ready to see how the maize performs in one of South Africa's driest areas," Thomson says. She hopes to start field trials early in 2010 after negotiating South African biosafety regulations. The article says that it has taken the researchers five years to identify the genes that give X. viscosa its ability to withstand 95 percent dehydration, and to transfer this genetic material into maize.

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