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A paper appearing in this week's edition of Nature is antiseptically
entitled: "Gene transfer to plants by diverse species of bacteria." But the
information that lies within may herald a revolution in biology, February
2005 by Kristen Philiposki .

The paper describes two new technologies: TransBacter, a method for
transferring genes to plants, and GUSPlus, a method of visualizing where the
genes are and what they do. Behind the research, which was funded by the
Rockefeller Foundation, is a team of scientists who want to provide the
technologies as a "kernel," modeled on the Linux movement, as the beginning
of perhaps the first practical offering in open-source biology.

Researchers who want to develop technologies based on this kernel can use it
as they wish if they agree to a flexible license issued by Biological
Innovation for Open Society, or BIOS. The initiative is being spearheaded by
Richard Jefferson, also founder of Cambia, an agricultural life science
institute in Canberra, Australia.

"My own hope is that seriously disadvantaged people who have a sense of
disenfranchisement and neglect can take great heart from our work, and
ultimately can find means to dig out of poverty and despair," Jefferson
said. "There are millions of creative people who must be crushed to find
they have no means to leverage their commitment into advancing their
well-being and quality of life."

But how will poor farmers benefit from a technology published in a fancy
science journal like Nature? Jefferson calls it "representational
technocracy."

In other words, local entrepreneurs, universities and other institutions in
impoverished locales need to get on board with BIOS for Jefferson's
open-source biology plan to work. He hopes the initiative will help new
enterprises, as well as existing nonprofit organizations charged with
improving conditions in poor nations, to take advantage of the BIOS program.

"(Institutions in the public sector) need to be much more effective, and the
BIOS initiative will (help them) do that," Jefferson said. "Ultimately, as
broadband expands, more and more decentralized participation can be
envisioned."

For the vision to become reality, BIOS plans to reach out to these entities
with its BioForge website, which it launched Wednesday. Scientists can
deposit and obtain scientific information on the site.

The open-source biology movement has been bubbling to the surface for years,
and enthusiasts are heartened by the first technologies finally becoming
available.

"This is important, fundamental agricultural technology moving into the
commons," said John Wilbanks, executive director of Science Commons, a group
working to make it easier, and legal, to share scientific data. "This is the
type of tool that, in increasing numbers, is being patented. To use the
operating system metaphor, this is Print-F for plant genomics. Imagine
trying to build any piece of software if the print function required a
patent license."

The biotech industry is officially not opposed to open-source biology
projects, and is interested in studying them further, said Lisa Dry, a
spokeswoman for the Biotechnology Industry Organization. Dry also pointed
out that infrastructure, not patent licenses, are often the impediment for
implementing new technologies in developing countries.

"The judicial system, the culture, the regulatory regime ... there are many
hurdles to overcome before you even get to the question of, 'Is intellectual
property an issue here?'" Dry said.

Jefferson is interested in seeing small-time farmers, rather than big
companies, benefit from his efforts. And it seems logical that agricultural
biotech companies like Dow Chemical and Monsanto, whose business plans are
centered on patent protection for genetically modified plants, would not
welcome the concept of open-source technology relating to genetically
modified crops. Monsanto has brought several lawsuits against farmers for
using their technology without a license. (A Monsanto representative
referred inquiries for this story to BIOS.)

But Jefferson says he has had "fairly productive" conversations with
agri-biotech executives, and he believes there is a way they can actually
make money by adopted the BIOS approach, at least for developing some
technologies.

"Even large companies, if they embrace a very different business model, can
make serious money -- probably more than current earnings -- by decreasing
costs of accessing technology, litigation and developing early-stage
innovation," Jefferson said.

The companies will likely need to see a clear synergy in order to invest,
said Stephen Maurer, an attorney and lecturer with the Goldman School of
Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley, who proposed an
open-source approach for developing tropical disease drugs in a paper
published in the December issue of the Public Library of Science.

"IBM funds open-source software," Maurer said. "Why? Because IBM sells
hardware. You have to tell the same story about why people out in the world
would invest in research to develop this kernel."

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