Projo.com

Ingo Potrykus, 67, modified a rice plant to produce "Golden Rice," a yellowish-colored grain that contains beta carotene, one of the building blocks of vitamin A.

The American Society of Plant Biologists, which is holding its annual conference here, presented Potrykus with its Leadership in Science Public Service award.

His research, according to Brian Hyps, a spokesman for the society, could help save the lives of millions of children who die every year in developing nations from a lack of vitamin A. It could also help avert blindness for another half-million children each year.

Potrykus's work, however, has not escaped the controversy that has surrounded the science of genetically altering plants. Several groups oppose such tinkering, arguing that we can't be sure that the genetically modified organisms won't create more problems than they solve.

Potrykus, a former professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, spent much of the 1990s trying to develop a better rice that would help alleviate some of the malnourishment suffered by those living in countries where rice is the main source of food. He wanted to give the seeds away to poor farmers.

His personal experience may have motivated him. His father, a doctor, died in the final days of World War II, and Potrykus, at age 11, fled eastern Germany. He and his brothers were forced to steal for food.

"I wanted, as a scientist, to contribute to the food security of poor people," Potrykus said in an interview yesterday. Using DNA material from daffodils and from bacteria, he and a collaborator, Peter Beyer of the University of Freiburg in Germany, finally succeeded in 1999.

They developed a plant that produced rice that was pale-yellow in color, thanks to beta carotene. That orange-yellow pigment is normally found in vegetables such as carrots and squash, but not in processed rice. The tasteless nutrient is used by the body to make vitamin A.

"It was of course, very pleasing, very exciting," Potrykus said. The scientific community didn't believe it was possible, he said. His work landed him on the cover of Time magazine last summer.

Golden rice is still several years away from being distributed. It still faces at least four years of breeding experiments and safety studies.

It could take even longer, Potrykus said, if groups opposed to genetically modified organisms, such as Greenpeace, are able to derail his plans.

Opponents say that such genetic tampering could produce plants that create unforeseen problems. There is a fear that some could harm animals or the environment.

They often cite a 1999 experiment involving "bt" corn -- genetically modified corn plants -- that were designed to produce a toxin that wards off the European corn borer. In a laboratory setting, pollen from bt corn was dusted on plants populated by monarch butterfly caterpillars, and some of the insects died. Even so, it is not yet clear whether bt corn poses a danger to these caterpillars outside of the laboratory.

Some opponents have gone to extremes to stop such research. Last month, "ecoterrorists" destroyed a field of pea plants containing transplanted genes on the West Coast. Last summer, opponents cut down $10,000 worth of experimental poplar trees in Maine.

Potrykus said his research greenhouse in Zurich has been built to protect his plants from an attack.

There is a bitterness in his voice when he talks about those who want to stop his research.

"They are not willing to discuss detailed questions. They are, by principle, against the use of transgenic plants."

There is already widespread use of genetically altered plants in this country. This year, more than 51 million acres, or 68 percent, of soybeans grown in the United States are genetically engineered, according to a survey by the Department of Agriculture. About one in four corn plants growing on U.S. farms are genetically altered.

Cosgrove, president of The American Society of Plant Biologists, said biotechnology research has given us crops that are more resistant to insects. That means farmers can use less insecticides and get a greater yield from the plants.

"Those who have studied this are confident there are no hidden monsters that are going to be unleashed on the world using this technology," Cosgrove said.

Potrykus said he remains focused on moving ahead with getting the rice in the hands of those who need it the most.