垩白是水稻育种中最重要的农艺性状之一，直接影响稻米的品质。本研究利用化学诱变剂MNU处理韩国粳稻品种Hwacheong（HC），获得一个稳定遗传的垩白突变体chalk-h。与野生型HC相比，chalk-h突变体籽粒表现出垩白特性，叶片呈黄绿色，株高降低。扫描电镜(SEM)分析表明，chalk-h突变体淀粉粒大小不规则、排列松散、颗粒间间隙大、呈椭圆形或圆形。MutMap分析显示，chalk-h突变体的垩白表型由编码seryl-tRNA合成酶的单隐性基因LOC_Os11g39670控制，该基因被重新命名为CHALK-H。在chalk-h突变体中CHALK-H基因的第6外显子(第791核苷酸)发生点突变，其腺嘌呤(A)被胸腺嘧啶(T)取代，导致氨基酸密码子由谷氨酰胺(Glu)变为缬氨酸(Val)。chalk-h突变体从三叶期开始表现为黄绿色叶片、色素含量降低等热敏表型。与野生型HC相比，chalk-h突变体在不同灌浆期淀粉合成相关基因的转录表达下调，随着温度的升高，chalk-h突变体中光合相关基因的表达下调。将CHALK-H基因过量表达于chalk-h突变体，其垩白胚乳和黄绿叶片颜色恢复为野生型。研究结果表明，CHALK-H控制稻米垩白和叶片颜色。CHALK-H是已报道参与高温下叶绿体发育相关基因TSCD11的等位基因。我们认为，CHALK-H/TSCD11在水稻生长发育过程中不仅参与叶绿体发育，而且参与光合作用和淀粉合成，在水稻优质高产育种中具有广阔的应用前景。

在东北地区，鳞翅目害虫二化螟严重影响水稻产量和品质。本研究利用农杆菌介导法，将Bt抗虫基因cry1C导入到东北粳稻品种吉粳88。利用分子检测和抗Basta发芽试验，从126个转cry1C基因独立转化体中筛选出16个单拷贝纯合转基因株系。通过对cry1C蛋白水平、抗虫性和农艺性状的评价，最终获得4个高抗二化螟且产量高于非转基因对照品种的cry1C转基因株系，JL16、JL23、JL41和JL42。T-DNA侧翼序列分析结果表明，在转基因株系JL42中cry1C基因插入到第11号染色体基因间区，可推测未发生位置效应。本研究培育出4个抗二化螟转基因粳稻品系，为水稻抗虫育种提供了理论基础与新种质资源。

A synthetic cry2A* gene encoding Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) δ-endotoxin that resistance to lepidopteran pest was transformed into japonica rice variety Jijing 88, which is the most widely cultivated variety in Jilin Province, Northeast China, by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. A total of 106 independent transformants overexpressing cry2A* gene driven by ubiquitin (Ubi) promoter was produced. Three single-copy homozygous transgenic lines were finally selected based on the results of PCR analysis, segregation ratio of Basta resistance, and Southern hybridization analyses. RT-PCR and enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that cry2A* transcripts and protein were highly expressed in these lines. The high level of Cry2A* protein expression resulted in high resistance to rice striped stem borer as evidenced by insect feeding bioassays. Our results demonstrate that cry2A* transgenic japonica rice confers resistance to the rice striped stem borer in the laboratory conditions.

Access to security and safe food is a basic human necessity and essential for a sustainable world. To perform hi-end food safety analysis and risk assessment with state of the art technologies is of utmost importance thereof. With applications as exemplified by microfluidic immunoassay, aptasensor, direct analysis in real time, high resolution mass spectrometry, benchmark dose and chemical specific adjustment factor, this review presents frontier food safety analysis and risk assessment technologies, from which both food quality and public health will benefit undoubtedly in a foreseeable future.