Plant & Animal Genomes XIII Conference Plant & Animal Genomes XIII ConferenceJanuary 15-19, 2005
Town & Country Convention Center
San Diego, CA
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), one of humanity’s oldest crops, has traditionally been used to make dyes and medicines. In North America, safflower is cultivated mainly for its seed, which is used for birdseed, animal meal, industrial applications, and for edible oil production. Safflower oil is non-allergenic and is considered to be one of the healthiest oils for human consumption since it has a high ratio of polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids. Also, safflower oil contains high levels of vitamin E, which is a natural antioxidant molecule. Additionally, since it is odorless, light, and quickly absorbed, safflower oil is becoming more prominent and favored in the skincare field.
Due to limited production and use on a world-wide scale, safflower research is currently lagging far behind research done on canola, soybean and other important oilseed crop species. Recently, there has been significant interest in using safflower for molecular farming applications to create high-value end products. For example, SemBioSys Genetics Inc., a Calgary-based plant biotech company, has formed strategic partnerships with other companies to utilize safflower as a production vehicle for various pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical and food-related applications. This in turn has triggered significant interest in the development of a research program to better characterize this species at a molecular level. SemBioSys Genetics Inc. is addressing this interest by initiating a research program in safflower, which will include a genomics component. Such research is expected to benefit international farmers, breeders, researchers, and companies that have a vested interest in this important oilseed crop.