Fasilitas Uji Terbatas Pusat Penelitian Bioteknologi Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI) menghasilkan tanaman sengon (Albazia Falcataria) transgenik pertama di dunia. “Insersi gen xyloglucanase telah berhasil dilakukan ke dalam tanaman sengon,” kata pakar bioteknologi Dr. Enny Sudarmonowati seusai dikukuhkan LIPI menjadi Profesor Riset di Jakarta, 21 Mei 2010.Tanaman sengon transgenik yang mengandung gen xyloglucanase terbukti tumbuh lebih cepat dan mengandung selulosa lebih tinggi daripada tanaman kontrol. Tanaman ini berpotensi tumbuh lebih cepat saat dipindah ke lapangan. Kayu sengon bernilai ekonomis yang digunakan untuk tiang bangunan rumah, papan peti kemas, perabotan rumah tangga, pagar, hingga pulp dan kertas. Akar tunggangnya yang kuat, sehingga baik ditanam di tepi kawasan yang mudah terkena erosi dan menjadi salah satu kebijakan pemerintah (Sengonisasi) di sekitar daerah aliran sungai (DAS).
Dengan insersi gen tersebut tanaman sengon ini juga lebih mudah dihidrolisis dan menghasilkan ethanol lebih tinggi. “Gen yang telah dikloning dari sengon, yaitu sucrose synthase dan gen penyandi lignin 4-CL akan ditransformasikan lebih lanjut,” katanya. Indonesia, ujarnya, sangat ketinggalan dalam penelitian transgenik di sektor kehutanan, bahkan sampai sekarang belum ada yang diujikan ke lapangan terbatas, dari tahap sebelumnya diuji di laboratorium dan diuji di FUT.
Ia juga memaparkan, hasil penelitian rekayasa genetika tanaman kini semakin banyak dimanfaatkan, dimana pada 2009 jumlah negara yang sudah menanam tanaman transgenik secara komersial ada 25 negara dengan luas 800 juta hektar. “Untuk saat ini masih didominasi tanaman pertanian seperti jagung, kedelai dan kapas, dengan gen pembawa sifat ketahanan terhadap serangga dan herbisida, dengan negara yang paling banyak mengembangkan transgenik adalah Amerika Serikat,” katanya.
Selain cocok untuk tanaman industri, sengon transgenik pas ditanam di tepi kawasan yang mudah terkena erosi atau daerah aliran sungai. Keistimewaan lainnya, sengon transgenik mudah dihidrolisis. Artinya, kandungan selulosa dalam sengon transgenik mampu menghasilkan bioetanol. "Selulosa bisa dikonversi menjadi gula, kemudian etanol," kata Enny. Bioetanol berfungsi sebagai bahan bakar alternatif masa depan.
Agus Imam, penggiat industri kehutanan di Gresik, menyambut baik kehadiran sengon transgenik. "Yang penting aman dan tidak berpengaruh terhadap ekosistem," katanya. Jawaban laki-laki 35 tahun itu memang beralasan. Hingga kini, kehadiran teknologi transgenik masih menuai pro-kontra. Sebagian kalangan masih menganggap tanaman transgenik punya potensi besar merusak lingkungan. Hal tersebut berkaitan dengan keberadaan gen asing di dalam tubuh tanaman yang berpotensi mengubah ekologi. Misalnya matinya serangga bukan hama dan meningkatnya ketahanan gulma terhadap herbisida.
Di sisi lain, banyak yang berpendapat rekayasa genetik berdampak positif. Alasannya, selain menguntungkan, transgenik mampu menekan penggunaan produk pestisida sebagai polutan dan racun terhadap lingkungan. Enny dan Sri pun berpendapat senada. "Tidak perlu khawatir, gen-gen yang dialihekspresikan aman," ujar Sri.
Tren penelitian rekayasa genetik tanaman di dunia memang menunjukkan kenaikan. Pada 2009, tercatat 25 negara sudah menanam tanaman transgenik secara komersial. Mayoritas didominasi tanaman pertanian, seperti jagung, kedelai, dan kapas, dengan gen pembawa sifat ketahanan terhadap serangga dan herbisida. Sengon bongsor ini masih diuji coba terbatas di rumah kaca. "Tinggal menempuh penelitian kestabilan gennya," kata Enny.
(Limited Test Facility Center for Biotechnology Research Indonesia Institute of Sciences (LIPI) to produce crops sengon (Albazia Falcataria) the world's first transgenic. "Insertion xyloglucanase gene has been successfully carried into the plant sengon," says biotech expert Dr. Enny Sudarmonowati confirmed after a Research Professor of LIPI in Jakarta, May 21, 2010.
Sengon transgenic plants containing genes xyloglucanase proven to grow faster and contain cellulose higher than control plants. This plant has the potential to grow more quickly when moved into the field. Wood sengon economic value that is used for house building poles, container boards, furniture, fence, until the pulp and paper. Tunggangnya strong roots, so that both planted at the edge of the area susceptible to erosion and become one of the government policy (Sengonisasi) around the basin (watershed).
With the insertion of the gene sengon plants are also more easily hydrolyzed and produce ethanol is higher. "The genes have been cloned from sengon, ie sucrose synthase gene encoding lignin and 4-CL will be transformed further," he said. Indonesia, he said, very behind in transgenic research in the forestry sector, even until now no one has tested to the limited field, from the previous stage are tested in the laboratory and tested in the Fut.
He also explained, the results of plant genetic engineering research is now increasingly widely used, where in 2009 the number of countries that have commercial planting of GM crops there were 25 countries with an area of 800 million hectares. "For the time being still dominated by agricultural crops such as corn, soybeans and cotton, with a gene carrying resistance to insects and herbicides, with the most developed countries are the United States of GMOs," he said.
Besides suitable for industrial plants, transgenic sengon fit planted on the edge of the area susceptible to erosion or watershed. Other privileges, sengon transgenic easily hydrolyzed. That is, the content of cellulose in transgenic sengon able to produce bioethanol. "Cellulose can be converted into sugar, then ethanol," said Enny. Bioethanol serves as an alternative fuel of the future.
Agus priest, activist in Gresik forestry industry, welcomed the presence of transgenic sengon. "The important thing is safe and has no effect on the ecosystem," he said. Answer man 35 years was reasonable. Until now, the presence of transgenic technology is still reap the pros and cons. Some people still think GM crops have great potential for damaging the environment. This is related to the presence of foreign genes in the body that have the potential to change the ecology of plants. For example the death of the insects are not pests and increasing weed resistance to herbicides.
On the other hand, many argue the positive impact of genetic engineering. The reason, in addition to profitable, GM was able to suppress the use of pesticide products as pollutants and toxins on the environment. Enny and Sri also believes similar. "Not to worry, the genes that dialihekspresikan safe," said Sri.
Trends in plant genetic engineering research in the world did show an increase. In 2009, there were 25 countries already grow GM crops commercially. Dominated the majority of agricultural crops, like corn, soybeans, and cotton, with the nature of genes for resistance to insects and herbicides. Sengon bongsor tested is still limited in the greenhouse. "Just take the stability of their gene research," said Enny.)
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