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== Gates Foundation Project ==One effort to create genetically engineered bananas is funded by the [[Gates Foundation]] and is being led by [[James L. Dale]] at the [[Queensland University of Technology]] in Brisbane, Australia. The goal is to create "transgenic Cavendish bananas expressing either increased pro-vitamin A, vitamin E, or iron" and to introduce them to Uganda, where the average person consumes more than 1 kg of bananas each day.<ref>[http://www.grandchallenges.org/ImproveNutrition/Challenges/NutrientRichPlants/Pages/Bananas.aspx Optimisation of Bioavailable Nutrients in Transgenic Bananas], Accessed March 11, 2012.</ref> === Funding ===The [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]] first funded a project with a grant of $3,946,708 to the [[Queensland University of Technology]] in July 2005 "to develop bananas with increased micronutrient content."<ref>[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grants-2005/Pages/Queensland-University-of-Technology-OPP37878.aspx Grant OPP37878 - Queensland University of Technology], Accessed March 11, 2012.</ref> They followed this up with a grant of $4,489,552, also to the [[Queensland University of Technology]], in August 2009 "to improve the nutritional status in Uganda and surrounding countries through the generation of farmer and consumer acceptable edible bananas with significantly increased fruit levels of pro-vitamin A and iron."<ref>[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grants-2009/Pages/Queensland-University-of-Technology-OPP37878_01.aspx Grant OPP37878_01 Grant OPP37878_01 - Queensland University of Technology], Accessed March 11, 2012.</ref>The total amount in grants equals $8.4 million. === Collaborators ===Collaborators include:<ref>[http://www.grandchallenges.org/ImproveNutrition/Challenges/NutrientRichPlants/Pages/Bananas.aspx Optimisation of Bioavailable Nutrients in Transgenic Bananas], Accessed March 11, 2012.</ref>* [[ProCell, Inc.]], Maryland, United States* [[National Agricultural Research Organisation (Uganda)|National Agricultural Research Organisation]], Uganda* [[Africa Harvest]], Nairobi, Kenya* [[Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute]], KARI, Kampala, Uganda* [[Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute]], MARI, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania* Beyer's Lab, Freiberg, Germany* Sayre's Lab, Ohio State University, Ohio, United States