Blue day as Florigene and Suntory unveil a biotech holy grail

It has taken 15 years, but Australian company Florigene and its Japanese parent Suntory say they have succeeded in creating the holy grail of floristry -- the blue rose.

According to Florigene's R&D director Dr John Mason, the colour of the new rose is not yet a true blue, but instead is a mauvey blue. The blue colour comes from the company's patented delphinidin gene, originally isolated from the petunia.

"We're in the business of creating novel colours, and we have a way to go yet. We're trying to go bluer as we believe that would also sell well," said Mason. Different shades of the blue rose are likely to be developed using a combination of breeding and genetic modification.

But while the companies have unveiled their blue rose, don't bother to put in your order yet. The rose is unlikely to be available for at least a couple of years, as it has to meet with regulatory approval before it can be commercially grown. In the meantime, florists will have to make do with Florigene/Suntory's range of blue carnations, which have been on the market since the mid-1990s.

The two companies have been working together on the project since 1990, when Florigene was still known as Calgene Australia. Last year, Suntory bought Florigene from agritech company Nufarm, which had acquired the biotech flower breeders in 2000.