Dr. Potrykus said he would like to retire and pursue their shared passion for chasing rare bird sightings around Europe for a videotape atlas he is compiling. As long as his mission remains unfulfilled, however, bird-watching must remain a hobby. So Dr. Potrykus continues to work from an office in his home, responding to criticisms on the Internet and finalizing plans for distributing golden rice. A colleague is sharing a desk with him. And he is working with the only two members of his team remaining at the institute to try to increase the amount of iron in rice in order to combat anemia, another scourge of people who subsist on a diet of rice and little else.
Anemia affects about two billion people, especially weakening children and pregnant women.
Dr. Potrykus said golden rice had received considerable attention, but he considers boosting iron in rice to be even more important. Copyright 2000 New York Times . All rights reserved.