Uganda is at an interesting precipice. They have invested in biotech solutions to solve problems in their central food staples, namely the matooke. The matooke is a starchy banana, and while a cornerstone of the diet, it is threatened by disease. Most people are farmers, and tend to ‘gardens’ of 2-3 acres, these are subsistence farmers that use the gardens to feed their families. Xanthamonas bacterial wilt can destroy entire stands of trees. But scientists in Uganda have used breeding and geneti...
Oct 21, 2017•54 min•Ep. 105
Simple solutions can sometimes have tremendous impacts. In this episode Bret Rierson from the World Food Programme discusses a solution to enhancing food security in Africa and around the world. Most African farmers are small acreage subsistence farmers. They eat and trade what the produce. A simple hermetically-sealed, in-home grain silo can protect a harvest from insects, preserving the yield for longer term use, or sale in more favorable market windows. This solution can aid in the transition...
Oct 14, 2017•25 min•Ep. 104
The evolution of weed and insect resistance to traditional controls has brought about the need for new approaches in crop protection. Today’s guest is Dr. Doug Sammons (@wiltedweeds) is a biochemist from the Monsanto Company. He has spent a career in understanding mechanisms of herbicide action and resistance, and now discusses new approaches using RNAi to enhance weed sensitivity to herbicide treatment. The result is better weed control and decreased need for herbicide treatments. Hosted by Sar...
Oct 07, 2017•30 min•Ep. 103
The American Chestnut dominated the Appalachian landscape, ranging from Georgia all the way to Maine. In the late 1800’s a pathogen imported on a tree to the Bronx Zoo spread rapidly into wild populations, destroying millions of trees, and radically changing the forest. There are natural sources of resistance to the pathogen that are being introduced to the American Chestnut with traditional breeding. Transgenic solutions have also been developed. Dr. Jared Westbrook is leading breeding efforts ...
Sep 30, 2017•37 min•Ep. 102
The diamondback moth is a formidable agricultural pest, causing tremendous losses on farms and requiring significant cultural and chemical-based management on both conventional and organic farms. Dr. Tony Shelton has studied the diamonback moth for decades, and now has initiated the first open field trails of a genetically engineered sterile insect technique that could be a helpful solution. Dr. Shelton discusses the potential risks, benefits, promises and pushbacks from proposing this technolog...
Sep 23, 2017•44 min•Ep. 101
Any podcast’s 100th episode is reason to celebrate. In Talking Biotech’s 100th episode Chris Barbey interviews its originator, Dr. Kevin Folta, Professor and Chairman of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida. They discuss the current research efforts in Folta’s lab along with his science communication efforts and how activists have reshaped his career– simply because he spoke about science. Also, his new roles in science communication. # COLABRA Talking Biotech is br...
Sep 16, 2017•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 100
The herbicide glyphosate has been used for over 40 years and is a relatively safe and effective method to control weeds on the farm, in municipal areas and around the home. It has been approved for safe use by many countries and evaluations by multiple independent governments have declared it to have minimal risk when used as directed. However, glyphosate is the compound used on some genetically engineered crops. Activists have targeted this compound in an attempt to limit the use of genetically...
Sep 09, 2017•35 min•Ep. 99
Modern cats are a lot like their wild counterparts, with specific traits that were gained through domestication. Prof. Eva-Maria Geigl is a paleo-geneticist who examines ancient DNA sequences from mummified cat remains, and has reconstructed a genetic history of modern cats. Genetic evidence explains their origins and radiation, as well as key traits associated with human relations. # COLABRA Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing...
Sep 02, 2017•35 min•Ep. 98
The annual report by agricultural economists Brookes and Barfoot is a helpful resource to understand the impacts of agricultural biotechnology. The peer-reviewed report is dense, and contains substantial information about crop use, yields, production statistics, and ag input use worldwide. It is a tremendous resource for hard data for discussing crops and the crop protection chemistries used. Today’s podcast is an interview with Dr. Graham Brookes, the lead author of the report. We discuss inter...
Aug 26, 2017•46 min•Ep. 97
Regulation of new technology in food crops is important for many reasons. It is critical to ensure safety, but a robust regulatory system also shapes consumer sentiment. Today’s guest is Dr. Robert Potter. Dr. Potter has a diverse background spanning from molecular biology bench skills through participation in many nodes of the regulatory system. He explains the importance of regulation and how regulation is performed in the Canadian system. Other topics, like the Bt brinjal, are also discussed....
Aug 19, 2017•40 min•Ep. 96
Understanding animal stress is important for many reasons. If we know how the animal brain responds to change it helps us understand habitat destruction and climate effects on population dynamics, and can provide important information about human impacts, adaptation, and animal conservation. Understanding the animal neurological and physiological response to stress in models translates well to other animals, including humans. This week’s podcast is a discussion with Dr. Christine Lattin, a postd...
Aug 12, 2017•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 95
Back in 2012 a paper rocked the scientific community . The claim was that small RNA molecules in dietary plant products could escape digestion, move through the bloodstream, and cause regulatory changes in animal physiology. The concept was that the food we ate could change gene expression in new, unexpected ways. For those of us studying the literature this was a great breakthrough that seemed impossible– but we all desperately wanted it to be true. It would open a new area of science and great...
Aug 05, 2017•41 min•Ep. 94
A story exploded in the New York Times claiming that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and a potent herbicide, was detected in 10/11 flavors of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. The anti-biotech universe propagated the story, implying a dangerous threat from this historically socially responsible product. There are several important questions here. *Is this an appropriate way to report scientific findings? *Are the results reliable? *Why was Ben and Jerry’s targeted by this activist effort? ...
Jul 29, 2017•45 min•Ep. 93
Dr. Sabina Vidal is a professor at the National Republic University in Uruguay. Her lab is interested in the genetic improvement of soybean, especially in response to abiotic stress. This episode talks about her journey, her lab’s approaches, and about the strangling regulations that stop innovation from being implemented. The over-reaching regulatory burdens eliminate the possibility of researchers in Uruguay from being able to release their own solutions, leaving Uruguay (a country where almos...
Jul 22, 2017•40 min•Ep. 92
Today’s genomics explosion has foundations in seminal discoveries in molecular biology almost 50 years ago. Today’s guest, Sir Richard Roberts, was a pivotal figure in a number of these areas. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1993 as a co-discoverer of the intron, a part of many eukaryotic genes that contains no protein-coding function, yet can have important roles in a gene’s structure as well as mRNA stability and processing. He shares his memories of the methods that led to the discovery of ...
Jul 15, 2017•40 min•Ep. 91
Neonicotinoids (neonics) are a class of insecticides based on natural plant compounds that disrupt the insect nervous system. They are used because they have relatively low toxicity on non-insects. They are applied as seed coatings, so when a seed germinates the water-soluble insecticides are taken up and mobilized throughout the plant, providing protection against insects that feed on it. The strategy decreases the need for aerial spraying of broad-spectrum insecticides. Because of these attrib...
Jul 08, 2017•43 min•Ep. 90
Domestication Dr. Lazaro Peres De novo domestication also has the potential to expand genetic diversity in crops, potentially conferring additional roles in food security. # COLABRA Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/ # TALKING BIOTECH Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/ Instagram: htt...
Jul 01, 2017•42 min•Ep. 89
The representation of crop biotechnology in film has been an asymmetrical assault on science and reason. Food Evolution breaks that trend. The film tells several stories of biotech applications, where “GMO” crops are the centers of policy decisions. The film features scientists standing up for science and reason, and activists working hard against it, pushing to influence policy even if it means hurting people. Today’s podcast features two interviews. First Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam speaks of her...
Jun 21, 2017•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 88
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, has been used as a non-selective (kills all plants) herbicide since 1970. It blocks a necessary step in plant metabolism and the plant dies, yet it has lower acute toxicity than table salt to animals. It is inexpensive, and a small amount works well, with rapid turnover in the environment. For this reason it has been widely used in municipal, agricultural and residential applications for decades. Glyphosate sales increased upon the adve...
Jun 17, 2017•26 min•Ep. 87
The documentary space is filled with disparaging films about food science, including those that target biotechnology. Many of these films feature artistic flair, and tell a compelling story through the lens of the camera– even if it is not true. Filmmaker Nick Saik applies his craft to in the development of a science-based documentary about the use of technology to feed more people, more nutritious food. In this conversation, he discusses his motivations, his philosophies and release plans for t...
Jun 10, 2017•39 min•Ep. 86
Forests are under many threats, from new pests and pathogens, to invasive trees, to climate. The advancement of these traits by far exceeds the natural response of trees to acclimate, and outpaces the efforts to traditionally breed trees for forest conservation and restoration. Dr. Ellen V. Crocker is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Kentucky. She talks about the current threats to forests including sudden oak death, chestnut blight and the emerald ash borer. She also discusses eff...
Jun 03, 2017•41 min•Ep. 85
While the technologies of genetic engineering are quite commonplace, it was not always the case. The scientists that blazed the trail hold tremendous history, and it is good to visit with them to understand where the technology came from and where it is going. Dr. Maurice Moloney was there in the beginning, working with Calgene and some early issues in transgenic crops. He also has served as a leader in some of the world’s preeminent plant science institutions. Dr. Moloney provides interesting a...
May 27, 2017•47 min•Ep. 84
In the race to feed 10 billion people by 2050 some agricultural production will shift to where people live. The idea of vertical farms or repurposing urban space for agriculture is becoming increasingly feasible, as lighting, cooling, and automation advances are more and more efficient. These concepts are being explored worldwide. The International Congress on Controlled Environment Agriculture met in Panama City, Panama, and it was a great opportunity to interview the experts about how to grow ...
May 19, 2017•45 min•Ep. 83
Uruguay is a major producer of soy and corn from genetically engineered seeds, with over 2.5 million acres in production. Dr. Paul Vincelli talks about the regulatory framework in Uruguay with Dr. Alejandra Ferenczi, Head of Biosecurity with the Ministry of Agriculture in Uruguay. The regulatory system of Uruguay involves many levels of regulation and input to evaluate the safety of the crops. Dr. Ferenczi discusses how multiple regulatory bodies perform risk analysis, risk assessments and commu...
May 13, 2017•43 min•Ep. 82
In the industrialized world the potato is defined as one of a few varieties of tuber crops. But there is tremendous diversity available to be exploited, and potato breeders are folding that into modern germplasm using a variety of methods. Dr. David Douches from Michigan State University describes some of the current efforts in traditional potato breeding. The history of potato improvement is discussed, along with the efforts to introduce genes from wild populations that can improve cultivated v...
May 07, 2017•38 min•Ep. 81
The sweet potato has special seasonal or fast-food application in the industrialized world, but in many parts of the world it is an important part of the daily diet. The sweet potato is botanically distinct from the standard solanaceous potato, and stands to have additional application as a nutritious food for new populations. Dr. Jan Kreuze is classically trained in plant virology and has practiced his craft in potatoes. He is currently working at the Center for Potato Improvement (CIP) in Lima...
Apr 29, 2017•40 min•Ep. 80
The issues of biotechnology benefit from examination from social scientists. There are scientists that help define the social reaction to science and the way that scientists need to communicate issues in technology. Dr. Matthew Harsh is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Engineering Technology at Concordia University in Montreal Canada. The discussion talks about the interface of natural sciences and social sciences, and how discussions can affect policy. Tips are also provided for how to ...
Apr 22, 2017•34 min•Ep. 79
What are Specialty Crops? These are the crops of the produce aisle, fruits, vegetables, nuts. These are high-value crops that receive relatively little research funding compared to other types of the big-ag crops, things like corn, wheat, sugar and soy. Helena Bottemiller-Evich is the Senior Food and Ag Reporter for Politico, and asks the question, “Why is the government not putting more funding into the foods we are supposed to be eating?” Helena discusses the paradox of funding for fruits and ...
Apr 15, 2017•57 min•Ep. 78
The newest and most promising therapies for challenging cancers are adopting molecular-biology strategies. Brain tumors are especially problematic because of their location impedes patient function and presents formidable barriers to surgical treatments. But new molecular approaches show promise. A series of new techniques from viruses genetically trained to attack the tumor, to genetic modifications of immune cells, to new types of monoclonal antibodies represent a few of the new tricks researc...
Apr 08, 2017•41 min•Ep. 77
This week’s podcast is an important discussion, a cautionary tale of what can happen when genetically-engineered crops are introduced to the environment. Circumstances may lead to release of the transgene into sexually compatible wild plants, leading to its persistence in non-crop species. Dr. Carol Mallory-Smith from Oregon State University has analyzed gene flow in grasses, and was the perfect match for understanding the issue of gene flow from genetically-engineered, roundup-ready, creeping b...
Apr 01, 2017•35 min•Ep. 76
