Talking Biotech Podcast

Tweet On December 6, 2018 environmental advocate Erin Brockovich published a high-profile opinion piece in The Guardian.  The piece was laced with scientific inaccuracies and inflammatory rhetoric about glyphosate, indicating in no uncertain terms that it causes cancer and is present in just about all food. None of these claims are supported by peer-reviewed literature.  Further examination shows that Brockovich is a consultant for the law firm that is managing the class action against one company that manufactures the compound. In this week’s podcast Rob Saik and Kevin Folta sit down and discuss the piece and the sad tale of a powerful voice for environment and consumer protection selling out to non-scientific interests.  Follow Rob on Twitter  @RSaik Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet Dr. Thomas Zinnen has worked with the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service for almost three decades. His principal job has been sharing information about technology with the state through creative programs and activities. He shares his thoughts on communication with the public, along with some excellent examples of how to get non-scientists to implement scientific reasoning.  Follow Tom on Twitter  @tmzinnen Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet Gary Nolan works in marketing, but enjoys science podcasts, including Talking Biotech.  He also frequently blogs about politics, social trends, and science. He finds that he still wrestles with some of the concepts around genetic engineering.  This week’s podcast is dedicated to Gary and folks like him– those that want to ask their questions and get honest answers.  This week Dr. Kevin Folta answers Gary’s questions about gene editing, transgenic plants and a host of other issues. Follow Gary Nolan on Twitter  @lgcllibertarian Website : Logical Libertarian Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet Plant breeding is an important discipline, and the foundation of plant genetic improvements.  While modern techniques like gene editing sometimes steal the spotlight, the foundational varieties must have outstanding performance before such amendments are remotely relevant.  Today plant breeders are in high demand, both in industry and academia.  Drs. Patricio Muñoz and Marcio Resende are two early-career plant breeders, working on blueberry and sweetcorn, respectively.  Both implement the most modern genomics approaches to breeding and selection, with an eye on accelerating production of new varieties. As relatively recent graduates, both provide their insights into the preparation necessary to find a fulfilling career in plant breeding. Follow Dr. Patricio Muñoz  on Twitter  @BBerryBreeding Website :  Muñoz Lab, Blueberry Breeding at University of Florida Follow Dr. Marcio Resende on Twitter @MarcioResendeJr Website :  Resende Lab, Sweet Corn Breeding at University of Florida Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet The term “Conflict of Interest” is thrown around a lot these days, mostly to sully reputations or cast doubt on quality research. That perception of what a conflict of interest is, is quite different than what it actually is.  Dr. Chris MacDonald is an expert in Conflict of Interest, disclosure and transparency at Ryerson University.  We had a great discussion about what a conflict of interest is, how to avoid them, and how to operate in a climate where the term is so frequently misapplied. Follow Dr. MacDonald on Twitter   @ethicsblogger Read The Business Ethics Blog The Concise Encylopedia of Business Ethics Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet They are farmers.  They also own A&C Liquid Assets, a liquor store in Hoxie, Kansas.  Allison and Cole Nondorf saw the Smirnoff commercial where they proudly proclaim that they reject “GMO” seed technology, the same seeds that the Nondorf’s (and most of their community) use on their farms.  The idea of selling Smirnoff products when the company brazenly rejects the technology your community depends on, seemed to be incompatible ideas.  A&C Liquid Assets pulled all of the products and hopes to bring attention to how companies that support non-scientific, anti-farmer positions need to be called out and not supported. Please be sure to “LIKE” A&C Liquid Assets on Facebook! Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet The future gets closer every day, and many argue that technology will radically change the world for the better in the next 20 years– if we have the courage to let it.  Matt Ward is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor and host of the Fringe FM Podcast.  He shares his provocative view of how technology is shifting life and priorities, and how the strangling force of regulation stands to slow progress. Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet What do we use to feed our food?  From cattle to fish, livestock require substantial inputs to thrive, and a substantial part of that is their feed.  This has measurable impacts from the environment to producer costs.  Sam Glickstein of Biotrophics has a solution.  Sustainability might be surprising, but he offers an excellent solution. Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet The mango is an incredibly important fruit worldwide, yet little is known about its precise origins or domestication. Today’s podcast explores this important fruit with Dr. Emily Warschefsky, who studied this fruit during her doctoral training. She reveals a surprising background story about this popular fruit. Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet Today’s episode is where Kevin Folta answers common questions from listeners. In the second half, we discuss the recent lawsuit against LaCroix and the alleged insecticides used as ingredients. Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet Nitrogen is required for plant growth, and is a significant input in terms of cost and environmental impact. While plants are literally surrounded by nitrogen, it is present in the atmosphere in an unusable form. Some plants (like legumes) have the ability to fix nitrogen, converting it from a gas into a form the plant can use. The idea of somehow moving this important trait from legumes (or microbes) to grain crops has long been considered a holy grail of plant biotechnology.  However, the problem is much more complex, and after decades of research it has not been possible.  But a land race of maize deep in the heart of corn’s domestication region, selected and cultivated by Indigenous People, may have solved this problem. Researchers, led by Dr. Alan Bennett at UC-Davis identified this type of corn that produces aerial roots that exude a clear mucilage. This carbohydrate-dense liquid hosts nitrogen-fixing bacteria that render atmospheric nitrogen usable by the plant.  The hope is that the study of the genes that control the plant’s association with the microbes, and study of the microbial communities, may bring about new technologies to help crop plants be less dependent on supplied nitrogen. The article on PLoS Biology The article at The Atlantic Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet The drug thalidomide was developed with tremendous promise in managing a variety of disorders, such as anxiety and morning sickness.  However, a few years after its common use it became linked to a suite of birth defects, primarily defects in limb development.  For almost sixty years scientists have tried to unravel the molecular basis of its action.  Dr. Katherine Donovan is a postdoctoral researcher at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard University.  She was the primary author on recent work that describes the molecular basis of thalidomide-based disorders. Ironically, understanding its roles in developmental disorders also illuminates possible roles in disease treatment, as it is used in treatment of some cancers and may find wider application in the future. Dr. Katherine Donovan’s website Follow her on Twitter @kdonovan1008 The Eric Fischer Lab at Dana Farber Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet There is a vanilla crisis.  The familiar flavor agent is a mixture of chemicals from an orchid- and there’s not enough being produced to satisfy demand.  But Dr. Alan Chambers knows that crisis and opportunity travel together.  He is currently engaging in breeding of vanilla orchids, hoping to improve yields and product quality.  In this episode he covers vanilla’s natural history, its current challenges in cultivation and future outlook. Visit Dr. Chambers’ Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet In framing effective discussions about any subject it is important to understand human psychology, and the mistakes we make in debate.  It also is important to understand how ingrained human tendencies shape our perceptions and skew our willingness to accept new information.  In this episode Itamar Schatz discusses these concepts, concepts that are the basis of his website Effectiviology.  We discuss critical thinking and the issues that cloud discussion like confirmation bias, logical fallacy, and other aspects of logic and reason that sometimes are lost in contentious discussion. The goal is to understand these concepts to make us better communicators about science. Visit Itamar’s website:  effectiviology.com   Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn

Tweet The herbicide glyphosate has been in use for over 40 years.  It is non-selective (kills all plants), it is inexpensive and has extremely low toxicity.  These attributes made it an important tool for municipalities, farmers, and homeowners. Use increased starting in 1996 with the advent of glyphosate-tolerant (marketed under the brand name “Roundup Ready”) crops, which have expanded in acreage ever since. Rob Saik (@rsaik) is an agronomist with significant experience and accolades in Canadian agriculture.  Along with his collaborator Chris Dufault, they compiled and analyzed Ontario government data on glyphosate use, and reported these trends. Rob describes the report and its findings. Download the report at :  robertsaik.com   Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM  Pod Directory  TuneIn