Talking Biotech Podcast

Tweet Hormones, antibiotics, GMOs…  A trip to the grocery store is a battle against fear and guilt.  From marketers to activists, there is a concerted effort afoot to use fear, shame and guilt to shape consumer food choices.  Sadly, this is happening at a time of unprecedented abundance, yet a time when farmers are facing difficulty in competing against low prices and endless regulation.  Michele Payn is a popular speaker and author that is here to talk about her book Food Truths.  The book analyzes the hot areas of public controversy, and uses scientific evidence and on-farm common sense to separate fact from fiction. Twitter:  @Mpaynspeaker Website:  Cause Mattters Buy the book:  Food Truths from Farm to Table   Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet Aflatoxins are trace compounds produced by certain fungi, and represent a legitimate food safety risk.  These fungi grow on corn, peanuts and other crops, especially in warm, humid areas that lack fungal control measures.  They have been connected to numerous human diseases, primarily liver cancer, but also cause problems in livestock fed contaminated grain.  Dr. Monica Schmidt of the University of Arizona has a good solution.  Her team has expressed an RNA sequence in corn that matches the genetic sequence in the fungus. Upon invasion, the fungus takes up the RNA from the corn, and it shuts down the genes required for aflatoxin production.  There are no effects on the corn kernel itself.  This work shows that safer food could be produced by arming the plant with genetic defenses it could implement in fighting fungal contamination and the toxins it produces. Dr. Schmidt’s lab website   Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet   The effects of farm insect controls on butterflies and bees are important to understand.  Dr. Ric Bessin is an Extension Professor from the University of Kentucky is an entomologist that has studied this relationship.  The discussion covers GE crops and monarch butterflies, habitat loss, and host plants, as well as the relationship between bees and insect controls.  Hosted by Dr. Paul Vincelli. Dr. Bessin’s website is here.  Follow Dr. Paul Vincelli  @pvincell Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet We get lots of comments that the favorite episodes are when Kevin Folta answers your questions about food, farming, and genetic engineering.  Not to disappoint, this entire episode is dedicated to your questions. Except for the update on the “GMO Corn Experiment“!! with special guest Vern Blazek Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet How do biotech seeds affect the end user?  If you listened to the “experts” they’d tell you that farmers were forced to buy seeds they didn’t want, because companies controlled their farms. Tell that to Rob Sharkey.  Rob is a farmer in Illinois that has been growing traited seeds his entire life, or at least as far as he can remember.  He’s become an outstanding advocate for agriculture with a great podcast, hordes of loyal followers, and a wonderful grasp on how farming actually works. We need more voices like Rob.  Think about ways we can help you amplify your message. Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn  

Tweet Pears are favorite tree fruits, yet they are limited in varieties and availability.  Dr. Amit Dhingra from Washington State University explains the roots of pear domestication, its improvement, and why we see so few varieties.  In the second part of the podcast we explore some of the problems with creating new groves or orchards– where do we get more trees?  How can we do it faster?  He has started a company that addresses this important issue. Follow Dr. Amit Dhingra  @aamitdhingra Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet    There are no compounds that can be sprayed to fight plant viruses, so plant protection requires managing the insects that spread them.  This means use of insecticides that cost money and have potential impacts, such as affecting non-target insects.  Scientists have successfully used RNA-based strategies to fight plant viruses, but that has been through use of transgenic approaches where genetic material of the virus is expressed by the plant cell, triggering resistance.  Dr. Neena Mitter uses a different approach.  Her team has successfully suppressed viruses with sustained resistance using RNA delivered with clay-based nanoparticles.  The approach suppresses the virus, and now is being translated to field trials.  Hosted by Dr. Paul Vincelli. Dr. Mitter’s website is here: https://qaafi.uq.edu.au/profile/279/neena-mitter Follow Dr. Paul Vincelli  @pvincell Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet Did you know that broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage are all the same species?  Just like dogs are highly-diverse members of the same species descended from a common ancestor, the members of Brassica oleracea also share a common genetic origin.  In this episode I’m joined by Dr. J. Chris Pires and his graduate students Makenzie Mabry and Shawn Abrahams from the University of Missouri.  We discuss the genetic origins of these crops, their evolution and genetic improvement trends.   Follow them on Twitter at @KenzieMabry @AbrahamsRS @JChrisPires and via the website https://pires.biology.missouri.edu/ Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet The National Academies of Science is one of the most respected scientific organizations on the planet, composed of well-established scientists and other scholars that perform important functions in vetting scientific claims and steering scientific agendas of a nation.  Every several years the NAS commissions a review of the literature on genetic engineering in crop plants.  Over the last several years the NAS appointed a diverse group do perform the 3rd such comprehensive evaluation. Dr. Fred Gould was the Chair of that group, and speaks with Dr. Paul Vincelli about the charge to the committee and some of the outcomes. The report can be downloaded for free here. Follow Paul Vincelli at @Pvincell Follow the Talking Biotech Podcast at @TalkingBiotech Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet   Following on last week’s episode, plants contain a family of genes called “R genes” that play important roles in resistance to disease. They are part of an evolutionary arms race between plants and pathogens.  Matt Helm is a graduate student at Indiana University in Roger Innes’ lab. They are working on reworking the networks that sense pathogens, hoping to adapt their sensitivity to threats not innately sensed. In other words, putting different different bait on the mousetrap in the interest of catching a different pest with the same hardware. Follow Matt at @Mattdhelm Follow Kevin Folta at @kevinfolta Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet Plants contain a family of genes called “R genes” that play important roles in resistance to disease.  Plants and pathogens exist in an evolutionary arms race, each developing new means to attack or defend against the other.  Professor Jonathan Jones has been at the forefront of R gene biology for decades.  How to plants use these specialized molecules to detect a pathogen?  How do pathogens evade detection?  How can these genes be mixed and matched between plants to create new varieties resistant to disease?  Hosted by Dr. Paul Vincelli. Follow Dr. Jones at @jonathandgjones Follow Dr. Paul Vincelli  @pvincell Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet When we discuss new technology with the public, there is inevitable fear and push back with at least a fraction of those we are trying to reach. How we address this is critical to our own credibility.  Jay Baer is an author and consultant in customer service and marketing.  He has written the book Hug Your Haters, a book that outlines the value of criticism and the proper ways to address it.  These concepts are especially important in the days of social media. These tips from marketing translate well to science communication, as we attempt to share science with an oftentimes skeptical audience. Follow Jay at @jaybaer Blog at www.jaybaer.com www.convinceandconvert.com   Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn   Follow Kevin Folta :  Twitter  @kevinfolta Professional Facebook-  https://www.facebook.com/kmfolta/ Lab website:  www.arabidopsisthaliana.com All funding:  www.kevinfolta.com/transparency

Tweet I’ll always remember 2016 as an eclectic mix of hell and success.  We learned a lot about how to engage the public and got lots of practice.  We took a lot of heat, suffered lots of personal and professional damage and defamation.  We got through it by telling the truth, being soft, and enjoying a conversation about science with the world’s experts.  Ultimately the efforts led to wonderful recognition that maybe provided a better conduit for the message.  But what can we do better in 2017?  Today’s podcast provides that guidance.  What are the resolutions we can make now that can serve as helpful guidelines in improved communications in the new year?  With guest Dr. Paul Vincelli @Pvincell Follow Kevin Folta :  Twitter  @kevinfolta Professional Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kmfolta/ Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet   Experts agree that dogs have evolved from the gray wolf, but after that there are many questions and debates about how and why they became our prized companions.  Prof. Greger Larson applies the lessons of evolution, archaeology and genomics to describe the canine lineage and describe this progression.  There are many inferences and surprises along the way, and DNA from dog fossils is shedding light on this interesting question.   Follow Prof. Larson at @Greger_Larson or www.palaeobarn.com  Also, Chelsea Boonstra and The Boonstra Report. Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn

Tweet Discussion of biotechnology risks and benefits frequently cites “terminator genes” as a reason to oppose the technology. The fear is that these plants contain genetic information that can release widespread plant sterility, leading to the demise of the planet. However, there is much more to the story. The inventor of the technology, Dr. Mel Oliver, describes why the technology was devised, and how far it moved toward application. In the first part of the podcast, Florida high school students were interviewed about biotechnology. These were students that just completed a certificate program in biotech, and they share their thoughts about the technology and how it fits with their values and long-term aspirations.  Also, Chelsea Boonstra and The Boonstra Report. Like the podcast?  Please subscribe and write a review!  Stitcher    iTunes   Player FM   TuneIn