Talking Biotech Podcast

Tweet The American Society of Plant Biologists is the largest professional society for plant biologists.  Dr. Mary Williams discusses some of the ways that ASPB can mentor young scientists, develop careers, partake in ambassador programs, interact with others, and learn communication skills.  Hosted by Modesta Abugu. Mary Williams on Twitter: @PlantTeaching Modesta Abugu on Twitter: @modestannedi

Tweet Like many areas of science, the early days of genomics quickly became a male-dominated discipline.  While more women were earning advanced degrees and training in this area, fewer were finding a place in faculty and other leadership positions.  Dr. Kellye Eversole and others developed a group to advance networking channels, provide career advice, and relay funding opportunities with the interest in connecting women scientists with others in genomics.  For over twenty years this organization has helped to raise opportunities for women in genomics, especially early-career scientists.  Their support has helped accelerate the careers of many women in science. Hosted by Modesta Abugu. www.womeningenomics.org On Twitter follow #womeningenomics Follow Modesta Abugu on Twitter  The Talking Biotech Podcast is produced and funded by Kevin Folta outside of business hours.   The information provided is that of the hosts, guests and producer, and is in no way intended to reflect the views of the University of Florida, its administration, faculty, staff, or students. 

Tweet Cassava is a staple food crop in Africa and Asia, yet is widely unknown by the industrialized world.  While almost a billion people depend on this crop, production is limited by a series of diseases, and it also lacks critical nutrients that could help reverse local deficiencies. Dr. Chiedozie Egesi is a scientist dedicated to cassava improvement. He discusses the crop, the challenges to growth, and how biotechnology solutions could help facets of production.  They also discuss some of the recent momentum in biotech adoption in Africa.  Hosted by Modesta Abugu. Follow Dr. Egesi Website Twitter Follow Modesta Abugu on Twitter 

Tweet I’ve dreaded this day.  I have not missed a Saturday in a long time, but after told to end the series by my institution I have not been able to find someone that can do the work to host the podcast on a weekly basis. I hope that those that complained to the university feel good about their accomplishment.  And it is people that claim to be friends of science, BTW. Right now the most prudent move is to go on a hiatus. I need time to regroup. My feeling is that I’m just going to come back, continue the podcast, and navigate the consequences. It does not make it easy. Sharing science is my passion and communicating the truths and deciphering the evidence is more critical than ever.  It is a shame I work for an institution  that does not share that view. Please do not unsubscribe yet.  Stand by. I should know more about the fate of this vehicle by the end of January. Thank you for listening to the Talking Biotech Podcast, and I’ll talk to you soon.  Thank you. Kevin  

Tweet Kenya is an emerging economy and has significant investment in advanced technologies.  However, a 2013 ban on biotech crops has limited farmer access to the most needed technologies for the field.  That moratorium is finally being lifted, as biotech cotton has been approved and will be available to farmers in 2020.  Farmers recognize the potential for Bt cotton to reduce or eliminate dependence on the insecticides currently required for production.  Today’s guest is Daniel Magondu, Chairman of the Society of Biotech Farmers of Kenya.  The episode is hosted by Modesta Abugu, a graduate student studying tomato improvement. Follow Modesta Abugu on Twitter: @modestannedi About the Society of Biotech Farmers in Kenya (SOBIFAK)

Tweet Dr. Stuart Smyth is no stranger to anyone that has watched social media.  As a leading ag economist he has consistently represented science and technology fairly and accurately, and tethered to his prolific publication of books and scholarly publication, he is a visible influencer in scientific and social media circles.  In today’s podcast we discuss his views on risks and benefits of GE crops, the rules of the EU and his home country of Canada.  We discuss the future of new technology, and made a few predictions about the next decade. Follow Dr. Smyth on Twitter:  @stuartsmyth66 His website at University of Saskatchewan:  Is here! 

Tweet The cowpea is a high-protein food staple in parts of Africa, particularly in the growing countries of Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina-Fasso. Production is predominantly on small holder farms.  Production is threatened by the pod borer, the larvae of a moth referred to as Maruca, that limits yields and causes farmers to apply large amounts of insecticide to protect their crops.  Dr. TJ Higgins and his team from CSIRO have worked with African scientists to develop a Bt-expressing cowpea.  These lines produce the protein that targets maruca larvae, decreasing insecticide use and producing higher yields in field trials. This innovation is now available to Nigerian farmers and represents a major step forward in sustainability and food security.

Tweet There is a massive amount of human genomic DNA sequence data, and it is now possible to identify correlates with specific disease, drug sensitivity and physiological variation.  The concept of “genomic medicine” or “precision medicine” is that therapeutic interventions are guided by genetic information.  In today’s podcast we speak with Dr. Julie Johnson.  Dr. Johnson is a Dean and Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Florida.  She outlines what precision medicine is, along with some of its strengths and limitations, as well as some predictions of new approaches on the horizon to improve delivery of specific therapies.  Co-hosted by Dr. Karla Claudio. The views and opinions of this podcast do not necessarily those of the University of Florida, its faculty or students, and it is produced entirely separately from the university with all funding provided personally by Kevin Folta

Tweet Nitrogen is essential for crop growth.  That reality has led to intensive crop fertilization using nitrogen fixed through the Haber-Bosch process, which has energy costs in production and transport.  At the same time there are well known examples of nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with plants, as well as some that colonize within the plant itself.  Can these naturally occurring bacteria actually be used within the plant to assist in the nitrogen fixation process?  Nolan Berg joins the podcast from Azotics, a company with a pioneer product.  This bacterial strain lives within the plant, fixing nitrogen and limiting the need for exogenous application. Visit the Azotic North America website here.  Follow Azotic North America on Twitter:  @AzoticNA The views and opinions of this podcast do not necessarily those of the University of Florida, its faculty or students, and it is produced entirely separately from the university with all funding provided personally by Kevin Folta

Tweet While the country of Australia has been growing genetically-engineered crops for over 15 years, the state of South Australia has banned their use.  This moratorium has been in place since 2004, and requires farmers to shift to alternative crop protection strategies that often have a significant yield penalty. Recent changes in political representation in the region appeared to be more farmer friendly, and many felt that change was coming. Unfortunately, local activists connected to Green Party representatives in Parliament, were able to derail efforts to end the moratorium. Today’s podcast meets with Caroline Rhodes, CEO of Grain Producers South Australia.  She describes the rationale behind the ban, the effects, and next steps to ensure seed sovereignty. Ultimately this is a case of restricting farmer choice, and a look into the playbook of how to manipulate politicians with fear, uncertainty and doubt. Follow this story:  @GrainProducerSA Follow Caroline Rhodes: @bespoke_rural The song “A Little Help From GM” played can be heard here: The views and opinions of this podcast do not necessarily those of the University of Florida, its faculty or students, and it is produced entirely separately from the university with all funding provided personally by Kevin Folta

Tweet The genomics era has generated tremendous data sets, yet the information they reveal is limited by the human biases that search them.  Are there ways to examine complex data sets for hidden patterns that can unearth new perspectives in biology?  This is the role of machine learning, and the patterns form the basis of artificial intelligence that then executes new tasks.  While these concepts seem difficult to fathom, Dr. Gabe Musso makes them understandable, and describes the ways they may be applied in contemporary contexts. The BioSymetrics website is here The BioSymetrics Twitter feed is here.

Tweet There is an unfortunate side to egg production.  Only female chickens produce eggs, so layers are selected at hatching.  Chicks are sexed with a vent inspection. Females are kept for egg production.  Males live a short ride down a conveyor into a chipper, where they are instantly killed.  This practice raises ethical and practical questions.  Dr. Nigel Urwin and his collaborators devised a way to identify the sex of eggs before hatching, allowing male eggs to be saved for direct consumption or vaccine manufacture. The concept is brilliant yet unfortunately stalled.  It is a great solution to an important problem with interesting  ethical edges.  The Original Article in The Guardian

Tweet Michele Payn is a much sought after speaker, author and podcast host.  She has introduced the third book in her trilogy, this one about the phenomenon of others taking issue with someone’s food choices.  The book, aptly titled “Food Bullying”, explores the social-psychological basis of food bullying as well as important issues in agriculture that conjure the response. She presents an important snapshot of the current state of food discussions, as food is not just something we eat, it is the basis of a much deeper connection to social status and group identity. Michele’s website Follow Michele on Twitter: @mpaynspeaker Purchase the book at her site here Find the book on Amazon here

Tweet Can we use genetic engineering to help the body’s immune system target cancer cells?  This is exactly what happens with CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy.  CAR-T cells are T-cells, immune cells of the body that are reprogrammed to identify specific surface signatures that define specific types of cancer cells.  It allows these immune agents to seek and destroy cancer cells with great accuracy and with fewer side effects to traditional chemotherapy or radiation.  While in their infancy, these techniques show great promise for future therapies.  Today’s guest is Dr. Joe Fraietta, a leader in CAR-T cell solutions.  He explains how the technology works, describes its applications and future uses.  

Tweet The Impossible Burger is meat alternative that gets its meat-like qualities from a combination of plant-based ingredients, plus “meatiness” from a biotech-derived product. There is a lot of discussion about the product, and the internet has even questioned the safety of the biotechnology steps used in its creation.  This episode discusses the Impossible Burger with Dr. Chana Davis, a scientist familiar with the product.  We discuss questions about meat alternatives, processed food, and if this truly is a vegetable replacement.  We also share thoughts on the future of food and if everything will someday be derived from a manufacturing process. Follow Dr. Davis on Twitter: The Fueled by Science Facebook Page Her blog, Fueled by Science