Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

The tiny mosquito is a nuisance in the industrialized world, yet around the world it is a ruthless killer, spreading blood-borne diseases that bring about pain and suffering, particularly in developing nations.  In many regions these are invasive species with little to no ecological role. For years scientists have used “sterile insect technique” to control them, a process that treats sexually comp...

Dr. Elisabeth Bik is a hero. Classically trained with plenty of lab-bench expertise, today she patrols the best scientific literature in search for plagiarism and image manipulation.  Her expert eye identifies manipulated images in our best scientific publications, including the revered science weekly journals that present allegedly breakthrough work. Dr. Bik talks about her path to become a publi...

While HIV incidence has remained stable in the industrialized world, the virus is still transmitted in the Developing World.  The development of methods of prophylaxis are critical to disease containment, yet moving products into affected areas is not practical or affordable.  Dr. Evangelia Vamvaka was part of a team that placed anti-HIV proteins into rice.  The rice produced a transgenic protein...

Australia has welcomed the use of genetically engineered crops, and farmers have found particular benefit from broad acre canola and cotton cultivation. However, the benefits were not realized by some states because of local moratoriums imposed by state governments. Farmers in South Australia grow wheat, canola and pulses, along with wine grapes, olives and other horticultural crops.  They would l...

Genetically engineered microbes commonly manufacture our vitamins and amino acid supplements, but can they be supplements themselves?  Zbiotics has developed genetically engineered bacteria that may help to metabolize the residues of alcohol consumption, altering the accumulation of the compounds that lead to next-day malaise. These microbes are consumed as a pro-biotic, fortifying the digestive s...

Robert Saik is an agronomist and entrepreneur with a lifetime of experience in farming.   For years he has been a leading advocate for farmers, and a passionate voice promoting the newest technologies, whether they are genetic or engineering marvels on the farm.  The 200th episode of the Talking Biotech Podcast aptly hosts Rob and the introduction of is new book, Farming 5.0, How We Feed the Futur...

  Tweet   Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition that predominantly affects people of African descent. The disease results in chronic pain and early death, and is caused by a misfolding of oxygen-toting hemoglobin, a central protein in red blood cells.  Vertex Pharmaceuticals and the CRISPR Therapeutics companies have combined to test a potential therapy.  A patients stem cells are gene edi...

Products move from producer to consumer through complicated networks called supply chains.  These routes of custody involve many people and organizations, and oftentimes cross international borders.  All of these product touch-points are opportunity for contamination or willful adulteration of the product.  High value products like authentic high-end wine, honey or olive oil can be diluted with le...

What is the current state of the devastating citrus greening disease, Huanglongbing (HLB).  Dr. Jude Grosser from the University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center discusses the current state of the disease, the current therapies and the future possibilities of leveraging genetics and nutrition to help keep citrus in production. # COLABRA Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra –...

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the causal agent of the spectrum of disorders known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).  For decades, those infected have found relief from anti-retroviral therapies that suppress viral numbers.  However, the treatments are difficult, require strict compliance and are not 100% efficacious.  New therapies have been developed that target the virus...

Bangladesh is a population dense country with relatively little farmland.  Subsistence farmers make a living by growing, harvesting and selling brinjal, or the fruit westerners know as the eggplant.  The biggest threat to production is the fruit and shoot borer, an insect larvae that digs into the fruit, leaving its waste, and inviting pathogens and decay.  To combat this, farmers traditionally us...

The African continent is emerging in many ways, yet still is developing economically.  Technology is a huge part of the African transformation, yet farmers there are often forbidden to use crop technologies that were developed for Africa, by African scientists and governments.  The resistance is rooted in a vigorous disinformation campaign by European NGOs that spread fear, uncertainty and doubt a...

Bacteria  surround us and have specialized functions in adaptation and metabolism.  Could they be helpful as micro machines that catalyze key reactions?  Could teams of collaborating bacteria be combined to perform important industrial processes?  Dr. Sarah Richardson from MicroByre asks that question. She is in the business of bacterial discovery and domestication, bringing wild bacteria that per...

Pork production worldwide is limited by a series of viral pig diseases that slow growth, cause illness and restrict reproduction.  One of these is known as PRRS, Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome.  PRRS has a massive cost to producers, as they either have to manage the disease or spend significant resources in vaccination and biosecurity.  Dr. Christine Burkard of the Roslin Institute...

While Indian farmers have realized benefits from GE cotton, food crops have been forbidden from this growing country.  Their neighbor to the west, Bangladesh, has realized great gains from the “Bt” Brinjal (eggplant).  Farmers there used to spray 80-100 times a season to protect their crop. In 2014 the Agriculture Minister approved the “Bt” Brinjal, a variety that protects itself from the pest usi...

The war against agricultural biotechnology shifted in the last several years.  Carefully constructed steps by those opposed to technology have managed to malign a relatively innocuous compound– the herbicide glyphosate.  The compound is used in many applications, from GE crops to drying down some grains prior to harvest.  Armed with analytical chemistry, activist groups claim to detect glyphosate...

The visions of Jurassic Park are an extrapolation of actual research being performed all over the world.  Research has shown that avian dinosaurs (birds) possess latent genes that can be re-activated to restore forelimbs, hands and teeth. Dr. Jack Horner is a world-renowned paleontologist that has been involved in the efforts to adjust modern avian traits to demonstrate morphological f Brain Bar i...

Technology is exploding in all areas of life, but sadly has been slow to reach agriculture.  We are stuck in the rhythms of old unsustainable practices.  But things are changing quickly thanks to data, robotics, revival of old practices, new technologies and better genetics.  This episode is Kevin Folta speaking to Brain Bar in Budapest, Hungary, May 30, 2019. # COLABRA Talking Biotech is brought...

There is sad irony that the African continent has the most potential benefit from crop biotechnology, yet has the least access to the technology.  The bottlenecks are political, not scientific, as excellent technology is being developed and procured by African agricultural technology groups. Much of the anti-biotech sentiment is shaped by U.S. and E.U. non-governmental organizations, particularly...

Blackberries are a popular, healthy fruit with increasing availability to the consumer.  Over the last century significant progress has been made in its genetic improvement.  In this episode the history, breeding efforts and future of blackberry are discussed by Dr. Chad Finn, USDA-ARS Plant Geneticist and Small Fruit Breeder. # COLABRA Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D pla...

Huanglongbing, or HLB, is the Chinese term for the Yellow Dragon Disease– usually referred to as Citrus Greening.  The disease first appeared in the USA in the Miami area in 2005, and since has spread to every grove.  The disease is a terminal infection of the tree, culminating in its decline and death. Currently there is no cure. The Florida industry is crashing, the disease is found across citru...

Dr. Linda Bartoshuk has been recognized as an expert on interactions between the smell, taste, psychology and the brain for many decades.  While so important to our experiences, smell and taste are poorly understood by the general public.  Dr. Bartoshuk explains some of these important nuances of how we sense the world around us, and how that integrates with perception and liking. In the second pa...

I was very excited to be participating in the Southern Seed School here in Gainesville, FL.  I had talks prepared on three cool topics– the history of the University of Florida plant breeding programs, plant breeding and genetic improvement, and new crops for Florida.  I was not being compensated for my time on a Sunday, which is perfect. The group was a a paying audience of plant enthusiasts and...

Cowpea is a critical crop in Western Africa.  It is consumed by millions daily, but also feeds livestock, all the while providing important nitrogen fixation for the farm.  Cowpea cultivation is threatened by Maruca vitrata, a butterfly who’s caterpillar stage feasts on the beans within the cowpea pod. Scientists in Nigeria have implemented a strategy using the Bt protein to fight against this pes...

One of the limiting factors in photosynthesis is the plant’s ability to take up carbon dioxide to assimilate into carbohydrates. At least part of the problem is the size of the small pores, or stomata, that are used for gas exchange between the inside of the leaf and the outside environment. Pore size is dictated by guard cells, two sausage-shaped cells that swell and deflate to open the pore.  Th...