Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

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.# COLABRATalking 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 BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or 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 using Chimeric Antigen Receptor engineered T cells.  These immune cells have been armed with genetically engineered receptors and localization signals that home in on a target, like HIV.  Dr. Pamela Skinner is a Professor at the University of Minnesota.  Her group collaborates with other leading labs to develop CAR-T cell based therapies for HIV, and she is optimistic about the success of these new approaches.Dr. Skinner’s Website is here.# COLABRATalking 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 BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

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 use massive amounts of insecticides, upward of 80-100 sprays per season. It is their family’s livelihood, so sprays protect the crop, and protect the family. The Bt brinjal is genetically engineered to produce a natural protein that stops the fruit and shoot borer. The plants need minimal spray application and are more profitable for growers. Today co-hosts Modesta Abugu and Kevin Folta speak with Arif Hossein, leader of Farm the Future Bangladesh about the brinjal and its adoption by Bagladesh farmers.Farm the Future Bangladesh Facebook:  Farming Future Bangladesh Follow him on Twitter:  @FarmingFutureBD# COLABRATalking 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 BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

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 among the African populations.  In June 2019 these organizations funded a meeting on Agroecology in Nairobi Kenya.  Part of the conference was a performance by four all stars of the anti-agriculture, anti-technology-for-Africa movement.  Tyrone Hayes, Giles-Eric Seralini, Don M. Huber, and Judy Carman all alarmed a diverse audience of farmers, students and politicians about the dangers of biotechnology and agricultural chemistry.  But one man stood in the way of the campaign.  Rob Wager is a faculty member at Vancouver Island University.  He attended the conference, asked tough questions (when allowed), interacted with media, and spoke with students.  He provided a scientific counter to the disinformation being launched with the intent of skewing public opinion away from potentially life-saving technologies.Visit Rob’s website:  www.robertwager.com Follow him on Twitter:  @RobertWager1 # COLABRATalking 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 BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

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 perform important chemistry into human control.  Her company then uses collaborations of microbes to take on important production jobs.Follow Dr. Richardson on Twitter:  @theGermWrangler Microbyre’s website:  http://www.microbyre.com/# COLABRATalking 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 BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

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 has a solution. Her team has studied how the virus docks with cells and replicates. They have successfully edited the viral attachment domain from the receptor protein using Cas9-mediated gene editing in pig zygotes.  The resulting animals are resistant to the disease, and are being incorporated into breeding programs. Thanks to Dr. Burkard and others studying pig diseases, there will be improvements in animal health and economic benefits for producers.Follow Dr. Burkard on Twitter:  @Cburkard4 # COLABRATalking 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 BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

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 using a naturally-occurring bacterial protein that is toxic to fruit-boring insect larvae. The number of sprays declined to 1-2 per season. Indian farmers wanted the same benefit, and seeds have been making their way into India, despite the fact that they have not been approved.  In this episode Dr. C.S. Prakash explains the current protests, as Indian farmers plant symbolistic areas of Bt brinjal, defying laws and potential penalties in the name of technology sovereignty. Dr. Prakash has been contributing to the biotech crop discussion for decades, he has been recognized with the CAST Borlaug Ag Communications Award, and here tells the story of the situation in India.Follow Dr. Prakash on Twitter:  @AgBioWorld And his website:  AgBioWorld.org# COLABRATalking 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 BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

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 everywhere, of course in minuscule amounts.  But when those amounts are not zero, it provides a means to stoke fear and drive policy change.  It is amazing to watch what is happening around glyphosate, a compound with a long regulatory history and years of safe use.  The way that activists attain their goals is by manipulating the media, organizations that are willing to tell any story that can raise fear. Children being poisoned by breakfast cereal is just the ticket.  But are they being honest?   In this week’s 5th Anniversary podcast I dissect a recent CBS Television News story on the subject.  Do they get it right?  # COLABRATalking 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 BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

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 in Budapest, Hungary, May 31, 2019.# COLABRATalking 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 BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

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.# COLABRATalking 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 BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.