Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

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 activist organizations that flood the continent with disturbing disinformation.  The technology deficits affect smallholder farmers, particularly women.  Professor Jennifer Thomson has been a leading voice in biotechnology and women’s advocacy in Africa.  She shares her stories and views, and helps us understand the complexities of getting the best technology to people that could benefit from its implementation.# 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.

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.# 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.

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 citrus producing states, including California. Scientists have attempted many strategies to solve the problem, from nutrition to transgenics. The problem is that the most likely solutions do not have public buy-in, as genetic engineering strategies are hampered by a tragic misperception. One solution is an outstanding intermediate. The Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV) is ubiquitous in citrus trees, now infecting most trees with zero consequences. Scientists have co-opted the virus to deliver an anti-microbial payload, a peptide that may interfere with the bacterium, without harming the plant or making the plant “genetically engineered”.  The solution allows producers to generate “Non-GMO” orange juice while still saving the industry.  Dr. Steve Savage explains the technology and its application.# 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.

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 part we discuss her experiences as a woman navigating overt sexism, harassment and discrimination as she moved from high school, through her education and into her faculty positions– even as a recognized world expert and leader in her field.# 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.

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 gardeners, all excited to learn more about seed saving.  Genetics, I feel, is a huge part of that, and non-scientists don’t think of it very much. My job was to fill that gap.  The Wednesday before the event I read that I was cancelled.  Not the whole event, not other UF speakers, just me. The organizers apparently received complaints, and certainly the bogus Twitter accounts were in high gear complaining about my participation. They succeeded in removing a scientist from a scientific presentation.  Sadly, it makes the “seed savers” and organic gardeners look like they are offended by science, a charge frequently levied in social media.  I disagree with that stance, but their actions reinforce those negative perceptions, which is a shame. Since I have been eliminated I will present the lectures in a separate venue in the same building.  This way students that wanted that information are welcome to have access, and their education will not be interrupted by bad leadership decisions. I also applaud what the leadership does in their other efforts, so I don’t want negative fallout for them. I’m just disappointed that they rolled over when it was time to stand up for science.  UPDATE:  The organizers moved the Seed School off of the campus, so participants will not have access to the lecture materials. We will present these at a meeting for gardeners in the Fall. I’m very sorry.# 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.

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 pest.  Today’s podcast interviews Francis Onyekachi, Program Manager for the West African Maruca Resistant Cowpea Project.  He talks about the crop, the technology, and the strategy to ensure its continued efficacy.  Co-hosted by Nigerian native and University of Florida graduate student Modesta Abugu. Here is a link to the project. Follow Modesta Abugu on Twitter @modestannedi # 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.

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.  The process can be triggered by an influx of potassium ions.  Prof. John Christie and collaborators at the University of Glasgow and Milan, Italy designed a light-activated potassium switch, a channel that would allow the light influx when the plants were treated with blue light.  The resulting plants incorporated more carbon into their biomass. The results show that a synthetic molecule can be used to open one bottleneck in photosynthesis, and the technology may be helpful in increasing plant yields in the future field.This is the the Christie Lab website and Here is a link to the recent paper. Check out Amber Boas Medium Page and follow her on Twitter @ABoasGardens  # 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.

Sleep remains a mystery to science, as it is a state where an organism is vulnerable to potentially deadly forces.  It therefore must be important to physiology and survival.  Prof. Lior Appelbaum and his team have examined the effect of sleep on brain activity using zebrafish embryos.  Chromosomes were colored for visualization, and dynamic movements are imaged for analysis. The results show that when a fish is sleeping, chromosomes in the brain are very active and undergoing repair. The interpretation is that sleep is an essential state where neuronal activity is put on hold why the cells can repair their genetic materials.  Co-hosted by University of Florida graduate student Brady Holmer.This is the the Appelbaum Lab website and Here is a link to the recent paper. Check out Brady Holmer’s blog and follow him on Twitter @B_Holmer ‏# 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.

Soybeans are legumes that produce abundant oil.   The oils have been popular for consumers and in food service, but they could have improved performance in cooking applications and also did not have the heart-healthy profiles of other plant-derived oils.  With a simple genetic tweak scientists were able to radically change the oil content of soybean oil to high oleic content.  This type of oil has no trans fat, less saturated fat, and a significant level of monounsaturated fat.  The process has been achieved by traditional breeding as well as by gene editing, producing a soybean oil with improved cooking performance and health properties.  Today’s podcast features a discussion with Kim Nill, Director of Research and Development with the Minnesota Soybean Council.Follow AquaBounty on Twitter This is the Minnesota Soybean website. This is the Plenish Oil website. # 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 transgenic, fast-growing salmon was first developed in 1989.  The goal was simple, use fish genes to remove seasonal growth effects, with the hopes of creating a fish that could grow faster.  Faster growth means fewer resources to produce an equivalent amount or finished food product. This results in greater availability of a sustainable, consistent, high quality source of salmon, a great protein source with oils suggested to have positive roles in health.  However, the road to approval has been long. As the first GE animal, the AquaBounty salmon had navigated a complex regulatory maze, that now has finally allowed it to be produced and marketed in North America.  This episode speaks with Sylvia Wulf, CEO and President of AquaBounty Technologies.  We discuss the product, the regulatory situation, and when the products may be finally available to consumers.Follow AquaBounty on Twitter This is the AquaBounty website.# 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.