Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

Podcast 112 was a discussion of the dicamba situation. Since that episode was recorded I attended a conference from the North Central Weed Science Society in St. Louis, and heard more information first hand.  I also gave my perspectives in a 20 minute talk.  In today’s podcast bonus track I recap some of the discussion.  Bottom line, this problem needs to be solved, and the companies that sell the seeds and chemicals better stop pointing fingers. They need to make harmed farmers whole again and fix the technology before suggesting its continued use.# 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.

Over the last two years we have heard reports of herbicide damage to Midwestern crops, bearing the signatures of damage from dicamba.  Dicamba is an older herbicide, an auxin analog that mimics a plant hormone associated with growth and cell division. This herbicide was made relevant again in soybeans and cotton, which have been genetically engineered to be dicamba resistant, needed because of the increase in glyphosate-resistant weeds. Since the deployment of these seeds, farmers have seen evidence of herbicide damage, opening endless finger pointing and legal gyrations. University extension experts have weighed in. Companies deny wrongdoing. How to sort this out?  This episode features guest Karen Corrigan, an independent agronomist that provides boots-on-the-ground assessment of the problem, how it happens, and what is likely to occur in the next steps.Follow Karen on Twitter:  @weedgirl24 Also listen to Karen on Girls Talk Ag podcast!# 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.

Over the last century there was an incredible rise in the number of seed companies, driven primarily by the profitability of hybrid seeds in regional markets.  After the 1980’s, there has been great consolidation in the seed markets, resulting in about a dozen companies selling the vast majority of seeds.  The field is dominated by the “Big Six”, several companies that had broad portfolios, that purchased smaller companies in the last decades’ consolidations. The consolidation continues, as large companies are buying each other, concentrating technology and resources in a few corporate hands.  Prof. Sylvie Bonny from INRA discusses the concerns and impacts of consolidation, as presented in her recent review in Sustainability.  Download the paper discussed here. Follow Dr. Vincelli:  @pvincell His blog: Out-of-the-box# 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 promises of gene therapy have been slow to reach the public for many reasons.  Technologies conceived in the 1980’s had a substantial regulatory and proof-of-concept road ahead of them, leading to slow development and deployment.  One of the major issues is that these therapies were designed for humans, where ethics concerns and regulation are a challenge to navigate.  However, it is possible to demonstrate efficacy in animals.  Emily Mullin is the Associate Editor at MIT Technology Review.  She recently covered the application of gene therapy to animals, and now describes its application in veterinary capacities where regulation is much lower than in human therapy.Follow Emily on Twitter:  @emilylmullinRead her work at MIT Technology Review# 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.

In this week’s podcast Dr. Jonnny Dalzell guest hosts from Tanzania.  He visits with scientists from IITA that are helping devise solutions to nematodes.  Nematodes are microscopic soil worms that are difficult to control and require substantial chemical inputs that are not always available and can be hazardous. Uncontrolled nematodes lead to damaged crops, and damage is not always apparent until it is too late.  Dr. Dalzell speaks to IITA Kenya scientists Dr. Nessie Luambano, Dr. Danny Coyne, and Dr. Leena Tripathi.  They discuss the problem of nematodes, some of the proposed solutions, and some of the frustrations of having good work stalled because of a lack of funding and political will to move them forward.Follow Dr. Dalzell:  @jjdalzell His website:  https://johnathandalzell.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.

Gene editing has been the center of attention, affecting everything from plants, to mushrooms, to livestock, to human medicine. However, when we discuss gene editing we typically describe the CRISPR Cas9 system.  Such tools have grabbed recent limelight.  But churning in the background, the other gene editing methods have been making progress for for years, and products are moving rapidly through pipelines toward approval.  Such products will soon be available from Calyxt Corporation. Calyxt Chief Science Officer Dr. Dan Voytas discusses how TALEN, a custom sequence-specific nuclease, functions in gene editing. He contrasts it with the Cas9 system and then describes the company pipeline, with products soon to be on the market. He also discusses regulation of the products derived from TALEN technology.  Calyxt Corporation website and pipeline 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.

Bolivia shares farming similarities with other South American countries.  They have diverse land races and native crops that they wish to preserve. At the same time some wish to take advantage of modern genetic tools.  Cecilia Gonzalez was a skeptic, someone that didn’t trust multinational corporations and certainly didn’t trust their technology.  As time went on she learned more about the technology and now is an outspoken educator in the area of genetic engineering.  Bolivia is at a crossroads.  They have an opportunity to become larger producer, and currently are importing corn and other GE crops from Argentina and other South American countries.  Activists offer fear of harming land races to stop adoption of the technology.  Because of their inability to deregulate GE varieties Bolivia unfortunately cannot compete with other countries, and their farmers suffer the consequences. You can sense Cecilia Gonzalez’s frustration and her love of her country, and the conflict that comes from a desire to implement affordable, sustainable farming to help Bolivians. Follow Cecilia Gonzalez at @BiotecBoliviaHosted by Dr. Paul Vincellia   @pvincell# 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.

In today’s podcast we speak with science journalist and author Mark Lynas.  Mark has been a central figure in the discussion of biotechnology, particularly in regard to its role in ensuring food security in the Developing World.  In the 1990’s and early 2000’s you could find Mark destroying test plots of genetically engineered crops.  Later he would reconsider his view, and support the technology, especially as it can be applied to help issues of food security.  Mark discusses the situation on the ground in Africa, the various threats to production, the innovations that can address them, and the resistance toward adoption of new technology. Follow Mark Lynas at @mark_lynas# 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.

Uganda is at an interesting precipice.  They have invested in biotech solutions to solve problems in their central food staples, namely the matooke.  The matooke is a starchy banana, and while a cornerstone of the diet, it is threatened by disease.  Most people are farmers, and tend to ‘gardens’ of 2-3 acres, these are subsistence farmers that use the gardens to feed their families.  Xanthamonas bacterial wilt can destroy entire stands of trees.  But scientists in Uganda have used breeding and genetic engineering to generate genetic lines that stop major diseases.  The sad part is that the improved plants are not allowed to be distributed due to the lack of a national biosafety law.  The second part of the podcast is an interview with Dr. Clet Masiga. He is a trained crop scientist, but also a farmer, and I spoke to him on his farm about the needs of Ugandan farmers, changes in policy, and broken down cars.Most of all, you need to understand that providing the best technology to people in need is simply justice. Justice. The music is from the Musical Well on YouTube, and features traditional Ugandan music.# 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.

Simple solutions can sometimes have tremendous impacts.  In this episode Bret Rierson from the World Food Programme discusses a solution to enhancing food security in Africa and around the world.  Most African farmers are small acreage subsistence farmers.  They eat and trade what the produce.  A simple hermetically-sealed, in-home grain silo can protect a harvest from insects, preserving the yield for longer term use, or sale in more favorable market windows.  This solution can aid in the transition from subsistence farming to surplus farming. This simple solution changes the lives of those in need, and ensures food security throughout the developing world.YouTube video of the postharvest solution. Follow Bret :  @BrettRierson Follow World Food Programme: @WFP# 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.