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Genes and Our Food

Genes and Our Food . Past, present and future . Science is used to improve our food supply.

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Genes and Our Food

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  1. Genes and Our Food Past, present and future

  2. Science is used to improve our food supply • “And he gave it for his opinion, that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together. “ Jonathan Swift in Gulliver’s Travels

  3. Science is used to improve our food supply • All food comes from living organisms • Genetics can be used to improve the plants and animals we eat • Many people are not aware of these facts • “Ordinary Tomatoes Do Not Contain Genes, while Genetically Modified Ones Do”

  4. “Ordinary Tomatoes Do Not Contain Genes, while Genetically Modified Ones Do” 1996 - 1998

  5. We have genetically modified food for thousands of years • The earliest farmers and gardeners saved seeds of the very best plants to start the next growing season • By doing this, they unknowingly selected plants with the more desirable genes Assyrian mural from 870 BC showing palm pollination

  6. Domestication of corn 9000 Years Ago Teosinte Corn

  7. Domestication of lettuce 4,500 Years Ago Leaf Lettuce Prickly lettuce

  8. Domestication of carrot 1,100 to 300 Years Ago • Orange carrots • appeared in Holland • in the 1700s Queen Anne’s Lace

  9. Brassica oleracea Wild cabbage Ornamental kale Late 1900’s Kohlrabi Germany, 100 AD Cauliflower 1400’s Kale, 500 BC Broccoli Italy, 1500’s Cabbage, 100AD Brussel sprouts Belgium, 1700’s

  10. Some crops never existed in nature • Wheat, Triticum aestivum Triticum urartu X Aegilops speltoides 2n=14 2n=14 Triticum turgidum X Aegilops tauschii 2n=28 2n=14 Triticum aestivum 2n=42

  11. Biotechnology In Agriculture

  12. Major uses of biotechnology • Making maps of plant and animal chromosomes using technology developed for the Human Genome Project • Using our knowledge to add new genetic information to plants and animals

  13. How is this information obtained? • Set of techniques that allow us to "read" genes

  14. Old and New Approaches to Plant Improvement

  15. Current Crops with Biotech Traits Commercial ProductsBenefits to Growers / Consumers • Herbicide Tolerance - Lower grower cost (corn, soy, cotton, canola) - Reduced herbicide residues - Enables no-till - Simplicity / flexibility • Insect/Corn Borer Resistance - Lower grower costs (corn, cotton, potato) - Reduced pesticide usage - Decreased molds - Higher yields - Simplicity

  16. Current Crops with Biotech Traits Commercial ProductsBenefits to Growers / Consumers • Virus Resistance - Lower cost (potato, papaya) - Higher quality foods - Less acres used • Delayed Ripening - Higher quality food products - Longer shelf-life

  17. Biotech Benefits and Risks • Decreasing reliance on pesticides • Insect resistance management • Gene flow and outcrossing • Non-target organisms • Human, wildlife and environmental health • Preserving genetic diversity in plants and animals • Economic

  18. Potential products Specialty chemicals Pharmaceuticals Quality traits Agronomic traits 1995 2000 2005 2010 Potential of crop biotechnology

  19. Genetically Enhanced PlantsThe Next Generation Situation So Far Future Trend Focus on improved processing "Thinking in applications" Focus on improved farming "Thinking in crops" Functionality of crops or components Customer needs Crop Customer Source: The Boston Consulting Group; modified

  20. Biotech Foods and Health • Enhanced protein and essential nutrients prevent disease • Vitamin A to prevent childhood blindness • Increased calories and nutrients to prevent malnutrition • Increasing food availability by reducing spoilage golden rice

  21. Healthier Foods • Added Nutrients • wheat • rice • Reducing Natural Food Toxins

  22. Fighting Hunger • Improving yields of food staples • Controlling insects • Controlling crop diseases • bananas • cassava • sweet potato virus • Greater salt tolerance

  23. Food Security • Increasing crop productivity to meet growing global food needs • Increasing crop productivity of staple foods rich in protein and calories • Increasing access to a healthy, diverse diet

  24. What will the future bring?

  25. Foods as Medicine Delivery System • Vaccines • human • veterinary

  26. Foods as Medicine Delivery System • Benefits of food as a Drug Delivery System • reduced expense • low tech – easy to deliver • reduced spoilage - no refrigeration • Vaccines • Enhanced protein and essential nutrients prevent disease

  27. Other uses of biotech • Over 100 drugs on the market developed with biotech • Bioremediation • Industrial biotech • Improved enzymes in chemical, textile, pharmaceutical, metal, and energy industries • Starch and grain processing • Sweeteners • Ethanol

  28. Other uses of biotech • Coffee is decaffeinated by solvent extraction • Concern about safety and flavor • Engineer to be decaffeinated • Also can make uniform ripening

  29. Other uses of biotech • Nicotine-free tobacco • Low lignin spruce trees for paper production

  30. Industrial uses • Cleaning industry • Detergent proteases • Textile industry • Finishing cloth • Better cotton fibers • Paper and pulp industry • Processing with biotech, environmentally friendly chemicals

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