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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
40
48
46
51
35
36
32
34
45
52
38
21
24
27
44
20
39
22
45
33
22
31
30
22
21
44
29
44
10
15
0 20 40 60 80 100
United Kingdom
Switzerland
Sweden
Netherlands
Italy
Germany
France
Austria
United States
Canada
Percent Response
False (Correct) Don't Know True

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
Teosinte Corn
9000
Years Ago

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

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

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

12. Biotechnology
Biotechnology
In
In
Agriculture
Agriculture

13. 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

14. How is this information
obtained?
 Set of techniques that allow us to "rea
d" genes

15. Old and New Approaches to
Plant Improvement

16. Current Crops with Biotech Traits
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
Commercial Products Benefits to Growers / Consumers

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

18. 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

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

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

21. 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

22. Healthier Foods
 Added Nutrients
 wheat
 rice
 Reducing Natural Food Toxins

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

24. 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

25. What will the future bring?

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

27. 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

28. 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

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

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

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