Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

Dr. Mark Williams has extensive training in molecular biology.  He also is interested in sustainable crop production, and leads training in organic production at University of Kentucky.  In this interview he speaks about the intersection of these areas, touching on how what have been treated as disparate approaches really fit well together.  Dr. Williams touches on  gene editing, food labeling, environmental impact, and how education efforts need to focus on sustainable agriculture using the best tools going forward.  Hosted by Dr. Paul Vincelli  Also, Chelsea Boonstra and The Boonstra Report.# 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.

Increasing efficiency in photosynthesis has been one of the desired goals of plant biology.  A recent paper in the journal Science presents work by a team led by Dr. Stephen Long from the University of Illinois/University of Lancaster.  By overexpressing three genes in tobacco, the plants were able to increase carbon assimilation, showing that there are mechanisms to improve the process.  We discuss the paper, but also its extensions into food security, climate change and future fuels.  Dr. Long’s website is here and his Gate’s foundation project is here. Dr. Long also had strong ties to Dr. Sharon Gray, the UC Davis postdoctoral researcher who we tragically lost in a horrible situation in Ethiopia.  Her family has developed a memorial fund to raise support toward scholarships for women in science.  Please consider a donation, even a small one.  If everyone downloading this podcast contributed even a few dollars the fund could almost double. I’d love to see it hit $1 million and provide beautiful impacts to others, to honor the memory of Dr. Gray. https://www.gofundme.com/SharonBethGray Also, Chelsea Boonstra and The Boonstra Report.# 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 last episode contained information about glyphosate that was allegedly detected in common grocery store items.  Today’s podcast is an important follow up.At the time the discussion was 100% correct based on the methods and information provided.  I have since been contacted by the laboratory that did the testing.  I’m confident that their numbers were reported correctly, as described on their analytical reports.  So is there herbicide detected in parts per billion?  Looks like it could be in some cases, is correctly detected with reliable quantitation in other cases, and in other cases it is not detected (still could be there below limit of detection).What it means again is that we are very good at detecting something that almost isn’t there, and you’d need to eat billions of boxes of Cheerios to reach a physiologically perilous level of the herbicide.It also means no reason for alarm.  The levels are amazingly small, and are a testament to outstanding detection– and are not the poisons as described.  This clarification also underscores the importance of peer review.  When methods are incomplete, and controls like organic products are coming back positive– it suggests that there are serious issues with the measurements.So the question shifts again to the ethics of activist groups that attempt to scare parents with minuscule non-zero numbers.  That is the conversation we must be having.# 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 the first part of this week’s podcast you’ll learn how to debunk a viral claim.  There are repeated claims that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup, is detected in a plethora of food, beverages and body fluids.  The reports are designed to scare people, especially targeting parents that are concerned about the food they feed to their families. This week a glossy brochure surfaced making claims that glyphosate was detected in Cheerios, Oreos, organic snack foods, and many other common groceries. However, this was not a legitimate report from a peer-reviewed journal and should not be given much weight.  Nonetheless, a well-meaning Snopes a response that gave the report undue credence.  Fortunately they corrected the record.The second part of the podcast discusses hops, the flavor element of beer.  Where did it come from, why did people start using it in beer?  These questions and others are discussed with Dr. Shaun Townsend, a plant breeder that creates new varieties for the craft brew industry.Dr. Townsend’s website:   http://cropandsoil.oregonstate.edu/group/hop-breeding# 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.

Corn. It ultimately has a role in so much of what we eat.  From a sweet corn cob on the 4th of July, to the calories that made the steak possible, to fuel in our gas tanks, to the sweetness in a soda, corn is a central player.  This week’s podcast is an interview with one of the world’s leading experts in corn genetics, Dr. John Doebley from the University of Wisconsin.  Dr. Doebley is the world’s leading authority on the genetic events that made modern corn, the individual steps in domestication thousands of years ago, that can be traced back to discrete changes in DNA.# 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 processes of biotechnology can be a bit of a black box, and that does not help further its understanding or acceptance.  Journey of the Gene is an interactive, multimedia resource that can aid in explaining the process of genetic engineering.  This week’s podcast features Dr. Don Lee, one of the central developers of the resource.  From teachers, to ag producers to extension professionals, this interactive web resource details the process of genetic engineering using the example of solving soybean disease Sudden Death Syndrome.  Hosted by Dr. Paul Vincelli (@Pvincell).Website: https://ge.unl.edu/journey-of-a-gene/  # 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.

Beginning at conception, a new human’s development and long-term health are critically dependent on the availablity of proper nutrition.  The right nutrients at the right time can have profound impacts on individuals, but also have effects on whole societies.  Today’s guest is Lucy Martinez-Sullivan, Executive Director of 1000 Days. She talks about the critical need for pre- and neo-natal nutrition, and how our scientific and social interventions can reshape the lives of many.Website:  http://thousanddays.org/ Twitter:  @thousanddays Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/First1000DaysIreland # 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 peanut is a valuable crop for American farmers and is extensively cultivated worldwide.  It is an important source of protein and healthy oils.  At the same time the public is concerned about peanut allergies and aflatoxins.  What is the reality, and how is technology coming to the rescue to address these problems?   Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins is a Professor and peanut expert at the University of Georgia’s Tifton campus, and she talks about past and contemporary issues in peanuts.  In the second part of the podcast I talk about communicating concepts in genetic engineering with family and friends.  How do we reach people we care about that have been tainted by non-scientific opinions?  We can do that, but it takes following a strategy.# 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 eggplant (brinjal, aubergine) is a curious fruit in western nations, but is an important staple for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Today’s podcast discusses the eggplant with Dr. Mark Chapman from University of Southampton in the UK.  Dr. Chapman has examined the domestication and evolution of the eggplant, discussing its natural variability and the use of molecular tools to study relatedness between the diverse land races.  The second part of the podcast shares Dr. Indra Vasil’s remembrances of Dr. Norman Borlaug.# 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.

Talking Biotech #52 visits with Iida Ruishalme, cell biologist, author and blogger.  Iida is a trained scientist that writes the blog Thoughtscapism.  Recently she published a comprehensive assessment of the frequently-asked questions regarding the glyphosate herbicide.  Her thoughtful discussion was the basis of today’s discussion.  Follow Iida in all of her social media areas:Blog:   thoughtscapism.com Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Thoughtscapism/ Twitter:  Iida Ruishalme @Thoughtscapism, https://twitter.com/Thoughtscapism Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/iidadragon/thoughtscapism/ and Quora:   https://www.quora.com/profile/Iida-Ruishalme # 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.