GMOs and Food Safety What Are You Eating? Dr. Albert Kausch September 15, 2014 Food: Nutrition, GMOs and Organic Crops Myth-Understood GMO Genetically Modified Organism Issues in Biotechnology: The Way We Work With Life Dr. Albert P. Kausch Kimberly Nelson OnCampus Live BCH 190, MIC 190, AFS 190, NRS 190, PLS 190 OnLine BCH 190 A Sweeping General Survey on Life and Biotechnology A Public Access College Course The University of Rhode Island Issues in Biotechnology: Biotechnology, Our Society and Our Future life edu.us Issues in Biotechnology: The Way We Work With Life Dr. Albert P. Kausch life edu.org Agricultural Biotechnology Part I Where Does Our Food Come From? Part II DNA-based Biotechnology And Modern Agriculture Part III. Issues, Controversies and Concerns Part IV. The Ethics of Agriculture Part V. Renewable Energy & the Future of Humanity © life_edu Lectures 13 and 14 Agricultural Biotechnology What is it? • Where does our food come from? • History of Agriculture • Plant Domestication • How is DNA-based biotechnology used for crop improvement? • How is it done? • What are the goals? • What as been done so far? • What is in the future? • What are the controversies and concerns? Agricultural Biotechnology What is it? • Where does our food come from? • History of Agriculture • Plant Domestication • How is DNA-based biotechnology used for crop improvement? • How is it done? • What are the goals? • What as been done so far? • What is in the future? • What are the controversies and concerns? The Origins of Argiculture A crucial event in human history The beginning of civilization Humans invented agriculture The accumulation of surplus food supplies Correlates with other Neolithic Developments Eventually Written Language © life_edu The Cradles of Agriculture Fertile Crescent Lentil~9,500 yrs BP Wheat~9,400 yrs BP Flax~9,200 yrs BP Rye~8,500 yrs BP Mesoamerica Squash~10,000 yrs BP Maize~6,300 yrs BP Potatoes~6,000 yrs BP Beans~ 6,000 yrs BP Central America Cassava~7,000 yrs BP Maize~9,000 yrs BP China Rice~9,000 yrs BP Soybean~8,000 yrs BP Africa Rice~9,000 yrs BP © life_edu Coffee~7,000 yrs BP Where do the plants we eat come from? Nearly all the plants available in the grocery store do not grow in ‘the wild’ All cultivated plants are the result of human intervention These plants would not exist without humans © life_edu Brassica Brassica Brassica Brassica oleracea: kale cabbage broccoli cauliflower kai-lan brussels sprouts kohlrabi Brassica Brassica oleracea: broccoli Broccoli was derived from cultivated leafy cole crops in the Northern Mediterranean in about the 6th century BCE. Since the Roman Empire, broccoli has been considered a uniquely valuable food among Italians. Broccoli was brought to England from Antwerp in the mid-1700s by Peter Scheemakers. Broccoli was first introduced to the United States by Italian immigrants but did not become widely known until the 1920s. New Varieties of Fruits and Vegetables by Conventional Breeding Seedless Yellow Would any of Watermelons these occur without human intervention? Red Carrots Giant Tomatoes Do these plants exist in the Wild? Biotechnology in the 1930s: the development of hybrid maize Donald N. Duvick 2001. Nature Reviews: Genetics vol2 no.1 pg69-74 A brief history • Darwin, maize and hybrid vigour • Inbred-hybrid method: a new method of maize breeding George Shull and Edward East in 1908 discover: inbreeding depression hybrid vigour Inbred A X Inbred B High yields! Hybrid AXB © life_edu Where do the plants we eat come from? • Domestication • Selection • Genetics • Wide Crosses • Mutagenesis • Gene Transfer © life_edu GMO Genetically Modified Organism An organism or microorganism whose genetic material has been Altered by means of genetic engineering Agricultural Biotechnology Genetically Modified Organisms GMO How is it done? It is now possible to clone any gene from any organism and move it into plants © life_edu Agricultural Biotechnology What is it? • Where does our food come from? • History of Agriculture • Plant Domestication • How is DNA-based biotechnology used for crop improvement? • How is it done? • What are the goals? • What as been done so far? • What is in the future? • What are the controversies and concerns? Plasmids are circular pieces of DNA found in some bacteria Many copies per cell Antibiotic resistance gene Plasmids can be cut and pasted back together Foreign genes can be inserted How is a gene cloned? Boyer, Cohen, and Berg, 1972 Enzymes were discovered that cut DNA at specific sequences And subsequently, enzymes were discovered that paste DNA together The ability to cut and paste DNA allowed gene cloning How is a gene cloned? Foreign DNA (gene) is inserted into a plasmid that has a gene for antibiotic resistance The plasmid is introduced into a bacterial cell and grown on the antibiotic Only bacteria with the plasmid grow…the inserted gene is copied many times. Anatomy of a Transgene Promoter Coding Sequence Terminator Cell specificity Protein coding sequence Stop transcription Developmental specificity Message stability Start transcription Gene constructs can be moved into plants and the gene is expressed driven by the promoter sequence © life_edu Genetically Modified Organisms Transgenes confer new traits Promoter Coding Sequence Terminator Your favorite gene Herbicide resistance Controlled expression Pest resistance Stop transcription ‘on in only specific cells’ insect, fungus, virus Message stability Drought, salt, and freeze tolerance Nutritional enhancement proteins, vitamins, oils Specialty chemicals pharmaceuticals, bioplastics Genetic Modification of Plants for Traits A TSP GOI nos Promoter HR1 nos Tissue, Cell, TRAIT Termination Constitutive Selectable Termination or Developmental GENE OF Sequence Promoter Marker Sequence Specific INTEREST “On” in all Cells Herbicide Promoter Coding Resistance Sequence B IP YFG nos Promoter HR1 nos TRAIT Termination Constitutive Selectable Environmental Termination GENE OF Sequence Promoter Marker Sequence Or Inducible INTEREST “On” in all Cells Herbicide Promoter Coding Resistance Sequence Essential Components for Successful Gene Transfer to Plants Tissue Culture System regeneration of whole plants from single cells Gene Constructs: Using DNA cloning Molecular vector construct using foreign DNA Method for DNA Delivery Agrobacterium tumefaciens Direct DNA Uptake Whiskers Sonication Microprojectile Bombardment Efficient Selection Strategy differentiation between cells which receive the transgene from those that don’t Antibiotic Resistance Herbicide Resistance Agrobacterium is now a vector for monocots and dicots Agrobacterium and the gene gun are viable approaches to plant gene transfer © life_edu The first commercially available genetically engineered plant is released, (1992). Made using Agrobacterium. What Crops have been genetically modified? Corn Some summer squash Cotton Hawaiian Papaya Canola Rice (China) Soybean Some eggplant (India) Alfalfa Sugar Beet Nutritionally enhanced foods Golden Rice Nutricueticals: Nutritionally enhanced foods will offer increased levels of nutrients, vitamins and other healthful phytochemicals. Benefits range from helping developing nations meet basic dietary requirements to boosting disease- fighting and health-promoting foods. Future: protein-enhanced sweet potatoes and rice; high-vitamin-A canola oil; increased antioxidant fruits and vegetables © life_edu Are genetically engineered plants safe? The Informed Consumer Questions…. Are there actual risks to our food supply? What are the real issues??? Labeling Safety Where is the evidence? Health New Allergens Gene Flow The StarLink Story The Monarch Butterfly Story Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Resistance to Pesticides Production of New Toxins Concentration of toxic chemicals and heavy metals Unknown risk and long term harm Genetically Modified Organisms and Food Issues and Concerns about GMOs in Food Given the success of Agricultural Biotechnology What is behind the turmoil? Uncertainty about safety Regulatory issues Right of choice Environmental concerns Globalization Food culture Big science, big companies “Crossing the line” © life_edu Distrust of Science GMOs and Organics in Myths Food Questions GMOs Are Unhealthy Why Do People Think That GMOs Are Unhealthy? GMOs Are Not Safe GMOs Are Not Natural Why Do People think GMOs Are Not Safe? Monsanto Conspirers To Has Adequate Independent testing on Hide Data about GMOs GMOs been done? Is this information available to the From the Public Public? Why Do People Think That GMOs Increase Herbicide Use GMOs Increase Herbicide and Pesticide Use? GMOs Increase Pesticide Use Genetic Engineering Creates Does Genetic Engineering Dangerous Side Effects Create Dangerous Side Effects? More GMOs and Organics in More Myths Food Questions GMOs Harm the Environment Do GMOs Harm the Environment? How do GMOs Harm the Environment? What is the best method to GMOs Need Mandatory Labeling support American Consumers “Right to Know”? GMOs Do Not Increase Yields Are GMOs a larger threat than And Work Against Feeding starvation? a Hungry World Why do people think GMOs Are Not Safe GMOs and Safety Evidenced Based Peer Reviewed Scientific Testing of GMO Crops Citations. 1Aalhus, J.L., M.E.R. Dugan, K.A. Lien, I.L. Larsen, F. Costello, D.C. Roland, D.R. Best and R.D. Thacker, 2003, Effects of feeding glyphosate-tolerant canola meal on swine growth, carcass composition and meat quality. Journal of Animal Science, 81:3267. 2Aeschbacher, K; Messikommer, R; Meile, L; Wenk, C, 2005, Bt176 corn in poultry