opportunities for biotechnology to address plant and human disease
TRANSCRIPT
Opportunities for biotechnology to address major plant and
human disease
Kevin M. FoltaProfessor and Chairman
Horticultural Sciences Department
kfolta.blogspot.com@kevinfolta
A Lot of Genetic Improvement for Plant and Animal Disease Resistance was Done Inadvertently
Plants have been genetically improved
to fight or survive disease through
selection and breeding.
Humans have been genetically improved to fight or survive disease through selection and
breeding.
There is a wonderful mutual relationship between plants and humans. Better plants make better humans, and better humans make better plants!
What Plant Genetic Improvement Is
More varieties
Grow better under given conditions
Improved yields
Safer products
Improved nutrtion
What Did Agrarian Humans Get in Return?
Work outside of farming
Leisure time
Income from farmingImproved nutrition
10,000 – 4,000 MYA
Kates 1994
What is Plant Genetic Improvement?
Traditional breeding – Plant sex. Human mediated or due to wind or insects.Humans play a key role in selection, as do pathogens, etc.
Wide Introgressions – Genetic combinations not achievable in nature, due to geographical or reproductive barriers that require human intervention.
Mutation Breeding – Use of radiation (or chemicals) to damage genetic material and produce new traits.
Transgenic Plants – Moving a gene that is understood into a new background, to install a new trait. Also can silence genes.
Gene Editing -- Future technology that will allow installation or removal of a specific gene, with few collateral effects.
Molecular Cut and Paste
32,690 genes in corn 5 Million bases
35,968 words in Old Yeller , (80 pages) 2200+ pages
Two main traits– insect and herbicide resistance
Traits Related to Human Health
Improved nutrient composition
Removal of toxic compounds
Suppression of allergens
Golden Rice
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
Opposition to golden rice cost $2 billion to farmers in developing countries and 1.4 million human years – Wesseler et al., 2014
Cassava
Virus Resistant Cassava (VIRCA)
Biocassava Plus (BC Plus)
250 million depend on cassava
50 million tons lost to virus.
X
X Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
Low Acrylamide, non Browning Potatoes
X
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
Allergy-Free Peanuts
Peanut – RNAi suppression Ara h2
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
Transgenic Wheat
• Never commercialized• Not amenable to export • Use of non-GM lines
Allergy Free Wheat Allergy Free Wheat Using RNAi to repress gliadin and glutenin levelsUsing RNAi to repress gliadin and glutenin levels
Non Browning ApplesSilencing a gene that leads to discoloration
X
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
Small Business!X
Indirect effects on human health
Traits Related to Human Health
Moving genes with genetic engineering allows for rapid incorporation of new traits.
“Metabolic engineering” allows production of enhanced vitamins, minerals, other nutrients; decreased allergens, toxins and anti-nutrients
Traits Related to Plant Health
Resistance to viruses
Resistance to bacteria
Resistance to fungi
Papaya Ringspot VirusGood example of RNAi suppression
GMO NON-GMO
BS2 TomatoA pepper gene in tomato eases black spot and wilt.
X
X Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
Stopping Citrus Greening
A single gene from spinach helps citrus survive disease.
Other genes help too.
Earliest deregulation is 2019
Conclusions
The ability to move a single gene is an extension of the plant-human relationship
Improved plants = improved people!
Current solutions are mostly agronomic traits
The future will bring improved traits for humans to improve nutrients, product quality and improved plant health.
Thank you
kfolta.blogspot.com@kevinfolta
"There is a path to truth and sincerity that you must guard and defend“
-- Teruyuki Okazaki It is our mission to stand up for the truth that science gives us.
Dr. Jack PayneSVP UF/IFAS