Transcript No Slide Title - ucbiotech.org

BIOTECHNOLOGY 101
(all you need to know in a few minutes)
Peggy G. Lemaux
CE Specialist
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology
UC Berkeley
[email protected]
or visit http://ucbiotech.org
Modern Corn and Ancient Teosinte Relative
Classical Breeding
compared to
Genetic Engineering
Utilizes plant machinery in the plant.
Utilizes plant machinery in the laboratory.
Genetic exchange is random process
involving entire genome.
Genetic exchange is involves specific,
single gene.
Only between closely related species.
Source of gene from any living organism.
Control of when and where genes are
expressed not controlled by breeder.
Control of when and where gene is
expressed can be controlled precisely.
How do we make transgenic plants?
General method:
1. Prepare plant tissue
2. Transfer foreign DNA
3. Select for those plants with the foreign DNA
4. Grow many generations to ensure there is nothing
abnormal about the plant
Molecular Cloning
Molecular cloning involves creating recombinant DNA and introducing
it into a host cell to be replicated.
What is Included in the Recombinant DNA?
On / Off
Switch
Gene of interest
On / Off
Switch
Marker
How do we transfer DNA to plants?
Two ways:
Agrobacterium
- derived from nature
- most common method used
- doesn’t work with all plants
Bombardment (gene gun)
- physical force
- used when Agrobacterium cannot
GE Corn
GE Canola
Acreage, 2002
Acreage, 2002
32% of total crop
54% of total crop
GE Soybean
GE Cotton
Acreage, 2002
Acreage, 2002
75% of total crop
71% of total crop
Sample of possible engineered
fruits and vegetables
• Strawberries resistant to molds
• Tomatoes not attacked by root
nematodes
• Grapes resistant to Pierce’s Disease
• Drought tolerant lettuce
• Peppers resistant to bacterial diseases
• Potatoes no longer susceptible to blight
• Sugar pine resistant to white pine
blister rust
• Frost-tolerant pears
Biotech product studies conducted by
universities or scientific institutes
Studies
Trait
H.T.
H.T.
H.T.
H.T.
H.T.
H.T.
H.T.
H.T.
B.t.
B.t.
B.t.
B.t.
B.t.
B.t.
B.t.
Crop
Corn
Corn
Corn
SBM
SBM
SBM
Canola
Sugar beets
Corn
Corn
Corn
Corn
Forage
Forage/Corn
Forage/Corn
Animal
Chicken- broilers
Beef cattle
Swine
Chicken-broilers
Dairy Cows
Catfish
Chickens - broilers
Sheep
Chicken - broilers
Chicken - layers
Catfish
Swine
Sheep
Dairy cows
Beef cattle
H.T.: Herbicide tolerance
B.t.: Insect protection
Completed In Progress
2
1
1
2
1
1
4
2
1
4
2
1
1
1
1
4
1
5
FROM SMALL
FARMING
OPERATIONS
TO…
Diversity of Grape Varieties
…LARGE SCALE FARMING
What is Agrobacterium?
Galls on a rose bush
Galls on a Kalenchoe plant
Lab Process
add gene
Agrobacterium
Genetically modified
plant cell
mix with
plant cells
General Process of Bombardment
Minute particles of gold, tungsten, or platinum are coated with DNA.
Loaded onto a plastic bullet and placed into a barrel.
General Process of Bombardment
The bullet is fired and the particles are shot into a plant.
Plant cells get DNA particles.
The DNA is released and the
plant becomes genetically
modified.