Transcript GMASSURE Lecture 2016

GMASSURE WORKSHOP
PRESENTATION BY WYNAND VAN DER WALT
VALLEY LODGE 20 JULY 2016
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TOPICS TO BE COVERED
WHAT ARE GMOS?
INVESTIGATING WHAT GOES ON IN NATURE
USING NATURE’S MIRACLES TO BENEFIT MANKIND
WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?
WHAT IS GENETIC MODIFICATION?
ALTERING GENETICS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS OVER
8 000YEARS
• PRESENT STATUS OF GM CROPS
BIOTECHNOLOGY:
WHERE NATURE AND SCIENCE MEET
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EXAMPLES OF THE WONDERS OF NATURE
SCIENCE BUILDS UPON KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE
EXAMPLES OF MODERN FOODS FROM OLD CROPS
TIMELINES OF MODERN BIOTECH
TIMELINES OF BIOSAFETY SYSTEMS IN RSA
THE HYPE, MYTHS, FACTS, TRENDS AND TRADE
ISSUES
WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?
• BIOS, BIOLOGY, DEAL WITH LIVING THINGS
AND STUDIES, INVESTIGATIONS ON WHAT
THEY ARE AND DO.
• TECHNOLOGY DEALS WITH TECHNIQUES TO
GENERATE NEW KNOWLEDGE AND FINDING
WAYS OF USING THIS TO APPLY TO HUMANS,
ANIMALS AND ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR
BENEFIT.
WHAT IS AN ORGANISM?
• AN ORGANISM IS A LIVING ENTITY CAPABLE OF
BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES, GROWTH, MULTIPLICATION AND
PASSING ITS GENETICS ON TO ITS PROGENY
WHAT IS A GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM?
• A GMO IS AN ORGANISM THE GENETICS OF WHICH HAS
BEEN CHANGED IN WAYS THAT DO NOR OCCUR IN NATURE
OR HAPPENED THOUGH NATURAL CROSSING OR
RECOMBINATION.
• HERE WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH NEW GENETICS AND THIS
DEFINITION!
SCIENCE AND NATURE
• MOST PHARMACEUTICALS ARE DERIVED FROM
PLANTS FOUND IN TROPICAL REGIONS
• ALL FOOD CROPS COME FROM ANCIENT SPECIES IN
NATURE
• MODERN LIVESTOCK COME FROM WILD ANIMALS
• MOST FISH STILL COME FROM OCEANS, LAKES AND
RIVERS.
• WHAT WE HAVE TODAY HAS BEEN BASED ON
SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS, DOMESTICATION AND
APPLICATIONS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS 1
• PHOTOSYNTHESIS I: CAPTURES SOLAR ENERGY IN THE
GREEN PIGMENT OF CHLOROPLASTS IN PLANT CELLS. THESE
ORGANELLES CAME FROM ANCIENT OCEANIC BACTERIA.
• CAPTURE OF SOLAR ENERGY IS ALMOST 100% EFFICIENT.
• PHOTOSYNTHESIS 2:
• STORED LIGHT ENERGY IS MOVED TO MITOCHONDRIA VIA
ELECTRONS FOR SYNTHESIS OF CARBOHYDRATES, STARCHES
AND OILS
TIME LINE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
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FROM YEAR 8000 BC: FARMER SELECTION
1859: DARWIN’S THEORY ON EVOLUTION
1863: GEORGE GREGOR MENDEL ON GENES
1953: WATSON AND CRICK DISCOVER DNA HELIX
1972: HUMAN GENOME PROJECT STARTED
1990: HUMAN GENOME ABOUT COMPLETED.
MODERN FOODS FROM OLD CROPS
MAIZE, A MAJOR STAPLE FOOD. ORIGIN IS MID-LATIN
AMERICA, DOMESTICATED BY AMERICAN INDIANS
OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS
SOYA BEAN, A MAJOR OIL AND PROTEIN STAPLE
CROP, ORIGIN IS CHINA REGION
PLANTS SHARE DNA AND GENETICS
NOW WE CAN MOVE GENES FROM ONE TO ANOTHER
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CROSS BREEDING RELATED SPECIES
GRAFTING SCIONS ONTO ROOT STOCKS
NATURAL AND INDUCED MUTATIONS
USING GM TECHNIQUES TO INSERT GENES FROM ONE TO
ANOTHER SPECIES VIA A VECTOR: A CIRCULAR DNA PIECE
WITH SPECIFIC GENE CODE INSIDE A NON-PATHOGENIC SOIL
BACTERIUM
• USING GENETICS TO SILENCE OR KNOCK OUT AN
UNWANTED GENE
• INSERTING A DESIRED GENE INTO A SPECIFIC POSITION WITH
PRECISION.
COMPLEX WHEAT GENETICS FROM NATURE
• WHEAT ORIGINATED IN THE MIDDLE-EAST.
• TWO GRASS SPECIES CROSSED NATURALLY, THEN DOUBLED
THE CHROMOSOME SET, THEN CROSSED WITH A THIRD
GRASS SPECIES, AGAIN DOUBLED THE CHROMOSOMES TO
BECOME A HEXAPLOID PLANT = SIX SETS OF CHROMOSOMES
WITH MANY DUPLICATIONS OF GENES.
• COMPLEX GENETICS = DIFFICULT MODERN BREEDING
• HISTORIC FARMER SELECTION BROUGHT US BREAD WHEAT
• PANE ES VITA
SOYA BEAN:
“TREE OF LIFE”
• A MAJOR CROP FOR FOOD, FEED, INDUSTRIAL USES
• AUTOMOTIVE: OILS, LUBRICANTS, GREASE, BIODIESEL >>>
• BUILDING: COATINGS, SEALANTS, FLOORING, PAINTS,
INSULATION >>>
• HOME: CANDLES, FURNITURE, SOAP, INKS, SOY MILK,
MARGARINE, PET CARE >>>
• PERSONAL: CLOTHING, DEODERANTS, FACIAL CARE, HAIR
CARE, LOTIONS, SUNSCREEN >>>
• NUTRITION: OILS, PROTEINS, AMINO ACIDS, VITAMINS,
MINERALS, FIBRES >>>
TIME LINE ON MODERN BIOTECH
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JUMPING, TRANSPOSABLE GENES
IDENTIFYING GENES THAT CONTROL TRAITS
ESTABLISHING DNA SEQUENCES OF TRAITS
USING A BACTERIUM TO TRANSFER GENES INTO PLANT
CELLS
USING A SOIL BACTERIUM’s GENES AS SOURCE FOR INSECT
RESISTANCE.
OBTAINING GENES FROM MICROBES AND PLANTS FOR
DROUGHT TOLERANCE
STACKING GENES FOR STACKED TRAITS
CHANGING METABOLIC PATHWAYS, ETC, ETC
SOYA DERIVATIVES
LECITHIN
PHOSPHOLIPIDS
PROTEINS
OILS
HYDROCOLLOIDS
POLYSACCHARIDES
ISOFLAVONES
FOR PROCESSED FOODS, HUMAN AND ANIMAL HEALTH
TIME LINE ON BIOSAFETY FRAMEWORK
• 1978: SCIENTISTS ESTABLISH SAGENE TO ASSIST
GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY ON MODERN BIOTECH,
DRAFTED SAFETY GUIDELINES
• 1990: SAGENE ASSESSED FIRST GM COTTON
• 1995: DRAFTING GMO ACT, COVERS ALL ORGANISMS
• 1997: GMO ACT APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT, DECISION
MAKING BY EXCECUTIVE COUNCIL, UNDER AGRICULTURE
• 1998: BIOSAFETY REGULATIONS APPROVED AND SAGENE
REPLACED BY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
• UPDATED ACT AND REGS 2008 AND SOME IN 2000
THE HYPE, MYTHS, FACTS, TRENDS, TRADE
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES ALWAYS CREATE UNCERTAINTIES
NEW CONSUMERISM, ACTIVISM
INADEQUATE COMMUNICATION
HYPE BY ANTI- AND PRO- GENETIC MODIFICATION
LOBBYISTS
• SCIENTIFIC FACT AGAINST EMOTIONS
• MODERN BIOTECH AND GMO INNOVATIONS CONTINUE
• TRADE BARRIERS?
SOME BIOTECH ACHIEVEMENTS
• HUMAN INSULIN PRODUCED IN GM BACTERIUM SINCE 1982
• CHYMOSIN ENZYME FOR CHEESE PRODUCED IN GM
MICROBE
• INSECT RESISTANT AND DISEASE RESISTANT CROPS
• HIGH YIELDING CROPS, DROUGHT TOLERANT CROPS
• HERBICIDE TOLERANT CROPS
• OILSEED CROPS WITH IMPROVED OIL COMPOSITION
• OVER 100 VACCINES AND THERAPEUTIC COMPOUNDS
PRODUCED IN GM MICROBES
• HIV AND TB VACCINES UNDER TEST IN RSA
MYTHS AND FACTS (1)
• MYTH: GM CROPS ARE ONLY FOR BIG FARMERS
• FACT: GLOBALLY, 90% OF 19 MILLION GM CROP FARMERS
ARE SMALLHOLDERS
• MYTH: RATS GOT CANCER FROM GM MAIZE, THUS RISK FOR
HUMANS
• FACT: LAB RATS HAD BEEN BRED TO BE PRONE TO CANCER
FOR STUDIES, GM MAIZE HAD NO ADVERSE IMPACT, EFSA
(EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY) REJECTED FINDING
AS SCIENTIFICALLY UNSOUND, SO DID BIOSAFETY
INSTITUTIONS IN 6 EU STATES.
MYTHS AND FACTS (2)
• MYTH: GLYPHOSATE HERBICIDE USED ON GM CROPS
PRESENT IN MOTHERS’ MILK
• FACT: ALLEGATION REJECTED BY GERMAN SAFETY
AUTHORITIES AS THERE IS NO EQUIPMENT THAT CAN
DETECT GLYPHOSATE AT THE ALLEGED 0.4 NANO LEVEL.
• FACT: GERMAN ASSOCIATION FOR BREAST FEEDING STATED
ALLEGATION AS A DISSERVICE TO MOTHERS, CALLED ON
MOTHERS TO CONTINUE BREAST FEEDING BABIES.
• MYTH: EU HAS BANNED GM CROPS AND THEIR PRODUCTS
• FACT: 5 EU STATES CONTINUE GROWING GM MAIZE, EU
APPROVED IMPORT OF 5 GM CROPS FOR FOOD AND FEED.
PROVEN SAFETY OF PRODUCTS
FROM GM CROPS
• NO EVIDENCE OF ANY ADVERSE IMPACTS OF GM MAIZE,
SOYA BEAN OR COTTON AFTER 16 YEARS OF PRODUCTION IN
SOUTH AFRICA.
• EU STUDIES OVER 15 YEARS SHOWED GM CROPS ARE AS
SAFE AS CONVENTIONAL.
• TWO RECENT YEARS OF INVESTIGATION BY THE AMERICAN
ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE SHOWED SAFETY.
• 40 MILLION TONS OF GM MAIZE HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN
SOUTH AFRICA SINCE 2000 FOR DOMESTIC USE AS
FOOD/FEED/PROCESSING WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE OF
ADVERSE IMPACT TO HUMANS, ANIMALS, ENVIRONMENT
TRADE BARRIERS : NOT ABOUT SAFETY, BUT
ABOUT TECHNICAL TRADE BARRIERS.
• THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE EU AND USA, CANADA AND 14
THIRD PARTY COUNTRIES ON EU’S FREEZE (1999-2003) ON
GM CROPS WENT TO THE WTO.
• RESULT: WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY RULED THAT IT
WAS A ‘DE FACTO MORATORIUM’, ‘CAUSING UNDUE DELAY’,
‘A TECHNICAL BARRIER TO TRADE’, AND THAT THE EU CLAIM
OF ‘GM CROPS UNSAFE’ DID NOT MEET ANY OF THE SPS
REQUIREMENTS. THE EU ACCEPTED THE RULING.
• THE 2011 FRENCH BAN ON GM MAIZE PLANTING BY
FARMERS WAS RULED ILLEGAL BY THE EU COURT OF APPEAL
AND BY THE HIGHEST FRENCH COURT (CONSEIL D’ETAT).
MESSAGE TO STUDENTS
• VASBYT, HANG IN THERE
• SCIENCE IS EXCITING BUT REQUIRES A
PASSION FOR STUDYING LIVING THINGS
• THE FUTURE BELONGS TO SCIENCE AND
THOSE WHO MAKE FRIENDS WITH SCIENCE
• JAHAWARLAL NEHRU, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA
THANKS
MY THANKS TO SAAFoST AND THE
AUDIENCE