Transcript Document
What is Biotechnology?
Biology 600
Biotechnology: Principles and Products
Delivered Live and via Videoconference
June 1-2, 2005
Phil McClean
Department of Plant Science
North Dakota State University
NDSU
Extension
The Latest Biotech News
Monsanto halts GM wheat (May 10, 2004)
• Responding to lack of market support, Monsanto
halts their Roundup Ready wheat program
• Will wait until sentiment changes
EU Approves New Biotech Corn Product (May 19, 2004)
• Syngenta allowed to market products containing
Bt-11 insect resistant corn
• First new biotech product approved in EU in five years
• But company decides not to market the product
because of user concerns
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Extension
The Latest Biotech News
ND GMO Planting Decisions (Winter 2005)
• New law enacted during 2005 legislative session
• Only the ND state government has the authority to ban
plantings of GMO crops
• Response to laws passed at county level in other states
NDSU
EU Approving GMO-free Zones (May 2005)
• European Union GMO regulations permit regions
• to declare themselves GMO
• Otherwise approved GMO products can be grown
• 162 regions or provinces (=US states) have asked to be
GMO free
• 4500 total government units have made the request
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What is Biotechnology?
How about some definitions
General Definition
The application of technology to improve
a biological organism
Detailed Definition
The application of the technology to modify
the biological function of an organism
by adding genes from another organisms
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What is the Result of Biotechnology?
• An organism showing a novel trait not normally found
in the species
Extended shelf-life tomato
(FlavrSavr Tomato)
Herbicide resistant soybean
(Roundup Ready Soybean)
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Extension
Biotechnology Terms You Probably Heard
Transgene – the foreign gene added to a species
Ex. – modified EPSP synthase gene (encodes a protein that
functions even when plant treated with Roundup)
Transgenic – an organism containing a transgene introduced
by technological (not breeding) methods
Ex. – Roundup Ready Crops
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Biotechnology Develops
GMOs - Genetically modified organisms
• GMO - an organism that expresses traits that result
from the introduction of foreign DNA
• Also called transgenic organism
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Important Terms
• Breeding
Beneficial gene added from the same species
Gene delivered by mating within the species
Source: USDA
• Transformation
Beneficial gene added from another species
Gene delivered by plant genetic engineering
Source: USDA
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Extension
Let’s Be Up Front
• Breeding Biotechnology
Breeding only exchanges genes found in the species
Breeding can transfer the transgene to other breeding materials
BUT it is not the same as biotechnology
• Biotechnology adds traits not available in the species
Soybean does not have a gene to breakdown Roundup
The gene comes from bacteria
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Interspecific Cross
Wheat
Rye
X
Triticale
New species, but
NOT biotechnology
products
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Mutagenesis: New Trait, No Foreign Gene
Mutagenesis changes the sequence of a gene
New, useful traits can be obtained
Susceptible
Normal
Gene
Resistant
Mutant
Gene
Mutagenesis
Treatment
ATTCGA
ATTGGA
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Extension
BASF Clearfield Products
Mutagenesis Crops
Herbicide resistance
•imidazolinones
Mutant AHAS enzyme
•developed by mutagenesis
Crops
• Canola, Corn, Rice, Sunflower, Wheat
In US
• Not considered GMOs by USDA regulators
• A Major marketing advantage
• When some stacked with GMOs, the advantage lost
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Extension
The Crop Biotech Market Is Dominated
By Five Countriesa
58.8%/118 ma
(63%/106 ma)
6.7%/13 ma
(6.0%/10 ma)
4.6%/9 ma
(3%/7 ma)
6.2%/12 ma
(3%/7 ma)
20.0%/40 ma
(21%/36 ma)
a2004
NDSU
Top Five Countries = 96% of market
20 % increase in biotech acreage from 2003
growing season data. http://www.isaaa.org/Press_release/Briefs30-2003/press/b30_english.htm 2003 in parentheses.
Extension
Crop Biotechnology Grew Worldwide
In 2004
• 200 million acres (20% growth)
• 8.3 million farmers (18% growth)
• 17 mega-producing countries (>120,000 acres)
• Up from 16 countries in 2003
• US, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, China, Paraguay, India
South Africa, Uruguay, Australia, Romania, Mexico,
Spain, Philippines, Colombia, Honduras, Germany
• Germany new in 2004
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Historically, biotechnology is the most rapidly
adopted new agricultural technology
Extension
Biotechnology Crops:
Worldwide Acreage 2004
Soybean: 120.0 million acres (17% annual growth)
Corn:
30.6 million acres (25% annual growth)
Canola:
16.8 million acres (12 % annual growth)
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Economic Effect of Bt Cotton
In China
$200/acre increase in income
$750 million increase nationally
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Benefits to Hungarian Farmers
Total
benefit
Farmer
realized
Industry
realized
3 mill
76%
24%
Bt corn (Western corn rootworm)
16 mill
65%
35%
Herbicide tolerant maize
14 mill
73%
27%
3 mill
50%
50%
Trait
Bt corn (european cornborer
Herbicide tolerant sugarbeet
NDSU
From: Demont et al. 2005. Potential impact of biotechnology in eastern Europe: transgenic maize, sugar beet, and
oilseed rape in Hungary.
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Transgenic Crops Increasing In the USa
Crop (% total acreage)
Soybeanb
Cornc
Canolad
Year
US ND SD US ND SD US ND
SD
2001
68
49
80
26
25
48
61
75
-
2002
74
50
86
32
18
65
64
80
-
2003
81
74
91
40
-
75
-
-
-
a Source:
NASS Planting Reports, 2001, 2002.
b2002 US acreage = 73 million; ND acreage = 2.6 million
c2002 US acreage = 79 million; ND acreage = 1.2 million
d2002 US acreage = 1.6 million; ND acreage = 1.3 million
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Impact of Transgenics on
Major Crop Production
Ha 2004
%
2004
%
2003
Soybean
86
56
55
Cotton
32
28
21
Canola
23
19
16
Maize
140
14
11
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Transgenic versions of the big four crops
are grown on 30% of their acreage
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Impact of Transgenics on
Worldwide Crop Production
Transgenic crops are grown on 5%
of the 3.7 billion acres of cultivated land in the world
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Roundup Ready Soybean
No Yield Drag or (Advantage)
North Dakota 2002 Data
Locationa
Arthur, Grandin,
Northwood
Wyndmere, Mooreton,
Great Bend
Soybean type
Ave.Bu/A
Conventional
46.6 (27)b
91 %
45.5 (26)
100 %
Roundup Ready
51.5 (78)
100 %
44.1 (80)
97 %
collected by Dr. Ted Helms, NDSU
b# of varieties in trial in parenthesis
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aData
% Yield Ave. Bu/A % Yield
Extension
Roundup Ready Soybean
Reduces Expensesa
Soybean type
Herbicide cost
(per acre)
Conventional
$27.65
Roundup Ready
$15.90
aData
provided by Dr. Duane Burgland, NDSU.
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Extension
Biotech Crops Can Be Environmentally
(and Yield) Friendly
Table 1. Cotton yield and insecticide results from a large (157 sites) trial
in India during 2001.
Cotton type
Non-Bt
Popular check
Yield (kg/ha)
1501*
833
802
# Bollworm sprays
0.62*
3.68
3.63
# Sucking insect sprays
3.57
3.51
3.45
Kg/ha insecticide
1.74*
5.56
5.43
Toxic class I
0.64*
1.98
1.94
Toxic class II
1.07*
3.55
3.46
Toxic class III
0.03
0.03
0.03
*Means within a row are significantly different at the 5% level
From: Science (2003) 299:900
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Bt
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Agriculture Products On the Market
Insect resistant cotton
Bt toxin kills the cotton boll worm
toxin gene from a bacteria
Source: USDA
Insect resistant corn
Bt toxin kills the European corn borer
toxin gene from a bacteria
Rootworm GM approved (2/26/03)
Transgenic
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Normal
Extension
Herbicide resistant crops
current: soybean, corn, canola
coming: sugarbeet, lettuce, strawberry,
alfalfa, potato, wheat (on hold)
resistance gene from bacteria
Source: Monsanto
Virus resistance
papaya, squash, potato
resistance gene from a virus
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Bacterial and Animal Biotechnology Products
Source: Chr. Hansen
Biotech chymosin
enzyme used to curdle milk products
gene from yeast
harvested from GE bacteria
replaces the calf enzyme
bST (bovine somatotropin)
NDSU
Source: Rent Mother Nature
increases milk production
gene from cow
protein harvested from GE bacteria
replaces cow protein originally
harvested from pituitary glands
of slaughtered cows
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Next Generation of Ag Biotech Products
Golden Rice
Increased Vitamin A content
Transgenes from bacteria and daffidol
Controversory: large amount needed to
solve problem
Sunflower
White mold resistance
Resistance gene from wheat
Source: Minnesota
Microscopy Society
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Extension
Turfgrass
Herbicide resistance
Slower growing
reduced mowing = reduced pollution
Bio Steel
Spider silk strongest known protein
Protein expressed in goat milk
Protein used to make soft-body,
bullet proof vests (Nexia)
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Field Testing Permits Tell Us What is Coming
Field Trial Data: Jan 2001 – Today (n=2540)
Organization
Monsanto
Universities
Scotts
# 2002-03 trials (%)
1480 (58%)
329 (13%)
84 (3%)
78 (3%)
69 (3%)
63 (2%)
USDA/ARS
Prodigene
60 (2%)
25 (1%)
2001-03 data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology
(http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
NDSU
Aventis
Sygenta
Dow
Extension
Where Are the GM Crops Tested in the US?
ND #23
230 (3)
CA #5
990 (12)
IA #4
1,022 (12)
Data: 1993-present: State rank, # trials, % total trials
Information Systems for Biotechnology (http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
PR #3
1,063 (13)
NDSU
HA #1
1,437 (17)
IL #2
1,292 (16)
Extension
Corn is the Current Main Focus
Crop
# 2002-03 Trials (%)
Corn
1424 (56%)
Cotton
193 (8%)
Rice
146 (6%)
Wheat
141 (6%)
Soybean
124 (5%)
Alfalfa
121 (5%)
Turfgrass
NDSU
2001-03 data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology
(http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
89 (4%)
Extension
The Traditional Traits Predominant
Trait
# 2002-03 Trials (%)
Insect resistance
791 (31%)
Herbicide resistance
736 (29%)
Plant quality
400 (16%)
Pathogen resistance
171 (7%)
NDSU
2001-03 data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology
(http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
Extension
But Some Novel Traits Are Being Tested
Trait
# 2002-03 Trials (%)
Yield
105 (4%)
Amino acid content
94 (4%)
Sugar content
44 (2%)
Oil content
42 (2%)
NDSU
2001-03 data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology
(http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
Extension
What’s Coming for Wheat??
Trait
% 2002-03 Wheat Trials
Roundup Ready
57%
Protein content
10%
Yield
8%
Fusarium resistance
8%
NDSU
2001-03 data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology
(http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
Extension
Some Ag Biotech Products Are Discontinued
Why???
Poor Quality
• FlavrSavr tomatoes (Calgene)
Negative Consumer Response
• Tomato paste (Zeneca)
Negative Corporate Response
• NewLeaf (Monsanto)
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Universal Negative Publicity
• StarLink corn (Aventis)
Extension
Environmental Applications
Indicator bacteria
contamination is detected in the environment
microbes sensitive to certain pollutants
Bioremediation
cleanup contaminated sites
uses microbes designed to degrade
the pollutant
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Land Mine Detection
Without this effort,
that is dangerous to our military,
children are maimed.
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Land Mine Detection
How biotechnology helps
• Patented transgene added to plants
• When metal from mine is detected
• Plant turns from green to red
• Technology developed by Aresa Biodetection
Mine detected
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Biotechnology and Health
Product
Use
Insulin
Diabetes
Interferon
Cancer
Interleukin
Cancer
Human growth hormone
Dwarfism
Neuroactive proteins
Pain
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What is Biopharming?
Biopharming Definition
Growing transgenic crops that express
pharmaceutical products
Examples:
Drugs
Antibodies
Proteins
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Why use this technology?
Familiar Production Systems
• Genes introduced into field crops (mostly corn)
• New productions systems not needed
• Producer can use traditional growing strategies
Reduced End-Product Cost
• Animal system: $1000 - $5000 per gram protein
• Plant System: $1 - $10 per gram protein
Source: The Roanoke Times, 2000
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Extension
Edible Vaccines – A Biopharming Dream
Biotech Plants Serving Human Health Needs
• A pathogen protein gene is cloned
• Gene is inserted into the DNA of plant (potato, banana, tomato)
• Humans eat the plant
• The body produces antibodies against pathogen protein
• Human are “immunized” against the pathogen
• Examples:
Diarrhea
Hepatitis B
Measles
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Extension
Future Health-related Biotech Products
Vaccines
Herpes
hepatitis C
AIDS
malaria
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Tooth decay
Streptococcus mutans, the mouth bacteria
releases lactic acid that destroys enamel
engineered Streptococcus mutans
does not release lactic acid
destroys the tooth decay strain
Extension
Nutritional Genomics
(Nutrigenomics: a coming
Biotechnology innovation)
Concepts of Nutrigenomics
Certain diets can cause severe health risks in individuals
• Refined sugars, dairy products, fatty foods
Certain diets enhance disease susceptibility in individual’s
with a specific genetic makeup
• Diabetes, lactose intolerance, high cholesterol
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Diets based on an individuals genetic makeup are preferred
• No refined sugars, minimal dairy products
or fatty foods
Extension
Nutritional Genomics
(Nutrigenomics)
Goal of Nurtigenomics
Identify specific genetic makeups
• What combination of genes places a person at risk?
Develop dietary recommendations
• What diets are best suited for certain at-risk individuals?
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Extension
Top Biotechnologies
In The Future
Molecular Diagnostics
• Treatments exist, but diagnositic tools are lacking
• Expensive, hard to implement
• Cost effective diagnostic procedures needed
NDSU
Recombinant Vaccines
• Vaccines have effectively eradicated small pox, polio, etc
• Other diseases need to be addressed
• More effective and low-cost vaccines are needed
• Genetic engineering can solve these problems
Extension
Top Biotechnologies
In The Future
Vaccine and drug delivery
• Vaccine injections can cause serious infection
• New delivery forms, such as slow release drugs, are needed
Bioremediation
• Water, air, and soil pollution is a problem
• Plants can breakdown much of these pollutants
• Plants that are safe to the environment and reduce pollutants
are needed
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Extension
Top Biotechnologies
In The Future
Nutritionally Enriched Crops
• Malnutrition is widespread
• Malnutrition is associated with many diseases
• Modification of staple crops necessary
to solve the problem
NDSU
Female Controlled Protection Against STDs
• Incidence of sexually-transmitted disease is high
• Women are most affected
• Vaginal microbicides needed
• Topical application best solution
Extension
The Question for the Future:
Should We Live A Biotech Free Lifestyle??
Answers depends upon your perspective on the value
of the technology
What will support your opinion?
• Economics
• Safety of products
• Needs of human
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Extension