The Plant World and Genetic Engineering Part II What kind of products are there anyways?

Where is the technology being used? Frankenfood or Valued-added food? In 1999 approximately 70% of foodstuffs in North America contain components derived from GM crops It is very important that we as consumers pay close attention to what is going on in the world of GMOs. For instance, it was very shocking to many people to find out that such a large proportion of our foodstuffs contained components derived from GMOs. By educating ourselves, we are better equipped to make the whether or not we wish to consume certain GM products

Why the %^!#!@ Should I Support the Biotech Industry? By genetically modifying plants we can: -- Many products developed to date do not directly impact the consumer (such as herbicide resistant crops). However, there are many positive aspects to GMOs including those mentioned in this slide

Why the %^!#!@ Should I Support the Biotech Industry? By genetically modifying plants we can: Reduce pesticide use Conserve fuel and water Preserve non-pest insect populations Increase food production per hectare of farmland Enable crops to grow in sub-optimal conditions Increase the nutritional value of food Many products developed to date do not directly impact the consumer (such as herbicide resistant crops). However, there are many positive aspects to GMOs including those mentioned in this slide

Current Products Transgenic Soybean Roundup Ready Field after one round of application of Roundup herbicide Transgenic Soybean Roundup Ready Resistant to Roundup Herbicide Reduces the amount of herbicide applied to crops Altered Fatty-acid content Changes the nutritional value Soybeans have been modified in many ways, including introducing a gene to make them tolerant to a broad spectrum herbicide (Roundup). This allows farmers to apply only one herbicide to the crop instead of many different ones to kill weeds. Soybeans have also been engineered to produce different types and levels of fatty acids to increase their nutritional value.

Current Products Canola Herbicide resistant Better for the environment Altered fatty-acid composition A value-added food http://www.ens.lycos.com/ens/pics11/ canolaprods.jpg Canola is one of the major Canadian crops. Like the Soybean, it has been engineered to be tolerant to the herbicide Glyphosate. This reduces the amount of herbicide that needs to be applied to the crop and therefore is better for the environment. Canola has also been engineered to have altered fatty acid composition.

Current Products Tomato Flavr Savr Tomato Virus resistant tomato Delayed softening Consumers get a better tasting tomato Failed Virus resistant tomato Resistant to pests Decreases the amount of pesticide applied to crops Transgenic tomato plants show resistance (left) while non-transformed plants are susceptible to cucumber mosaic virus under field conditions (right) http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/BioTechnology/Images/2.4.jpg The Flavr Savr Tomato was the first genetically engineered food to be approved for commercial production. This tomato was supposed to have a delayed softening, allowing later harvesting and increased shelf life for the tomato. Unfortunately, the product did not conform to expectations and production was stopped. This is an example of the technology not always working. A bacterial gene has also bee introduced to tomato that allows it to be resistant to insects. This gives the tomato a natural resistance and reduces the amount of pesticides that need to be applied to tomato crops. This particular example will be addressed again in upcoming slides.

Current Products Corn Bt Corn The Monarch Butterfly debate: Wild-type corn showing infestation - Bt corn is resistant to this Corn Bt Corn The Monarch Butterfly debate: A microbial gene added results in the crop being resistant to insects Does it impact the Monarch Butterfly? Well planned experiments are critical to the survival of biotechnology Bt corn is one of the most well known examples of an engineered food. This corn has had a bacterial gene introduced into it that allows it to be resistant (toxic) to . This in theory results in a reduction in the amount of pesticide applied to the crop. This product endured much public scrutiny following the publication of a study stating that the pollen was toxic to the monarch butterfly. In the many follow-up studies that have been carried out, it has been concluded that the corn is safe and that the levels of pollen that were fed to the monarch butterflies were drastically higher than would be encountered and consumed in nature.

Current Products Cotton Yes – clothes can be made from transgenic crops! Bollgard cotton Insect resistance Lowers pesticide usage Insect infestation on Bt (right) and non-Bt (left) cotton bolls http://www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/TransgenicCrops/images/cotton.jpg Bt Cotton has also been created, giving the cotton plant resistance to Bollworm (see illustration)

Current Products Squash Virus resistant Reduces crop loss due to infestation and decreases pesticide use http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/BioTechnology/Images/2.3.jpg Transgenic ‘Freedom II’ squash showing resistance to both zucchini yellow mosaic virus and watermelon mosaic virus 2 (right) compared to non-transformed plants that are susceptible (left) Many different plants, including squash, have been created that are resistant to natural viral pathogens. These pathogens can severely affect crop yields. The advantage of creating these squash plants is evident from the illustration.

Current Products Papaya Virus resistant Restored the papaya industry in Hawaii Reduced crop loss Japan blocked imports of transgenic papaya The story of the virus-resistant papaya is very interesting. Two genes were introduced into papaya that made the papaya resistant to ? virus and ? Virus. When producers switched to this variety, the Papaya industry in Hawaii was restored until Japan, a major importer of Hawaiian papaya, refused to import genetically modified papaya. This resulted in the many of the producers switching back to the wild-type strain of papaya. Following this, the papaya crops were once again ravaged by the virus, which drastically reduced crop yields.

Current Products Golden Rice Biotechnology’s poster child? A true value added food Vitamin A enriched rice prevents disease and blindness Golden in colour Golden rice and normal (white) www.fumento.com/ wsjbiotech.html When the news that transgenic rice had been created that contained high levels of vitamin A became public, there was hope that this strain of rice would help decrease the disease caused by vitamin A deficiency in developing nations where rice makes up a substantial proportion of the diet. This led many to believe that this rice would finally pave the way for public acceptance of genetically modified crops. However, since this time various reports indicate that the additional levels of vitamin A may not be adequate to eradicate vitamin A deficiencies. Nonetheless, this is a good example of the powerful potential impact that future transgenic foods may have.

Can GMO’s have health benefits? Some plants have been altered to increase the nutritional value: -- Aside from genetically modified foods, plants have been modified in various other ways to make them more useful to the general public. One such use is the creation of plants that are capable of producing therapeutic compounds at lower cost, such as blood proteins and antibodies. One of the more powerful applications of transgenic plants is to use them to produce compounds that may be used as vaccines - this will be addressed later.

Can GMO’s have health benefits? Some plants have been altered to increase the nutritional value: Pharmaceuticals, Plantibodies, and Edible Vaccines -- anti-cancer antibodies -- edible vaccines Aside from genetically modified foods, plants have been modified in various other ways to make them more useful to the general public. One such use is the creation of plants that are capable of producing therapeutic compounds at lower cost, such as blood proteins and antibodies. One of the more powerful applications of transgenic plants is to use them to produce compounds that may be used as vaccines - this will be addressed later.

Edible Vaccines Plants producing vaccines could eliminate or simplify vaccine distribution problems in developing nations How a transgenic plant containing a vaccine is made www.niaid.nih.gov/final/ infds/la_infds.htm The concept of using transgenic plants to create vaccines has several significant implications including: 1. This can provide a cheap, “low tech” method of producing vaccines in developing nations 2. The cost of administering vaccines could be significantly lowered as injections would be eliminated 3. There is potential that edible vaccines could stimulate a mucosal response – something that current injected generally are incapable of doing 4. Producing vaccines in plants could lower storage and transportation costs of vaccines 5. More vaccine could be produced in a much cheaper fashion 6. These vaccines may be safer than some current ones which use inactive, or non-virulent forms of viruses

Other Cool Plant Biotech Products Blue Carnations and Roses Nature can not make these Non-allergenic peanuts Kids can take peanut butter sandwiches to school again! Decaffeinated coffee Less processing There are many proposed uses for transgenic plants that have not been mentioned. Some projects that have been proposed or are currently being addressed are illustrated above. Nature has not produced certain colours of flowers such as a blue rose. Because of this, researchers are looking at modifying the rose in such a way as to create unique colours. Along the same lines, different research groups have produced transgenic plants producing the green fluorescent protein. In some cases these plants appear as a glowing green colour when illuminated with the black lights used in different coffee shops, bars and clubs. An interesting proposal is to eliminate the gene(s) responsible for causing peanut allergies in humans. Most coffee drinkers know that the decaffeination process for coffee changes its sensory properties. If researchers are able to modify the metabolic pathway of plants the produces caffeine, there is the potential to create decaffeinated coffee without subjecting it to the common decaffeination processes. Others projects being looked at, but not addressed in the slides include the production of seedless fruits,

What’s next? How will all of these products be regulated? Who decides if they are safe? How do I know if I am eating food derived from a GMO?