1. DNA Technology & the Story of “Golden Rice”

2. Malnutrition

3. Vitamin A deficiency Weakens the immune system
Can lead to blindness which increases the risk of death
Is entirely preventable!
Many humanitarian organization such as Unicef distribute vitamin A drops in developing countries.

4. Vitamin A deficiency: The Problem
400 million poor in rice-based societies are Vitamin A deficient. 
500,000 children per year go blind.
1.15 million VAD-precipitated deaths among children world wide. 
Rice is the main staple crop for most of these children, but rice lack pro-vitamin A and other micronutrients.
Aka. Beta Carotene

5. Vitamin A deficiency: The Solution
Golden Rice
Development by Potrykus and Beyer
Contains a gene from maize or daffodil plants and common soil bacterium (Erwinia)
Switzerland and Germany
VA expressed exclusively in the endosperm (Seed)
The enzyme product of these genes lead to the formation of lycopene which is converted to pro-vitamin A beta carotenes
Rice golden color from increased beta carotene……Carrot story

6. Golden Rice
Starting in the 1990s there was not enough Beat carotene in the rice to make a substantial impact on Vitamin A deficincies. More recently developed lines now have more vitamin A and a greater potential to help solve this problem.

7. Golden Rice Free distribution of seeds
Potential to save millions of lives and prevent millions of children from going blind.
So why is it not in large scale distribution?
This brings us to some of the ethical & cultural issues surrounding some uses of DNA technology.
Why you may not have heard of it.

8. Issues Surrounding Golden Rice
Environmental
Social
Political
Many humanitarian oranization oppose Golden Rice……It is not ready for large scale production.
What could some of the environmental impacts be?
What do you think about these arguments?
If this can save millions of children does it matter what the environmental consequences are?
Ray Badbrary’s story about the time traveler
Multi gene control of almost anything……….How will this impact humans? Environment if this gene spreads into other species?

9. Golden Rice Is it worth the risks?

10. Sources Golden Rice Organization unicef Goldenrice.org

11. Uses DNA Technology Food Supply Medicine
Biotech & transgenic Crops
Medicine
Genomic study & treatment of disease
DNA fingerprinting / forensic investigation
Study of Evolution
From what I understand you have been working on timelines of discoveries and technology of DNA?
DNA today has become a very powerful tool in many realms of everyday life.
Food supply, what we just talked about with some of those issues
Medicine, lots of issues surrounding proper uses of it as a diagnosis tool etc.
DNA fingerprinting, accuracy /tampering issues
Study of Evolution, how useful is it?

12. Methods of studying DNA
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
DNA Sequencing
As I’m sure you’ve seen working on your timeline there have been many new advances in DNA technology over the last several decades.
Many new methods and techniques have been developed, and I really think that it is an exciting time to be around. As we can learn more about ourselves and the world around us through use and further development of these technologies.

13. Ethics of DNA Technology
Food Supply
Biotech & transgenic Crops
Medicine
Genomic study & treatment of disease
As with our presentations earlier…………there are several ethical questions raised by the use of genetically modified organisms, Human gene therapy

14. Presentation Topics
DNA cloning
Genomics
Biotechnology
DNA in medicine