OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

Introduction  to  GMO’s

Lee  BeersExtension  Educator  Ag  &  Natural  Resources

Trumbull  County

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How  would  you  rate  your  current  understanding  of  GMO’s?

1. Poor  – I  know  nothing2. Fair3. Good4. Very  good5. Excellent  – I  could  make  a  GMO  in  my  kitchen

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What  is  your  position  on  GMO  crops?

1. Pro  GMO  2. Anti  GMO  3. GMO  Hesitant  4. I  don’t  care

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What  are  GMO’s?• GMO – Genetically  Modified  Organism• ”We’ve  been  modifying  X  for  thousands  of  years”• Yes,  but…

• GMO’s  typically  refer  to  the  transfer  of  foreign  DNA  that  codes  for  specific  genetic  information  from  one  species  to  another

• A  scientific  tool  available  to  plant  breeders

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Which  of  these  plant  breeding  techniques  is  NOT considered  a  GMO?1. Double  haploidization2. T-­DNA  (transfer  DNA)3. CRISPR4. Biolistics5. Electroporation  

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Current  GMO  Crops  in  US

University  of  Colorado  Extension…and  more

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Discovery  and  Development• 1907  – Agrobacterium  tumefaciens discovered• Naturally  occurring  soil  bacteria• Induces  tumor  growth  in  plants  (galls)

Nature.comOSU  Factsheet  HYG-­3301-­08  

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• 1930’s  to  1970’s• Found  transfer  of  DNA  from  bacteria  to  plant

• 1973  – First  genetically  engineered  (GE)  organism

• 1974  – First  GE  mouse• 1992  – Flavr Savrtomatoes  become  1st GMO  crop

Discovery  and  Development

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

Anna  Maurer  -­ Harvard

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• Years,  or  even  decades  of  research  before  taking  the  step  to  GMO

• Must  have  knowledge  of  target  plant  genome  • Knowledge  of  problem  trying  to  be  solved• Chemistry,  biology,  protein  shape,  etc.  

• Identify  the  target  gene,  and  then  determine  method  of  transformation

• Identify  issues  after  transformation• Regulatory  issues

From  Theory  to  Crop

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

The  Central  Dogma

DNA

Genomic  mitochondrial  chloroplast

RNA

MessengerRibosomalTransfer

Protein

PrimarySecondaryTertiary

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EPSP  Synthase  – Glyphosate  Resistance

One  small  change  to  existing  protein  results  in  glyphosate  resistance  in  crops

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

From  Theory  to  Crop• Targeted introgression  of  genes• Flavr Savr tomatoes  –gene  will  produce  “anti-­sense”  copies  of  RNA

• Prevents  the  production  of  enzyme  that  breaks  down  cell  walls

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How  Do  They  Get  Genes  In  There?

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

• Let  Nature  do  the  the  work• Agrobacterium  tumefaciens

How  Do  They  Get  Genes  In  There?

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

• Less  common  techniques• Less  common• ”Gene  Gun”• ”Whisker”• Electroporation

How  Do  They  Get  Genes  In  There?

KaepplerU.  Wisc Bio-­Rad

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

Genome  Editing-­ RNAi-­ CRISPR-­ Site-­specific  gene  editing

-­ Fast,  simple,  cheap

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CRISPR/Cas9

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

-­ This  technology  will  increase  the  speed  GMO  crops  are  developed  and  released

-­ Genome  sequencing  of  crops  will  enable  rapid  development  of  GMO’s

-­ Polyphenyl oxidase  (PPO)  – gene  that  promotes  the  degradation  of  cell  walls  -­ Bruising/browning-­ Gene  found  in  all  plants

CRISPR/Cas9

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-­ Crops  developed  from  these  tools  “escape  regulation”-­ Not  introducing  anything  novel  

-­ There  WILL  be  more  public  outcry  as  more  varieties  are  developed

CRISPR/Cas9

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

Origin  of  GMO  Genes• Plants• Tomato  – Flavr Savr• Apple  – Arctic  Apple

• Bacteria  • Agrobacterium  tumefaciens – glyphosate  resistance  (RoundUp)

• Bacillus  thurigiensis– Bt Corn,  insect  resistance• Virus• Papaya  Spotted  Ring  Virus  (PRSV)  – viral  resistance

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Advantages  of  GMO  Crops• Ability  to  quickly  (relative)  develop  varieties  with  specific traits

• Introduce  traits  unavailable  through  traditional  hybridization  (PRSV,  potato,  etc.)

• Effective  pest  control• Increase  of  nutritional  value  (golden  rice)• Biomedical  opportunities  (vaccines,  etc.)

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Wait,  what  about  increased  yield?

“We  can’t  feed  billions  without  GMO’s”

-­ Crop  yield  potential  has  not  increased  with  GMO’s

-­ More  money,  not  more  corn  for  the  farmer

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Fast…American  chestnut  trees  – an  example• Chestnut  blight  wiped  out  the  trees  in  the  mid  1900’s

• ACF  began  backcross  breeding  in  1983• Close…maybe?

• SUNY  ESF  began  genetic  engineering  in  2006• 10,000  trees  in  the  next  5  years

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

Golden  Rice  has  elevated  levels  of  beta  carotene  that  the  body  converts  to  vitamin  A

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Environmental  Advantages

Drought  Resistant  Technology  -­ Right

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

GMO  Crops  with  drought  resistance  genes  could  reduce  the  water  requirements  needed  for  optimal  yield

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Disadvantages  of  GMO  Crops

• Expensive  to  develop• High  price  to  farmers• Some  markets  don’t  accept  GMO’s

• Public  perceptions• Herbicide  resistant  weeds• Environmental  impact

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Societal  Concerns

Too  much  unreliable  information!

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

Extension

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OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION

Societal  Concerns• Public  perception  on  safety  of  GMO’s  in  food  supply• NO  documented  evidence  that  GMO  food  is  unsafe

• GMO  plants  do  NOT  produce  glyphosate• Society  of  Toxicology  – “The  available  scientific  evidence  indicates  

that  the  potential  adverse  health  effects  arising  from  biotechnology-­derived  foods  are  not  different  in  nature  from  those  created  by  conventional  breeding  practices  for  plant,  animal,  or  microbial  enhancement,  and  are  already  familiar  to  toxicologists.”  ToxilogicalSciences  2003

• Bt Corn  – “EPA  has  determined  that  Bt corn  and  Bt cotton  do  not  pose  unreasonable  risks  to  human  health  or  to  the  environment”  Nature  Biotechnology  2003

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Resistance  to  GMO’s• Genuine  concern  for  food  safety• Science  doesn’t  back  this  up

• Concern  for  environment• Again,  science  doesn’t  back  this  up  (butterflies)

• “Natural”• Personal  choice,  but  GMO’s  are  as  safe  as  “natural”  or  organic  options

• Think  globally,  act  locally• Doesn’t  always  hold  true  for  agriculture  –Especially  in  USA

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What  is  our  role?-­ Source  of  unbiased  information-­ Are  you  unbiased?  I’m  not.

-­ Educate,  don’t  alienate-­ Don’t  get  stuck  on  semantics-­ We  shouldn’t  promote  GMO’s  while  pulling  down  organic

-­ CRISPR  is  going  to  revive  GMO  debate