Toby Bradshaw

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Toby Bradshaw

• Research Associate Professor
• College of Forest Resources
• Molecular genetics of forest trees, especially
  hybrid poplar
• Genetic basis of speciation and adaptation in
  natural plant populations

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Controversy
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What is a GMO?

• Genetically Modified Organism
• Asexual gene (DNA) transfer (genetic
  engineering/GE)
• Unlimited gene pool
• Research tool
• Pharmaceuticals
• Crops (Frankenfood)
• Livestock?
• Forest trees?
• Fish?
• Humans?

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Gene transfer (transformation)

• Typical traits engineered into transgenic (GE,
  GMO) crops
• Herbicide resistance (e.g., Roundup Ready)
• Insect resistance (Bt toxin)
• Vitamin A (golden rice)
• Fruit firmness (Flavr Savr tomato)

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Potential benefits of GE crops and food

• Accelerates plant breeding
• Increased yield spares wilderness
• Tolerance of harsh environments
• Improved nutritional quality
• Reduced use of chemical pesticides
• Vaccine delivery
• Novel products (e.g., pharmaceuticals, industrial
  raw materials)

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How is traditional plant breeding done?

• Selection for mutations

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How is traditional plant breeding done?
Einkorn wheat

• Wild in Middle East
• Shattering and non-shattering
• Diploid (2 sets of chromosomes)

• Wide crossing (transcends the species barrier)

X goat grass
Emmer wheat
Durum wheat

• Nowhere a wild plant
• Non-shattering
• Tetraploid (4 sets of chromosomes)

X unknown grass species
Bread wheat

• Nowhere a wild plant
• Non-shattering
• Hexaploid (6 sets of chromosomes)
• 30 of world grain production
• Staple for 40 of human population

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US National Research Council/National Academy of
Sciences position on GE and conventional plant
breeding

• The same physical and biological laws govern the
  response of organisms modified by modern
  molecular and cellular methods and those produced
  by classical methods.

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Concerns about GE crops and food

• Human health (e.g., allergies)
• Contamination of organic crops with GE pollen
• Unnatural breaching of species barrier
• Unethical (e.g., playing God)
• Corporate control of agriculture
• Environmental risk

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Potential environmental risks of GE crops/food

• Non-target effects (e.g., Monarch butterfly)
• Insects become resistant to Bt, making it useless
  for organic farmers
• Increased use of broad-spectrum herbicides
• Gene flow to wild relatives (e.g., superweeds)
• Loss of biodiversity (e.g., monoculture)

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Issues to discuss

• What are the trade-offs involved in the adoption
  or rejection of genetically engineered food
  crops?
• Should GE food be labeled differently from
  conventionally-bred food crops? Why or why not?
• Does genetic engineering differ in any meaningful
  way from conventional plant breeding?