NDSU Extension What is Biotechnology? Phil McClean Department of Plant Science North Dakota State University Unit 4 Biotechnology Meeting Grand Forks, ND March 6, 2003

NDSU Extension 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

NDSU Extension An organism showing a novel trait not normally found in the species What is the Result of Biotechnology? Extended shelf-life tomato (FlavrSavr Tomato) Herbicide resistant soybean (Roundup Ready Soybean)

NDSU 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

NDSU Extension Biotechnology Develops GMOs - Genetically modified organisms GMO - an organism that expresses traits that result from the introduction of foreign DNA Also called transgenic organism

NDSU Extension Important Terms Breeding Transformation Source: USDA Beneficial gene added from the same species Gene delivered by mating within the species Beneficial gene added from another species Gene delivered by plant genetic engineering

NDSU 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

NDSU Extension WheatRye Triticale X Interspecific Cross New species, but NOT biotechnology products

NDSU Extension ATTCGA ATTGGA Susceptible Normal Gene Resistant Mutant Gene Mutagenesis Treatment Mutagenesis: New Trait, No Foreign Gene Mutagenesis changes the sequence of a gene New, useful traits can be obtained

NDSU Extension BASF Clearfield Products 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 Mutagenesis Crops

NDSU Extension Crop Biotech Market Dominated By Four Countries a 68% 35.7 mha 22% 11.8 mha 6% 3.2 mha 3% 1.5 mha Total = 99% of market a 2001 growing season data.

NDSU Extension Transgenic Crops Increasing In the US a Crop (% total acreage) Soybean b Corn c Canola d YearUSNDSDUSNDSDUSNDSD a Source: NASS Planting Reports, 2001, b 2002 US acreage = 73 million; ND acreage = 2.6 million c 2002 US acreage = 79 million; ND acreage = 1.2 million d 2002 US acreage = 1.6 million; ND acreage = 1.3 million

NDSU Extension Agriculture Products On the Market Source: USDA Insect resistant cotton Insect resistant corn NormalTransgenic Bt toxin kills the cotton boll worm toxin gene from a bacteria Bt toxin kills the European corn borer toxin gene from a bacteria Rootworm GM approved (2/26/03)

NDSU Extension Virus resistance Source: Monsanto Herbicide resistant crops current: soybean, corn, canola coming: sugarbeet, lettuce, strawberry, alfalfa, potato, wheat (2005) resistance gene from bacteria papaya, squash, potato resistance gene from a virus

NDSU Extension Location a Arthur, Grandin, Northwood Wyndmere, Mooreton, Great Bend Soybean typeAve.Bu/A% YieldAve. Bu/A% Yield Conventional46.6 (27) b 91 %45.5 (26)100 % Roundup Ready51.5 (78)100 %44.1 (80)97 % a Data collected by Dr. Ted Helms, NDSU b # of varieties in trial in parenthesis Roundup Ready Soybean No Yield Drag or (Advantage ) North Dakota 2002 Data

NDSU Extension Roundup Ready Soybean Reduces Expenses a Soybean type Herbicide cost (per acre) Conventional$27.65 Roundup Ready$15.90 a Data provided by Dr. Duane Burgland, NDSU.

NDSU Extension Crop Biotechnology Grew Worldwide In million acres (11% growth) 6 million farmers (20% growth) 16 countries (up from 13: India, Colombia, Honduras) Historically, the most rapidly adopted new agricultural technology

NDSU Extension Soybean: 90.2 million acres (10% growth) Corn: 30.6 million acres (27% growth) Canola: 16.8 million acres (no change) Biotechnology Crops Worldwide Acreage 2002

NDSU Extension Economic Effect of Bt Cotton In China $200/acre increase in income $750 million increase nationally

NDSU 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 *Means within a row are significantly different at the 5% level From: Science (2003) 299:900

NDSU Extension Biotech chymosin Source: Rent Mother Nature Source: Chr. Hansen Bacterial and Animal Biotechnology Products enzyme used to curdle milk products gene from yeast harvested from GE bacteria replaces the calf enzyme increases milk production gene from cow protein harvested from GE bacteria replaces cow protein originally harvested from pituitary glands of slaughtered cows bST (bovine somatotropin)

NDSU Extension Next Generation of Ag Biotech Products Source: Minnesota Microscopy Society Golden Rice Sunflower Increased Vitamin A content Transgenes from bacteria and daffidol Controversory: large amount needed to solve problem White mold resistance Resistance gene from wheat

NDSU Extension Turfgrass Bio Steel Herbicide resistance Slower growing reduced mowing = reduced pollution Spider silk strongest known protein Protein expressed in goat milk Protein used to make soft-body, bullet proof vests (Nexia)

NDSU Extension Field Testing Permits Tell Us What is Coming Field Trial Data: Jan 2001 – Today (n=2540) data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology ( Organization# trials (%) Monsanto1480 (58%) Universities 329 (13%) Scotts 84 (3%) Aventis 78 (3%) Sygenta 69 (3%) Dow 63 (2%) USDA/ARS 60 (2%) Prodigene 25 (1%)

NDSU Extension HA #1 1,437 (17) PR #3 1,063 (13) Where Are the GM Crops Tested in the US? IL #2 1,292 (16) IA #4 1,022 (12) CA #5 990 (12) ND # (3) Data: 1993-present: State rank, # trials, % total trials Information Systems for Biotechnology (

NDSU Extension Corn is the Current Main Focus data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology ( Crop# Trials (%) Corn1424 (56%) Cotton193 (8%) Rice146 (6%) Wheat141 (6%) Soybean124 (5%) Alfalfa121 (5%) Turfgrass 89 (4%)

NDSU Extension The Traditional Traits Predominant data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology ( Trait# Trials (%) Insect resistance791 (31%) Herbicide resistance736 (29%) Plant quality 400 (16%) Pathogen resistance171 (7%)

NDSU Extension But Some Novel Traits Are Being Tested data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology ( Trait# Trials (%) Yield105 (4%) Amino acid content 94 (4%) Sugar content 44 (2%) Oil content 42 (2%)

NDSU Extension What’s Coming for Wheat?? data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology ( Trait% Wheat Trials Roundup Ready57% Protein content10% Yield 8% Fusarium resistance 8%

NDSU Extension Some Ag Biotech Products Are Discontinued Poor Quality FlavrSavr tomatoes (Calgene) Negative Consumer Response Tomato paste (Zeneca) Negative Corporate Response NewLeaf (Monsanto) Universal Negative Publicity StarLink corn (Aventis) Why???

NDSU Extension Biotechnology and Health ProductUse InsulinDiabetes InterferonCancer InterleukinCancer Human growth hormoneDwarfism Neuroactive proteinsPain

NDSU Extension What is Biopharming? Biopharming Definition Growing transgenic crops that express pharmaceutical products Examples: Drugs Antibodies Proteins

NDSU Extension Familiar Production Systems Why use this technology? Genes introduced into field crops (mostly corn) New productions systems not needed Producer can use traditional growing strategies Reduced End-Product Cost Animal system: $ $5000 per gram protein Plant System: $1 - $10 per gram protein Source: The Roanoke Times, 2000

NDSU 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

NDSU Extension Tooth decay Future Health-related Biotech Products Vaccines Herpes hepatitis C AIDS malaria Streptococcus mutans, the mouth bacteria releases lactic acid that destroys enamel engineered Streptococcus mutans does not release lactic acid destroys the tooth decay strain

NDSU Extension Environmental Applications Bioremediation Indicator bacteria cleanup contaminated sites uses microbes designed to degrade the pollutant contamination is detected in the environment microbes sensitive to certain pollutants

NDSU Extension Recent Crop Biotechnology News The European Union Moratorium A five year EU biotech crop moratorium is in place Nov 2002: Labeling and traceability regulations drafted Jan 2003: Some countries looking to go GMO-free Feb 2003: Some EU countries want the moratorium to continue until regulations approved

NDSU Extension EU Labeling Regulations Foods with less than 0.9% of GM gene product Labeling not required Products derived from a GM crop Labeling required Applies even if the product does not contain the GM gene product Ex: Corn syrup: does not have the Bt protein, but must be labeled Animal feeds from GM crops Same guidelines apply

NDSU Extension EU Traceability Regulations GMO containing food must be declared at departure point List does not have to be modified if part of shipment is off-loaded in route A compromise regulation: Some wanted documentation from each step of the route

NDSU Extension United States frustrated Might sue under WTO policy that prevents policies that restrict trade USDA Secretary Veneman: The US patience was "growing very thin" and "very strong action was needed". (Feb 27, 2003) US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick : "We've tried to hold off" filing a WTO case, “but we're getting to the point where our patience is running thin." (Mar 3, 2003) US Response to the EU Regulations

NDSU Extension Different Countries Different Decisions Germany (3/3/03) Would accept biotech crops once regulations approved Major decision: long considered an opponent to biotech crops Taiwan (2/27/03) Will permit field trails in 2003 Tasmania (2/28/03) Extends biotech crop ban for five years Wants to remain a biotech free and maintain their niche market

NDSU Extension What Are the Public Concerns? Economics Are we changing the economics on the farm? Environmental Are we irreversibly modifying the environment? Globalization Is technology becoming centralized in too few hands? Social Will we develop a class of genetic outcasts? Religious Are we playing God?