What is Biotechnology?
Biology 600
Biotechnology: Principles and Products
Delivered Live and via Videoconference
June 1-2, 2005
Phil McClean
Department of Plant Science
North Dakota State University
NDSU
Extension
The Latest Biotech News
ND GMO Planting Decisions (Winter 2005)
• New law enacted during 2005 legislative session
• Only the ND state government has the authority to ban
plantings of GMO crops
• Response to laws passed at county level in other states
NDSU
EU Approving GMO-free Zones (May 2005)
• European Union GMO regulations permit regions
• to declare themselves GMO
• Otherwise approved GMO products can be grown
• 162 regions or provinces (=US states) have asked to be
GMO free
• 4500 total government units have made the request
Extension
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
What is the Result of Biotechnology?
• An organism showing a novel trait not normally found
in the species
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
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Important Terms
• Breeding
 Beneficial gene added from the same species
 Gene delivered by mating within the species
Source: USDA
• Transformation
 Beneficial gene added from another species
 Gene delivered by plant genetic engineering
Source: USDA
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
Interspecific Cross
Wheat
Rye
X
Triticale
New species, but
NOT biotechnology
products
NDSU
Extension
Mutagenesis: New Trait, No Foreign Gene
 Mutagenesis changes the sequence of a gene
 New, useful traits can be obtained
Susceptible
Normal
Gene
Resistant
Mutant
Gene
Mutagenesis
Treatment
ATTCGA
ATTGGA
NDSU
Extension
BASF Clearfield Products
Mutagenesis Crops
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
NDSU
Extension
The Crop Biotech Market Is Dominated
By Five Countriesa
58.8%/118 ma
(63%/106 ma)
6.7%/13 ma
(6.0%/10 ma)
4.6%/9 ma
(3%/7 ma)
6.2%/12 ma
(3%/7 ma)
20.0%/40 ma
(21%/36 ma)
a2004
NDSU
Top Five Countries = 96% of market
20 % increase in biotech acreage from 2003
growing season data. http://www.isaaa.org/Press_release/Briefs30-2003/press/b30_english.htm 2003 in parentheses.
Extension
Crop Biotechnology Grew Worldwide
In 2004
• 200 million acres (20% growth)
• 8.3 million farmers (18% growth)
• 17 mega-producing countries (>120,000 acres)
• Up from 16 countries in 2003
• US, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, China, Paraguay, India
South Africa, Uruguay, Australia, Romania, Mexico,
Spain, Philippines, Colombia, Honduras, Germany
• Germany new in 2004
NDSU
Historically, biotechnology is the most rapidly
adopted new agricultural technology
Extension
Biotechnology Crops:
Worldwide Acreage 2004
Soybean: 120.0 million acres (17% annual growth)
Corn:
30.6 million acres (25% annual growth)
Canola:
16.8 million acres (12 % annual growth)
NDSU
Extension
Economic Effect of Bt Cotton
In China
 $200/acre increase in income
 $750 million increase nationally
NDSU
Extension
Benefits to Hungarian Farmers
Total
benefit
Farmer
realized
Industry
realized
3 mill
76%
24%
Bt corn (Western corn rootworm)
16 mill
65%
35%
Herbicide tolerant maize
14 mill
73%
27%
3 mill
50%
50%
Trait
Bt corn (european cornborer
Herbicide tolerant sugarbeet
NDSU
From: Demont et al. 2005. Potential impact of biotechnology in eastern Europe: transgenic maize, sugar beet, and
oilseed rape in Hungary.
Extension
Transgenic Crops Increasing In the USa
Crop (% total acreage)
Soybeanb
Cornc
Canolad
Year
US ND SD US ND SD US ND
SD
2001
68
49
80
26
25
48
61
75
-
2002
74
50
86
32
18
65
64
80
-
2003
81
74
91
40
-
75
-
-
-
a Source:
NASS Planting Reports, 2001, 2002.
b2002 US acreage = 73 million; ND acreage = 2.6 million
c2002 US acreage = 79 million; ND acreage = 1.2 million
d2002 US acreage = 1.6 million; ND acreage = 1.3 million
NDSU
Extension
Impact of Transgenics on
Major Crop Production
Ha 2004
%
2004
%
2003
Soybean
86
56
55
Cotton
32
28
21
Canola
23
19
16
Maize
140
14
11
NDSU
Transgenic versions of the big four crops
are grown on 30% of their acreage
Extension
Impact of Transgenics on
Worldwide Crop Production
Transgenic crops are grown on 5%
of the 3.7 billion acres of cultivated land in the world
NDSU
Extension
Roundup Ready Soybean
No Yield Drag or (Advantage)
North Dakota 2002 Data
Locationa
Arthur, Grandin,
Northwood
Wyndmere, Mooreton,
Great Bend
Soybean type
Ave.Bu/A
Conventional
46.6 (27)b
91 %
45.5 (26)
100 %
Roundup Ready
51.5 (78)
100 %
44.1 (80)
97 %
collected by Dr. Ted Helms, NDSU
b# of varieties in trial in parenthesis
NDSU
aData
% Yield Ave. Bu/A % Yield
Extension
Roundup Ready Soybean
Reduces Expensesa
Soybean type
Herbicide cost
(per acre)
Conventional
$27.65
Roundup Ready
$15.90
aData
provided by Dr. Duane Burgland, NDSU.
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 2001.
Cotton type
Non-Bt
Popular check
Yield (kg/ha)
1501*
833
802
# Bollworm sprays
0.62*
3.68
3.63
# Sucking insect sprays
3.57
3.51
3.45
Kg/ha insecticide
1.74*
5.56
5.43
Toxic class I
0.64*
1.98
1.94
Toxic class II
1.07*
3.55
3.46
Toxic class III
0.03
0.03
0.03
*Means within a row are significantly different at the 5% level
From: Science (2003) 299:900
NDSU
Bt
Extension
Agriculture Products On the Market
Insect resistant cotton
 Bt toxin kills the cotton boll worm
 toxin gene from a bacteria
Source: USDA
Insect resistant corn
 Bt toxin kills the European corn borer
 toxin gene from a bacteria
 Rootworm GM approved (2/26/03)
Transgenic
NDSU
Normal
Extension
Herbicide resistant crops
 current: soybean, corn, canola
 coming: sugarbeet, lettuce, strawberry,
alfalfa, potato, wheat (on hold)
 resistance gene from bacteria
Source: Monsanto
Virus resistance
 papaya, squash, potato
 resistance gene from a virus
NDSU
Extension
Bacterial and Animal Biotechnology Products
Source: Chr. Hansen
Biotech chymosin
 enzyme used to curdle milk products
 gene from yeast
 harvested from GE bacteria
 replaces the calf enzyme
bST (bovine somatotropin)
NDSU
Source: Rent Mother Nature
 increases milk production
 gene from cow
 protein harvested from GE bacteria
 replaces cow protein originally
harvested from pituitary glands
of slaughtered cows
Extension
Next Generation of Ag Biotech Products
Golden Rice
 Increased Vitamin A content
 Transgenes from bacteria and daffidol
 Controversory: large amount needed to
solve problem
Sunflower
 White mold resistance
 Resistance gene from wheat
Source: Minnesota
Microscopy Society
NDSU
Extension
Turfgrass
 Herbicide resistance
 Slower growing
reduced mowing = reduced pollution
Bio Steel
 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)
Organization
Monsanto
Universities
Scotts
# 2002-03 trials (%)
1480 (58%)
329 (13%)
84 (3%)
78 (3%)
69 (3%)
63 (2%)
USDA/ARS
Prodigene
60 (2%)
25 (1%)
2001-03 data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology
(http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
NDSU
Aventis
Sygenta
Dow
Extension
Where Are the GM Crops Tested in the US?
ND #23
230 (3)
CA #5
990 (12)
IA #4
1,022 (12)
Data: 1993-present: State rank, # trials, % total trials
Information Systems for Biotechnology (http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
PR #3
1,063 (13)
NDSU
HA #1
1,437 (17)
IL #2
1,292 (16)
Extension
Corn is the Current Main Focus
Crop
# 2002-03 Trials (%)
Corn
1424 (56%)
Cotton
193 (8%)
Rice
146 (6%)
Wheat
141 (6%)
Soybean
124 (5%)
Alfalfa
121 (5%)
Turfgrass
NDSU
2001-03 data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology
(http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
89 (4%)
Extension
The Traditional Traits Predominant
Trait
# 2002-03 Trials (%)
Insect resistance
791 (31%)
Herbicide resistance
736 (29%)
Plant quality
400 (16%)
Pathogen resistance
171 (7%)
NDSU
2001-03 data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology
(http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
Extension
But Some Novel Traits Are Being Tested
Trait
# 2002-03 Trials (%)
Yield
105 (4%)
Amino acid content
94 (4%)
Sugar content
44 (2%)
Oil content
42 (2%)
NDSU
2001-03 data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology
(http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
Extension
What’s Coming for Wheat??
Trait
% 2002-03 Wheat Trials
Roundup Ready
57%
Protein content
10%
Yield
8%
Fusarium resistance
8%
NDSU
2001-03 data; collated from: Information Systems for Biotechnology
(http://www.isb.vt.edu/)
Extension
Some Ag Biotech Products Are Discontinued
Why???
Poor Quality
• FlavrSavr tomatoes (Calgene)
Negative Consumer Response
• Tomato paste (Zeneca)
Negative Corporate Response
• NewLeaf (Monsanto)
NDSU
Universal Negative Publicity
• StarLink corn (Aventis)
Extension
Environmental Applications
Indicator bacteria
 contamination is detected in the environment
 microbes sensitive to certain pollutants
Bioremediation
 cleanup contaminated sites
 uses microbes designed to degrade
the pollutant
NDSU
Extension
Land Mine Detection
Without this effort,
that is dangerous to our military,
children are maimed.
NDSU
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Land Mine Detection
How biotechnology helps
• Patented transgene added to plants
• When metal from mine is detected
• Plant turns from green to red
• Technology developed by Aresa Biodetection
Mine detected
NDSU
Extension
Biotechnology and Health
Product
Use
Insulin
Diabetes
Interferon
Cancer
Interleukin
Cancer
Human growth hormone
Dwarfism
Neuroactive proteins
Pain
NDSU
Extension
What is Biopharming?
Biopharming Definition
Growing transgenic crops that express
pharmaceutical products
Examples:
Drugs
Antibodies
Proteins
NDSU
Extension
Why use this technology?
Familiar Production Systems
• Genes introduced into field crops (mostly corn)
• New productions systems not needed
• Producer can use traditional growing strategies
Reduced End-Product Cost
• Animal system: $1000 - $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
Future Health-related Biotech Products
Vaccines
 Herpes
 hepatitis C
 AIDS
 malaria
NDSU
Tooth decay
 Streptococcus mutans, the mouth bacteria
 releases lactic acid that destroys enamel
 engineered Streptococcus mutans
does not release lactic acid
destroys the tooth decay strain
Extension
Nutritional Genomics
(Nutrigenomics: a coming
Biotechnology innovation)
Concepts of Nutrigenomics
Certain diets can cause severe health risks in individuals
• Refined sugars, dairy products, fatty foods
Certain diets enhance disease susceptibility in individual’s
with a specific genetic makeup
• Diabetes, lactose intolerance, high cholesterol
NDSU
Diets based on an individuals genetic makeup are preferred
• No refined sugars, minimal dairy products
or fatty foods
Extension
Nutritional Genomics
(Nutrigenomics)
Goal of Nurtigenomics
Identify specific genetic makeups
• What combination of genes places a person at risk?
Develop dietary recommendations
• What diets are best suited for certain at-risk individuals?
NDSU
Extension
Top Biotechnologies
In The Future
Molecular Diagnostics
• Treatments exist, but diagnositic tools are lacking
• Expensive, hard to implement
• Cost effective diagnostic procedures needed
NDSU
Recombinant Vaccines
• Vaccines have effectively eradicated small pox, polio, etc
• Other diseases need to be addressed
• More effective and low-cost vaccines are needed
• Genetic engineering can solve these problems
Extension
Top Biotechnologies
In The Future
Vaccine and drug delivery
• Vaccine injections can cause serious infection
• New delivery forms, such as slow release drugs, are needed
Bioremediation
• Water, air, and soil pollution is a problem
• Plants can breakdown much of these pollutants
• Plants that are safe to the environment and reduce pollutants
are needed
NDSU
Extension
Top Biotechnologies
In The Future
Nutritionally Enriched Crops
• Malnutrition is widespread
• Malnutrition is associated with many diseases
• Modification of staple crops necessary
to solve the problem
NDSU
Female Controlled Protection Against STDs
• Incidence of sexually-transmitted disease is high
• Women are most affected
• Vaginal microbicides needed
• Topical application best solution
Extension
The Question for the Future:
Should We Live A Biotech Free Lifestyle??
Answers depends upon your perspective on the value
of the technology
What will support your opinion?
• Economics
• Safety of products
• Needs of human
NDSU
Extension