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by modifiedgmopodcast
We pull apart the twisting strands of the science and technology of life itself - from the very first person to hold up a tube of purified DNA in the thick stone walls of a German castle in the 1860s to the revolution of gene editing that sent shockwaves around the world in the 2010s. The history of biotechnology offers us the chance to understand what it takes to change the world.
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- Yesterday41 min
Lawyers on the farm - Patenting plants
Who gets to own seeds is a question at the heart of the GMO wars. To answer that we can head back to 1930 to the first ever law granting patent protection to plants. But ultimately we have to dig even deeper into the role of capitalism in the modern market economy.
- 3 weeks ago41 min
HA Wallace and the Green Revolution
Henry Agard Wallace was FDRs Vice-President. That is a pretty big deal in itself. But he also kick started the most consequential scientific project in the history of mankind (at least according to some) - The Green Revolution. A technological transformation of global agriculture, combining the cutting edge of mechanical, chemical and genetic technology. And the year was 1940. ' What was the green revolution? What is a semi-dwarf variety and what would HA Wallace make of it all, looking back on his legacy. Tune in and find out.
- Sep 28, 202610 min
SE02 EP1 Introducing the GMO Wars
A short episode to give you a sense of what to expect from this season. References https://www.the-independent.com/news/the-strange-case-of-the-rats-the-coverup-and-a-political-hot-potato-1071126.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pusztai_affair
- Aug 16, 20262 min
Season 2 Teaser
A quick update on what to expect from Season 2 and when to expect it.
- Apr 18, 202642 min
CRISPR changes the world and unlocks GMO 2.0
What is CRISPR-Cas9 and how is it going to revolutionize the world of GMO crops? References de Lange, O., Binder, A. and Lahaye, T. (2014), From dead leaf, to new life: TAL effectors as tools for synthetic biology. Plant J → Review article on TAL effectors by yours truly Ishino Y, Shinagawa H, Makino K, Amemura M, Nakata A. Nucleotide sequence of the iap gene, responsible for alkaline phosphatase isozyme conversion in Escherichia coli, and identification of the gene product. J Bacteriol. 1987 → Paper first describing CRISPR in 1987 Interview with the 2020 Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry, Emmanuelle Charpentier, recorded in Stockholm on 12 December 2022. Martin Jinek et al.,A Programmable Dual-RNA–Guided DNA Endonuclease in Adaptive Bacterial Immunity.Science337,816-821(2012). —> First paper describing use of CRISPR as a programmable DNA endonuclease Updates on Global Regulatory Landscape for Gene-Edited Crops By Clement Dionglay, January 24, 2024 https://www.isaaa.org/blog/entry/default.asp?BlogDate=1/24/2024 -> Update on regulation of gene editing. https://sanatech-seed.com/en/221226-2/ → Article from Sanatech describing the gene-edited, High GABA tomato.
- Apr 4, 202649 min
The colorful world of GMOs
From glowing petunias to purple tomatoes - this episode is a roundup of some of the lesser known GMO crops that are nonetheless out there in our world. Key references Glowing plants I Bought a Glowing Plant. It Led Me Down a Rabbit Hole. Scientific American. 2024 Glowing Plant US Patent www.light.bio - to buy your own glowing plant. Blue Roses https://www.suntoryapplause.com/ https://www.suntory.com/sic/story/bluerose/ Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_rose Pink Pineapples https://www.pinkglowpineapple.com/ US Patent Purple tomatoes Martin C, Butelli E. The Purple Tomato Story; From Laboratory Bench to the Consumer. ACS Food Sci Technol. 2024 GM Purple Tomato Gets Approval in the United States. ISAAA. 2024 https://www.norfolkhealthyproduce.com/ Rainbow Papaya https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Gonsalves Arctic apples https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02648725.1998.10647966 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Apples#Commercialization GMO poplar trees https://www.livingcarbon.com/ For the First Time, Genetically Modified Trees Have Been Planted in a U.S. Forest. New York Times. 2023 Wang G, Dong Y, Liu X, Yao G, Yu X, Yang M. The Current Status and Development of Insect-Resistant Genetically Engineered Poplar in China. Front Plant Sci. 2018 Tao, Y.; Chiu, L.-W.; Hoyle, J.W.; Dewhirst, R.A.; Richey, C.; Rasmussen, K.; Du, J.; Mellor, P.; Kuiper, J.; Tucker, D.; et al. Enhanced Photosynthetic Efficiency for Increased Carbon Assimilation and Woody Biomass Production in Engineered Hybrid Poplar. Forests 2023
- Mar 22, 202646 min
Your Questions Answered - Part 2
From glowing fish to feminizing tofu - the second and final installment of me answering your questions about GMO. References relevant to Question 1 - Soy Phytoestrogens Article on use of the term “Soy boy” Messina, M., Mejia, S. B., Cassidy, A., Duncan, A., Kurzer, M., Nagato, C., … Barnes, S. (2022). Neither soyfoods nor isoflavones warrant classification as endocrine disruptors: a technical review of the observational and clinical data. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 62(21), 5824–5885. Povey AC, Clyma J-A, McNamee R, et al; Participating Centres of Chaps-UK. Phytoestrogen intake and other dietary risk factors for low motile sperm count and poor sperm morphology. Andrology. 2020;8:1805–1814. References relevant to Question 2 - GMO animals Wikipedia article on GloFish - provides a good summary of the history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GloFish 2003 discussion forum - discussing merits of brand new GloFish product. Bratspies, Rebecca. (2005). Glowing in the Dark: How America's First Transgenic Animal Escaped Regulation. CAPITOL ALERT ‘Glowing fish’ exempt from proposed ban on gene-edited pets in California By Kate Wolffe Updated February 5, 2026 2:20 PM Wikipedia article on AquaAdvantage Salmon 2024 AquaBounty press release announcing sell off of assets. References relevant to Question 3 - Health impacts of GMOs Shen, C., Yin, XC., Jiao, BY. et al. Evaluation of adverse effects/events of genetically modified food consumption: a systematic review of animal and human studies. Environ Sci Eur 34, 8 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-021-00578-9
- Mar 7, 202635 min
Round Up Ready - The GMO that launched a thousand lawsuits
Why did Monsanto take a canadian farmer all the way to the supreme court? And what does this have to do with controversial herbicide glyphosate? Learn about the science and history of Round Up Ready GMO crops. Key references https://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisions/en/item/38991/index.do → The Monsanto vs. Schmeiser Supreme Court Decision. https://www.helbocklaw.com/california-jury-awards-2-billion-couple-roundup-weed-killer-cancer-trial/ → Article about California lawsuit related to glyphosate https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/192/2/131/7066927#402719028 → Review of glyphosate studies. Funke, H. Han, M.L. Healy-Fried, M. Fischer, & E. Schönbrunn, Molecular basis for the herbicide resistance of Roundup Ready crops, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103 (35) 13010-13015, Landau et al., The silver bullet that wasn’t: Rapid agronomic weed adaptations to glyphosate in North America, PNAS Nexus, Volume 2, Issue 12, December 2023, pgad338, https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/60663500/publications/reddy/reddy%20and%20nandula_2-12_ija_57-1-7.pdf → Overview of herbicide resistant crops.
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About Modified
We pull apart the twisting strands of the science and technology of life itself - from the very first person to hold up a tube of purified DNA in the thick stone walls of a German castle in the 1860s to the revolution of gene editing that sent shockwaves around the world in the 2010s. The history of biotechnology offers us the chance to understand what it takes to change the world.
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