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GMASSURE WORKSHOP PRESENTATION BY WYNAND VAN DER WALT VALLEY LODGE 20 JULY 2016. TOPICS TO BE COVERED WHAT ARE GMOS? INVESTIGATING WHAT GOES ON IN NATURE USING NATURE’S MIRACLES TO BENEFIT MANKIND WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY? WHAT IS GENETIC MODIFICATION?
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GMASSURE WORKSHOPPRESENTATION BY WYNAND VAN DER WALTVALLEY LODGE 20 JULY 2016 • TOPICS TO BE COVERED • WHAT ARE GMOS? • INVESTIGATING WHAT GOES ON IN NATURE • USING NATURE’S MIRACLES TO BENEFIT MANKIND • WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY? • WHAT IS GENETIC MODIFICATION? • ALTERING GENETICS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS OVER 8 000YEARS • PRESENT STATUS OF GM CROPS
BIOTECHNOLOGY:WHERE NATURE AND SCIENCE MEET • EXAMPLES OF THE WONDERS OF NATURE • SCIENCE BUILDS UPON KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE • EXAMPLES OF MODERN FOODS FROM OLD CROPS • TIMELINES OF MODERN BIOTECH • TIMELINES OF BIOSAFETY SYSTEMS IN RSA • THE HYPE, MYTHS, FACTS, TRENDS AND TRADE ISSUES
WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY? • BIOS, BIOLOGY, DEAL WITH LIVING THINGS AND STUDIES, INVESTIGATIONS ON WHAT THEY ARE AND DO. • TECHNOLOGY DEALS WITH TECHNIQUES TO GENERATE NEW KNOWLEDGE AND FINDING WAYS OF USING THIS TO APPLY TO HUMANS, ANIMALS AND ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR BENEFIT.
WHAT IS AN ORGANISM? • AN ORGANISM IS A LIVING ENTITY CAPABLE OF BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES, GROWTH, MULTIPLICATION AND PASSING ITS GENETICS ON TO ITS PROGENY
WHAT IS A GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM? • A GMO IS AN ORGANISM THE GENETICS OF WHICH HAS BEEN CHANGED IN WAYS THAT DO NOR OCCUR IN NATURE OR HAPPENED THOUGH NATURAL CROSSING OR RECOMBINATION. • HEREWE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH NEW GENETICS AND THIS DEFINITION!
SCIENCE AND NATURE • MOST PHARMACEUTICALS ARE DERIVED FROM PLANTS FOUND IN TROPICAL REGIONS • ALL FOOD CROPS COME FROM ANCIENT SPECIES IN NATURE • MODERN LIVESTOCK COME FROM WILD ANIMALS • MOST FISH STILL COME FROM OCEANS, LAKES AND RIVERS. • WHAT WE HAVE TODAY HAS BEEN BASED ON SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS, DOMESTICATION AND APPLICATIONS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS 1 • PHOTOSYNTHESIS I: CAPTURES SOLAR ENERGY IN THE GREEN PIGMENT OF CHLOROPLASTS IN PLANT CELLS. THESE ORGANELLES CAME FROM ANCIENT OCEANIC BACTERIA. • CAPTURE OF SOLAR ENERGY IS ALMOST 100% EFFICIENT. • PHOTOSYNTHESIS 2: • STORED LIGHT ENERGY IS MOVED TO MITOCHONDRIA VIA ELECTRONS FOR SYNTHESIS OF CARBOHYDRATES, STARCHES AND OILS
TIME LINE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY • FROM YEAR 8000 BC: FARMER SELECTION • 1859: DARWIN’S THEORY ON EVOLUTION • 1863: GEORGE GREGOR MENDEL ON GENES • 1953: WATSON AND CRICK DISCOVER DNA HELIX • 1972: HUMAN GENOME PROJECT STARTED • 1990: HUMAN GENOME ABOUT COMPLETED.
PLANTS SHARE DNA AND GENETICSNOW WE CAN MOVE GENES FROM ONE TO ANOTHER • CROSS BREEDING RELATED SPECIES • GRAFTING SCIONS ONTO ROOT STOCKS • NATURAL AND INDUCED MUTATIONS • USING GM TECHNIQUES TO INSERT GENES FROM ONE TO ANOTHER SPECIES VIA A VECTOR: A CIRCULAR DNA PIECE WITH SPECIFIC GENE CODE INSIDE A NON-PATHOGENIC SOIL BACTERIUM • USING GENETICS TO SILENCE OR KNOCK OUT AN UNWANTED GENE • INSERTING A DESIRED GENE INTO A SPECIFIC POSITION WITH PRECISION.
COMPLEX WHEAT GENETICS FROM NATURE • WHEAT ORIGINATED IN THE MIDDLE-EAST. • TWO GRASS SPECIES CROSSED NATURALLY, THEN DOUBLED THE CHROMOSOME SET, THEN CROSSED WITH A THIRD GRASS SPECIES, AGAIN DOUBLED THE CHROMOSOMES TO BECOME A HEXAPLOID PLANT = SIX SETS OF CHROMOSOMES WITH MANY DUPLICATIONS OF GENES. • COMPLEX GENETICS = DIFFICULT MODERN BREEDING • HISTORIC FARMER SELECTION BROUGHT US BREAD WHEAT • PANE ES VITA
SOYA BEAN:“TREE OF LIFE” • A MAJOR CROP FOR FOOD, FEED, INDUSTRIAL USES • AUTOMOTIVE: OILS, LUBRICANTS, GREASE, BIODIESEL >>> • BUILDING: COATINGS, SEALANTS, FLOORING, PAINTS, INSULATION >>> • HOME: CANDLES, FURNITURE, SOAP, INKS, SOY MILK, MARGARINE, PET CARE >>> • PERSONAL: CLOTHING, DEODERANTS, FACIAL CARE, HAIR CARE, LOTIONS, SUNSCREEN >>> • NUTRITION: OILS, PROTEINS, AMINO ACIDS, VITAMINS, MINERALS, FIBRES >>>
TIME LINE ON MODERN BIOTECH • JUMPING, TRANSPOSABLE GENES • IDENTIFYING GENES THAT CONTROL TRAITS • ESTABLISHING DNA SEQUENCES OF TRAITS • USING A BACTERIUM TO TRANSFER GENES INTO PLANT CELLS • USING A SOIL BACTERIUM’s GENES AS SOURCE FOR INSECT RESISTANCE. • OBTAINING GENES FROM MICROBES AND PLANTS FOR DROUGHT TOLERANCE • STACKING GENES FOR STACKED TRAITS • CHANGING METABOLIC PATHWAYS, ETC, ETC
SOYA DERIVATIVES LECITHIN PHOSPHOLIPIDS PROTEINS OILS HYDROCOLLOIDS POLYSACCHARIDES ISOFLAVONES FOR PROCESSED FOODS, HUMAN AND ANIMAL HEALTH
TIME LINE ON BIOSAFETY FRAMEWORK • 1978: SCIENTISTS ESTABLISH SAGENE TO ASSIST GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY ON MODERN BIOTECH, DRAFTED SAFETY GUIDELINES • 1990: SAGENE ASSESSED FIRST GM COTTON • 1995: DRAFTING GMO ACT, COVERS ALL ORGANISMS • 1997: GMO ACT APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT, DECISION MAKING BY EXCECUTIVE COUNCIL, UNDER AGRICULTURE • 1998: BIOSAFETY REGULATIONS APPROVED AND SAGENE REPLACED BY ADVISORY COMMITTEE • UPDATED ACT AND REGS 2008 AND SOME IN 2000
THE HYPE, MYTHS, FACTS, TRENDS, TRADE • NEW TECHNOLOGIES ALWAYS CREATE UNCERTAINTIES • NEW CONSUMERISM, ACTIVISM • INADEQUATE COMMUNICATION • HYPE BY ANTI- AND PRO- GENETIC MODIFICATION LOBBYISTS • SCIENTIFIC FACT AGAINST EMOTIONS • MODERN BIOTECH AND GMO INNOVATIONS CONTINUE • TRADE BARRIERS?
SOME BIOTECH ACHIEVEMENTS • HUMAN INSULIN PRODUCED IN GM BACTERIUM SINCE 1982 • CHYMOSIN ENZYME FOR CHEESE PRODUCED IN GM MICROBE • INSECT RESISTANT AND DISEASE RESISTANT CROPS • HIGH YIELDING CROPS, DROUGHT TOLERANT CROPS • HERBICIDE TOLERANT CROPS • OILSEED CROPS WITH IMPROVED OIL COMPOSITION • OVER 100 VACCINES AND THERAPEUTIC COMPOUNDS PRODUCED IN GM MICROBES • HIV AND TB VACCINES UNDER TEST IN RSA
MYTHS AND FACTS (1) • MYTH: GM CROPS ARE ONLY FOR BIG FARMERS • FACT: GLOBALLY, 90% OF 19 MILLION GM CROP FARMERS ARE SMALLHOLDERS • MYTH: RATS GOT CANCER FROM GM MAIZE, THUS RISK FOR HUMANS • FACT: LAB RATS HAD BEEN BRED TO BE PRONE TO CANCER FOR STUDIES, GM MAIZE HAD NO ADVERSE IMPACT, EFSA (EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY) REJECTED FINDING AS SCIENTIFICALLY UNSOUND, SO DID BIOSAFETY INSTITUTIONS IN 6 EU STATES.
MYTHS AND FACTS (2) • MYTH: GLYPHOSATE HERBICIDE USED ON GM CROPS PRESENT IN MOTHERS’ MILK • FACT: ALLEGATION REJECTED BY GERMAN SAFETY AUTHORITIES AS THERE IS NO EQUIPMENT THAT CAN DETECT GLYPHOSATE AT THE ALLEGED 0.4 NANO LEVEL. • FACT: GERMAN ASSOCIATION FOR BREAST FEEDING STATED ALLEGATION AS A DISSERVICE TO MOTHERS, CALLED ON MOTHERS TO CONTINUE BREAST FEEDING BABIES. • MYTH: EU HAS BANNED GM CROPS AND THEIR PRODUCTS • FACT: 5 EU STATES CONTINUE GROWING GM MAIZE, EU APPROVED IMPORT OF 5 GM CROPS FOR FOOD AND FEED.
PROVEN SAFETY OF PRODUCTS FROM GM CROPS • NO EVIDENCE OF ANY ADVERSE IMPACTS OF GM MAIZE, SOYA BEAN OR COTTON AFTER 16 YEARS OF PRODUCTION IN SOUTH AFRICA. • EU STUDIES OVER 15 YEARS SHOWED GM CROPS ARE AS SAFE AS CONVENTIONAL. • TWO RECENT YEARS OF INVESTIGATION BY THE AMERICAN ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE SHOWED SAFETY. • 40 MILLION TONS OF GM MAIZE HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN SOUTH AFRICA SINCE 2000 FOR DOMESTIC USE AS FOOD/FEED/PROCESSING WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE OF ADVERSE IMPACT TO HUMANS, ANIMALS, ENVIRONMENT
TRADE BARRIERS : NOT ABOUT SAFETY, BUT ABOUT TECHNICAL TRADE BARRIERS. • THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE EU AND USA, CANADA AND 14 THIRD PARTY COUNTRIES ON EU’S FREEZE (1999-2003) ON GM CROPS WENT TO THE WTO. • RESULT: WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY RULED THAT IT WAS A ‘DE FACTO MORATORIUM’, ‘CAUSING UNDUE DELAY’, ‘A TECHNICAL BARRIER TO TRADE’, AND THAT THE EU CLAIM OF ‘GM CROPS UNSAFE’ DID NOT MEET ANY OF THE SPS REQUIREMENTS. THE EU ACCEPTED THE RULING. • THE 2011 FRENCH BAN ON GM MAIZE PLANTING BY FARMERS WAS RULED ILLEGAL BY THE EU COURT OF APPEAL AND BY THE HIGHEST FRENCH COURT (CONSEIL D’ETAT).
MESSAGE TO STUDENTS • VASBYT, HANG IN THERE • SCIENCE IS EXCITING BUT REQUIRES A PASSION FOR STUDYING LIVING THINGS • THE FUTURE BELONGS TO SCIENCE AND THOSE WHO MAKE FRIENDS WITH SCIENCE • JAHAWARLAL NEHRU, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA
THANKS MY THANKS TO SAAFoST AND THE AUDIENCE