Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) is the world's most widely read biotech publication. It provides the R&D; community with critical information on the tools, technologies, and trends that drive the biotech industry.
Issue link: http://gen.epubxp.com/i/83770
Point of View Technophobia = Poisoned Fruit Fear-Mongering About Recombinant DNA-Modified Crops Hurts Farmers and Consumers Henry I. Miller, M.D., and Robert Wager Most people are familiar with the unappetizing browning of apples shortly after they're cut or bitten into. The good news is that molecular biologists have devised a clever way to prevent it. The bad news is that organizations that represent apple growers are implacably opposed to the improved fruit. And therein lies a cautionary tale. The biology of apples is complicated but fascinating. Al- most all commercial apple varieties are grafted onto hardy root stocks that have dwarfing genes to keep the trees on apple plantations short and easier to harvest. Therefore, the DNA of the roots is different from the DNA of the fruit tree. Apples' blossoms are self-incompatible with respect to fer- tilization so they must be cross-pollinated by insects (primar- ily bees) in order to develop fruit. Special pollinating trees are found in most orchards as a source of pollen for the fruit tree blossoms. These pollinating trees (often crab apples) have still different DNA. Once the pollen fertilizes the apple blossom the fruit can develop. The pollen DNA mixes with the flower ovum DNA and the resulting hybrid seed embryo grows and produces a hor- mone that directs other parts of the flower (which contains Henry I. Miller, M.D. (henry.miller@stanford.edu), is the Robert Wesson fellow in scientific philosophy and public policy at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Robert Wager, a biologist, is on the faculty of Vancouver Island University. only flower DNA) to develop into the fruit. Thus, the DNA in the fruit itself is different from the DNA in the seeds. This difference in DNA between the fruit and the seeds is why different varieties of apples can be grown in close prox- imity and yet maintain their differences. Because the DNA in the fruit is only from the flower, not the pollen, Granny Smith apples growing next to Golden Delicious growing next to Red Delicious all produce apples with their own unique DNA. Arctic Apple A Canadian company has petitioned both the U.S. and Canadian federal regulatory authorities to permit the sale of a new variety called Arctic® Apple that contains a commer- cially significant trait. It is highly resistant to the unappetizing browning that occurs when an apple is cut or bruised. The biology that made this possible is elegant and intriguing. Enzymatic browning is caused by the apple's chemical re- action to cell injury, such as when the fruit is bitten or sliced, which ruptures the cells and triggers a chemical reaction be- tween an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and chem- icals in the apple that cause the apple flesh to turn brown. A family of four genes controls the majority of PPO production, so scientists turned off those genes—and lo and behold, Arctic Apples don't manifest enzymatic browning. Ordinarily, this development of another new apple vari- ety would be a nonevent—except, perhaps, for apple grow- ers and retailers who would, one would expect, relish a new product with additional appeal to consumers—but the seeds of discontent have sprouted: Because the shutoff of the four genes was done with recombinant DNA technology, there have been objections and consternation. Simply because this highly precise and predictable meth- odology was used, some apple growers are worried that this See Technophobia on page 8 What's Happening > NewsCenter > GENcast Network > e-Newsletters > Archives > BioPerspectives Insight & Intelligence™ Obama v. Romney on Science Science issues haven't been high pro- file in this year's presidential campaign. Yet they haven't been ignored by Presi- dent Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, judging from their answers in a recent ScienceDebate.org survey. Those answers—as with many of their speeches and papers—raise almost as many questions as they answer about how Obama and Romney would address key science issues over the next four years. With polls showing a tight race, nei- ther Romney nor Obama will likely fill in the blanks in science policy, or other issues, until after the votes are counted. That's why science leaders and others must press the candidates for answers well before Election Day. For details on their plans for science issues, and what blanks still remain, check out "Candidates' Science Answers Raise More Questions" at: www.genengnews.com/ insight-and-intelligence 6 | October 1, 2012 | genengnews.com | Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News > GENpoll > Expert Tips Survey Legalizing Medicinal Use of Marijuana Research has shown that marijuana can ease the symptoms of chronic pain, neurodegenerative diseases, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, and cancer. Indeed, the use of medical marijuana is now legal in 17 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. GEN's readers appear to agree that the benefits merit legalization: Question: Do you favor the use of marijuana for strictly medicinal purposes? No Yes www.genengnews.com 140 Huguenot Street, New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215 914 740-2100 www.genengnews.com Publisher & CEO Mary Ann Liebert Editor in Chief John Sterling editor@genengnews.com GEN Group Publisher Sande Giaccone MANAGING EDITOR Tamlyn L. Oliver PRODUCTION EDITOR Robert M. Reis SENIOR EDITOR Laura Sohn ONLINE EDITOR Patrice Bartell SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Alex Philippidis ASSISTANT EDITOR Sunya Bhutta ART DIRECTOR James Lambo AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Kwafo Anoff WEB PRODUCER Melinda Kucsera ONLINE PRODUCT MANAGER Thomas Mathew SALES ADMINISTRATOR Michelle Stolowicki Scientific Advisory Board BIOPROCESSING – Pete Gagnon, Validated Biosystems; Uwe Gottschalk, Ph.D., Sartorius Stedim Biotech; Günter Jagschies, Ph.D., GE Healthcare Life Sciences; Daniel Wang, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Song Zhiwei, Ph.D., National University of Singapore DRUG DISCOVERY – James Inglese, Ph.D., NIH Chemical Genomics Center; John J. Talley, Ph.D., Ironwood Pharmaceuticals OMICS – Mikael Kubista, Ph.D., Biotech Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the TATAA Biocenter; Sumio Sugano, M.D., Ph.D., University of Tokyo; Carl Wittwer, M.D., Ph.D., University of Utah TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT – Gary Pisano, Ph.D., Harvard University TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE – Bin Wang, Ph.D., Fudan University; James Wilson, M.D., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine News Editor Sophia Ktori sktori@genengnews.com Advertising SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL SALES Asia Display and Classified Harriet I. Matysko 914 740 2182 hmatysko@genengnews.com United States and North America EAST COAST Monica Lieberman 914 740 2173 mlieberman@genengnews.com MIDWEST Sharon Spitz WEST COAST Mary Tonon 888 237 4436 sspitz@genengnews.com 415 331 5333 mtonon@genengnews.com U.K., Europe and Australia Ian Slade +44 7768 397068 islade@genengnews.com All Other Countries advertising@genengnews.com 800 M-LIEBERT North America, U.K., Europe & Australia Classified Victoria Palusevic 914 740 2167 vpalusevic@genengnews.com Insertions and Advertising Material Anne B. Chin Aleong Customer Service & Subscriptions www.genengnews.com/subscription-center 888 638-3940 847-763-4943 Reprints Karen Ballen reprints@genengnews.com 914 740-2100 Any editorial news and comments, opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the magazine and its publisher, nor does their publication in GEN infer any endorsement. All advertisements are subject to review by the publisher. The acceptance of advertisements does not constitute an endorsement of the product or service advertised. Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (ISSN-1935-472X) is published semimonthly except July, August, and December (twenty-one issues a year) by GEN Publishing, 140 Huguenot Street, 3rd Floor, New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215. Periodicals postage paid at New Rochelle, NY and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, c/o Subscription Department, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 140 Huguenot Street, 3rd Floor, New Rochelle, New York 10801-5215. Fax: 914 740-2109. Mailed in Canada under CPC CPM #40026674. Printed in the U.S.A. For subscription information go to: www.genengnews.com/subscription-center Copyright © 2012 by GEN Publishing, New Rochelle, NY. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is recognized as a Certified Woman-Owned Business by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). www.genengnews.com achin@liebertpub.com