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David Oppenheimer

Associate Professor, University of Florida

Expert Bio

The Oppenheimer lab focuses on understanding how the assembly and disassembly of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons are regulated. Cytoskeleton dynamics underlie many fundamental cellular processes such as control of cell shape, cell movement, and membrane trafficking. We use a multidisciplinary approach to this problem by employing methods and strategies from biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology. Most of our cytoskeleton research is carried out using the reference plant, Arabidopsis thaliana (mouse ear cress) because it is highly amenable to molecular methods.

Studies, Articles and Answers

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Showing 7 out of 7 results

Question

Q: Are genetic manipulation (GM) techniques too crude and inexact to enable the cutting and pasting of complex multi-genic traits such as nitrogen fixation in grains, drought tolerance and salt tolerance into crop plants? As Dr Richard Richards of Australian

Answered By David Oppenheimer - Apr 11, 2014

A: Generally speaking, complex traits are more difficult to manipulate than simple traits like herbicide resistance. However, it has been repeatedly shown that by manipulating the expression of regulatory genes or signaling proteins, one can control entire developmental or metabolic pathways that control complex traits. Dr. James is somewhat correct that drought tolerance is more complex than herbicide resistance, but researchers have been successfully engineering plants for drought tolerance by manipulating developmental and metabolic pathways (see references, below). This strategy has bee [...]

GMO Basics How GMOs Are Made

Question

Q: Most pesticides advertise as being long lasting residual properties for killing bugs. Is this not a concern for human health and the rise in Cancer. Wouldn't washing vegis and fruit just take these poisons off the outside. What about the inside.

Answered By David Oppenheimer - Dec 01, 2014

A: It is true that some pesticides are long lasting, but the vast majority of these pesticides are definitely not designed for use around crops, gardens, pets, children, etc. Most, if not all, pesticides for use on vegetables and fruits are designed not to penetrate the vegetable or fruit and to wash off relatively easily. Furthermore, these pesticides are designed to break down quickly on the plant and in the environment if used properly. Of course, the key phrase is "used properly." Pesticides must undergo approval by the Environmental Protection Agency before they are sold to the public. Test [...]

GMO Basics Health & Safety

Question

Q: sir how is this mrna functions in papaya

Answered By David Oppenheimer - Nov 06, 2014

A: In all organisms, mRNA functions in translation of genetic information from the genome into proteins that are used for various functions in the cell. This is also true for papaya. Certain mRNAs that are highly abundant can trigger the plant's "immune system." The plant's response is to destroy these specific mRNAs and prevent the production of the corresponding proteins. Scientists have used this property of mRNA to engineer papaya to be resistant to the papaya ringspot virus. The scientists have put the gene for virus capsid protein in the papaya genome. (The capsid protein is a protein that [...]

Other

Question

Q: A lot of people often tell me, that there are better alternatives to producing more food, without GMO, but they never seem to give me an answer to what those alternatives are. Are there any alternatives? coming from a proGMO person

Answered By David Oppenheimer - Nov 06, 2014

A: There are several ways in which society could increase the food produced without using GMO, but few would believe that these are "better" than GMO. For example, feeding the animals that we eat requires more resources (land, water, etc.) than if we just consumed the crops that we feed them directly. In other words, if we all became vegetarians, then there would be more food available. However, many would not believe this is "better" than using GMO tools to increase current food production. Another way to increase food production without using GMO tools is to continue traditional breeding appro [...]

GMO Basics How GMOs Are Made

Question

Q: How effective in GM Food bioremidiation?

Answered By David Oppenheimer - Dec 18, 2014

A: Your question is a bit broad, so I’m going to address how effective GM plants are in bioremediation. Genetic engineering techniques are very useful in helping with bioremediation. For example, certain plants have been used to help decontaminate polluted soils. The plants can absorb certain pollutants through their roots, and transport them to the above ground parts of the plants, which can then be harvested and disposed of properly. Using plants to clean up contaminated soils is called phytoremediation, and it can be vastly less expensive to use than the current accepted practice o [...]


Question

Q: Pesticides and herbicides are made to kill parasites. But dont these things destroy our gut flora, too?

Answered By David Oppenheimer - Oct 12, 2015

A: Technically, pesticides are compounds that are meant to kill pests. This is a very broad definition, since a "pest" in one case, can be a beneficial organism in another case. Pesticides include substances that kill plants (herbicides), fungi (fungicides), insects (insecticides), bacteria (bacteriocides, or antimicrobials) and, well you get the picture.    Most of these pesticides have very limited effect on organisms other than their intended targets. For example, the common herbicide glyphosate is very effective at killing plants, but is even less toxic to animals than table s [...]

Answered By David Oppenheimer - Oct 12, 2015

A: Technically, pesticides are compounds that are meant to kill pests. This is a very broad definition, since a "pest" in one case, can be a beneficial organism in another case. Pesticides include substances that kill plants (herbicides), fungi (fungicides), insects (insecticides), bacteria (bacteriocides, or antimicrobials) and, well you get the picture.    Most of these pesticides have very limited effect on organisms other than their intended targets. For example, the common herbicide glyphosate is very effective at killing plants, but is even less toxic to animals than table s [...]

GMO Basics Health & Safety

Question

Q: Pesticides and herbicides are made to kill parasites. But dont these things destroy our gut flora, too?

Answered By David Oppenheimer - Oct 12, 2015

A: Technically, pesticides are compounds that are meant to kill pests. This is a very broad definition, since a "pest" in one case, can be a beneficial organism in another case. Pesticides include substances that kill plants (herbicides), fungi (fungicides), insects (insecticides), bacteria (bacteriocides, or antimicrobials) and, well you get the picture.    Most of these pesticides have very limited effect on organisms other than their intended targets. For example, the common herbicide glyphosate is very effective at killing plants, but is even less toxic to animals than table s [...]

Answered By David Oppenheimer - Oct 12, 2015

A: Technically, pesticides are compounds that are meant to kill pests. This is a very broad definition, since a "pest" in one case, can be a beneficial organism in another case. Pesticides include substances that kill plants (herbicides), fungi (fungicides), insects (insecticides), bacteria (bacteriocides, or antimicrobials) and, well you get the picture.    Most of these pesticides have very limited effect on organisms other than their intended targets. For example, the common herbicide glyphosate is very effective at killing plants, but is even less toxic to animals than table s [...]

GMO Basics Health & Safety