what will future gmos be like

Expert response from Steve Savage

Consultant, Savage & Associates

Wednesday, 01/07/2015 13:51

There are many interesting and valuable crop traits that could be achieved with current and next-generation genetic engineering tools. Because of the massive investment in biotechnology for medical and industrial applications, the cost of doing basic genetic engineering of a plant is now a small fraction of what it was 20 years ago. Many key patents have now expired, so it is even easier for diverse entities to develop new traits. The largest remaining cost, and the slowest step, is now the regulatory process. There are many excellent reasons why review should be streamlined, based both on experience and on the ability to use some of the very new and extremely precise tools, like CRISPRs and meganucleases. If reason prevails, it will make even more economic sense for even small businesses or public entities to generate more advanced crop traits. There are a host of valuable traits that can and should be developed for farmers and consumers in the developing world. I’ll focus here on “rich world” options.

Moving genes from one plant species to another could solve many troublesome pest issues, such as bacterial blight of tomatoes (pepper gene) or the devastating citrus greening, which is destroying the Florida industry and which could be addressed using something like a spinach gene. In these last two cases, the work has already been done, and the barrier that remains is the willingness of food marketers to confront fear-based opposition. Many similar future traits could be developed.

Another extremely logical set of traits could be developed by using state-of-the-art methods to move genes within a crop species in cases where doing that through conventional breeding is simply too slow or complex. This approach could solve important pest issues for crops like bananas, coffee, potatoes, cacao (for chocolate), apples and pears, wine and table grapes (to name a few).

Many interesting traits can be achieved by simply “turning off” one or a few genes in a plant. Examples of this are approaching commercialization (nonbrowning Arctic apple, nonbruising Innate potatoes). This sort of technology could be used in many other crops for many other purposes, such as onions that don’t make the chemical that makes you cry, or avocados that don’t turn brown when you slice them or make guacamole.

There are numerous possibilities for fruits and vegetables that make more of certain desirable components (e.g., antioxidants or other health-promoting chemicals). There are already some new, modified versions of soybean oil with a healthier/more functional fat content (Plenish, Vistive). Other changes in the composition of oils and starches are of interest as well. Public researchers in Australia have been experimenting with modifications of wheat to lower its glycemic index. Nonallergenic versions of crops are a technical possibility (although liability for unintentional mixing would be a barrier).

If the regulatory hurdles are rationalized, and if marketing uncertainty can be reduced, modern plant biotechnology is poised for diverse contributions to the food supply.

Expert response from Steve Savage

Consultant, Savage & Associates

Wednesday, 01/07/2015 13:51

There are many interesting and valuable crop traits that could be achieved with current and next-generation genetic engineering tools. Because of the massive investment in biotechnology for medical and industrial applications, the cost of doing basic genetic engineering of a plant is now a small fraction of what it was 20 years ago. Many key patents have now expired, so it is even easier for diverse entities to develop new traits. The largest remaining cost, and the slowest step, is now the regulatory process. There are many excellent reasons why review should be streamlined, based both on experience and on the ability to use some of the very new and extremely precise tools, like CRISPRs and meganucleases. If reason prevails, it will make even more economic sense for even small businesses or public entities to generate more advanced crop traits. There are a host of valuable traits that can and should be developed for farmers and consumers in the developing world. I’ll focus here on “rich world” options.

Moving genes from one plant species to another could solve many troublesome pest issues, such as bacterial blight of tomatoes (pepper gene) or the devastating citrus greening, which is destroying the Florida industry and which could be addressed using something like a spinach gene. In these last two cases, the work has already been done, and the barrier that remains is the willingness of food marketers to confront fear-based opposition. Many similar future traits could be developed.

Another extremely logical set of traits could be developed by using state-of-the-art methods to move genes within a crop species in cases where doing that through conventional breeding is simply too slow or complex. This approach could solve important pest issues for crops like bananas, coffee, potatoes, cacao (for chocolate), apples and pears, wine and table grapes (to name a few).

Many interesting traits can be achieved by simply “turning off” one or a few genes in a plant. Examples of this are approaching commercialization (nonbrowning Arctic apple, nonbruising Innate potatoes). This sort of technology could be used in many other crops for many other purposes, such as onions that don’t make the chemical that makes you cry, or avocados that don’t turn brown when you slice them or make guacamole.

There are numerous possibilities for fruits and vegetables that make more of certain desirable components (e.g., antioxidants or other health-promoting chemicals). There are already some new, modified versions of soybean oil with a healthier/more functional fat content (Plenish, Vistive). Other changes in the composition of oils and starches are of interest as well. Public researchers in Australia have been experimenting with modifications of wheat to lower its glycemic index. Nonallergenic versions of crops are a technical possibility (although liability for unintentional mixing would be a barrier).

If the regulatory hurdles are rationalized, and if marketing uncertainty can be reduced, modern plant biotechnology is poised for diverse contributions to the food supply.