We regularly discuss a small suite of commercial crops that have been genetically enhanced with transgenes. However, one additional genotype was transformed long ago, and approved for use in the USA, Canada and EU-- but nobody talks about it much. It is the plum resistant to plum pox virus (PPV), a devastating virus of stonefruits. While rare in the USA, it is endemic throughout the rest of the northern hempisphere, and certainly could become a problem. Dr. Chris Dardick of the USDA-ARS in Kearneysville, WV talks about the plum, its history and current application. The resistant plum was developed by the USDA-ARS in the 1990s, using a similar approach to the successful papaya ringspot virus resistant papaya. The work is a foundational success of biotechnolgy, and an available strategy in the event the virus ever emerges. .
What is Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta?
Talking Biotech is a weekly podcast that uncovers the stories, ideas and research of people at the frontier of biology and engineering.
Each episode explores how science and technology will transform agriculture, protect the environment, and feed 10 billion people by 2050.
Interviews are led by Dr. Kevin Folta, a professor of molecular biology and genomics.