GMO Doctor

It's a great new year. Glad you all made it.

We recently resumed a new semester and one of the courses I am teaching my students is Agricultural Biotechnology. I will be teaching the topic: Genetic modification of plants, animals and micro-organisms. I hope to share with you some of the concepts i'll be teaching them.

Let's do this together.

See you around.

Dear friends, I trust you're doing great. Keep being good.

At the 3rd Nigerian Plant Breeders Association International Conference in Abuja.

We're brainstorming on solving farmers problems for food security.

Thinking this evening again about GMOs, it came to me that man has consistently gotten creative ideas from nature. For instance, the helicopter design was from watching the dragonfly buzz around. Aeroplanes were developed by watching birds fly and several other examples.

It is by that same token that man observed pollination of crops occur in nature, carried by wind, birds that man now deliberately pollinate crops.

Crop evolution proceeded naturally in a slow manner and man's need to solve problems led the way to the deliberate manipulation of crops by man to achieve pre-set objectives.

From the primitive teosinte to the present-day corn, man has continuously developed ways to improve plants based on the model in nature. The methods prior to this time, are conveniently classed as conventional plant breeding. The current methods are called New breeding technology (NBT) and that is where the Genetically modified organisms come in.

GMOs can be transgenic or cisgenic. In transgenesis, a trait(s) of interest from an unrelated specie are identified, isolated and introduced into a specie, for it to be successful, that newly introduced trait(s) has to be stably integrated into the geneome of the new host and then, begin to express the protein(s) that was of interest to the breeder. This is possible because of the common thread that runs through all forms of life.
In cisgenesis, a trait(s) of interest are identified, isolated and introduced into a closely related specie where the new trait(s) should be stably integrated and begin to express the protein of interest that necessitated the transfer ab initio.

Having said this, are GMOs different from hybrids? Yes! Hybrids are products of conventional/classical breeding. In this method, there is no manipulation of the genetic material by the experimenter. What happens is controlled crosses between two genetically superior parental plants which results in a plant having the individual traits of both parents combined into one plant. In this sense, hybrids are not GMOs. So, when you see the term hybrid F1/F1 hybrid, we simply mean the first filial generation of a hybrid cross.

Now, let's speak to seedless watermelon as an example. Some folks have erroneously called seedless watermelon GMOs. This is untrue.

Seedless watermelon are produced by a conventional breeding technology called Mutation breeding. Mutation breeding is a method that involves the use of mutagenic agents such as colchicine, sodium azide, radiation, etc to induce changes in the genome of plants. The exposure to these agents rearranges the nuclear morphology and in some cases, doubles, triples or quadruples the chromosome number of the plants. While not all mutations are useful, Scientists screen for the useful mutations and advance them in the field for cultivation. Now, it is important to note that the increase in the chromosome number of plants also inadvertently increases the size of the plant, oil content also increases like in the case of oil plants like Egusi melon, etc.

From the foregoing, we can summarize man's attempt at food sufficiency into three major time stamps: At creation, man was a Collector (collected wild fruits, game, plants, etc). Next, man became a Cultivator (man noticed that throwing seeds into the soil made them grow and began to do same). Thirdly, man now wanted more yield to keep up with population increases. Man now "bred" plants. Now, breeding has specific objectives. Man bred plants for different reasons including big sizes, increased oil content, improved taste, resistance to specific diseases and pests. It was at this point that man began to accelerate food production to meet up with the present realities.

Breeding encompasses the entire low technology interventions such as mutation breeding, hybrid production, diallel crosses to the GMO technology and the current genome editing technology.

Each of these technologies presents their peculiarities which is why regulatory frameworks and agencies are crucial in their development.

The GMO technology is safe, there is currently no evidence founded on science that has shown otherwise. It is highly regulated with several layers of monitoring from the conception to confined field trials and commercialization. In Nigeria, it takes an average of 12 years to get approval. This is was the case for all the three GM crops that were developed in Nigeria, Bt Cotton, Bt Cowpea and Bt Corn.

As a people we must collectively try to understand the science of GMOs from a balanced perspective. It is for this reason that non-Scientist must take a step back and allow Scientists deliver the message of GMOs in clear and concise manner. Our voices must not be drowned in the noisome fear mongering of the anti-GMO activists whose position is unfounded.

If providing nutritious food and income for our people is important, then, we must allow the experts lead this discussion. It is pedestrian argument to claim that anymore is out to hurt us.

Dear fellow Nigerians, allow Scientists lead the conversation on GMOs.

GMOs are safe!

I am the GMO Doctor!

More on the conversation.

Has food really been altered? Find out.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/food-how-altered?fbclid=IwdGRjcAMav2hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHhdYzojzXI2IOQTdEEBeVmOuYk-md-VAPHpF9a0tu17wSTc3Zzw0MmKZUCAN_aem_GDWuhZc6U5DXumAZO-Dizw

Altered Food, GMOs, Genetically Modified Food - National Geographic Want disease-free grapes? Add a silkworm gene. How about vitamin-enhanced rice? While technology promises new ways to help feed the world, some see risks to the land and to human health.

GMOs are safe.

This is a simple message.

On a continent as ours affected by the cocktail of climate change, avoidable wars, and a penchant for criticizing solutions rather than solving real problems, we must stand at the forefront for adoption of GMOs for their utility in solving our food security challenges and income generation for our farmers.

We must depart from the defeatist mindset that some imaginary powers are out to depopulate Africa using GMOs.

All the conspiracy theories surrounding Covid-19, 5G, vaccination have all fallen flat. The misinformation on GMOs will fail too.

As Scientists, we will tell the story of GMOs, not musicians, pastors, or anyone other than the experts. We will work with everyone, but chill, we'll convey what it is and isn't.

I know what it is, ask me.

I am the GMO Doctor and I say, GMOs are safe!

Impressive credentials! Our Scientists have all it takes to get the food production job done, and they are doing so.

Well-done, NRCRI Umidike

NRCRI Has Developed Over 90 Resilient Crop Varieties to Support Nigerian Farmers’- Prof Chiedozie Egesi

https://agronigeria.ng/nrcri-has-developed-over-90-resilient-crop-varieties-to-support-nigerian-farmers-ed/

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Umudike Seeds Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Biotechnology Society of Nigeria Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology, Nigeria National Agricultural Seeds Council International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) AgroNigeria

GMOs are safe and real farmers cultivate them. Read for yourselves.

What is the potential of Maize?

"The crop is flourishing in the area despite the shortage of rainfall, and the yield is two or three higher over the conventional crops. We will continue to plant it in our communities, and we eat the maize.” says Nigerian farmer, Andrew Nanfwang who recently adopted cultivation

READ ON: https://guardian.ng/news/aatf-laments-sale-of-fake-gm-seeds-to-farmers/

With Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) – I just got recognised as one of their rising fans! 🎉

With Biotechnology Society of Nigeria – I just got recognised as one of their rising fans! 🎉

BSN is the foremost Biotechnology Group for Nigerian practitioners.