Presented to the Florida Farm Bureau winter conference, February 7, 2017 in Ocala, FL. The presentation covers the use of new gene editing techniques in animals, plants and medical application. The techniques are contrasted against conventional transgenic approaches. Regulatory concerns were stressed as was the need for ag producers to step up and into the conversation.

1. Gene Editing
What is CRISPR?
Kevin M. Folta
Professor and Chairman
Horticultural Sciences Department
kfolta.blogspot.com
@kevinfolta kfolta@ufl.edu
www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com

2. Research
Funding and Reimbursement: www.kevinfolta.com/transparency
Slides: www.slideshare.net/kevinfolta

3. What is our starting point?
10
potato
apple

4. Mechanisms of Genetic Improvement

5. Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
DNA – genetic material, Hard
copy safe in the nucleus of a cell
RNA – Transient copy of the
same information (+/-)
Protein – Does the work!
Enzymes, structures, etc.

6. Regeneration from single cells
Plant cells can “re-program”

7. Transgenics
What people usually think of as “GMO”
Addition of a gene, or small number of genes
New information on the hard drive!

8. Transgenics
Can add traits from across species (like the Bt gene for insect resistance)
Can suppress traits or viruses using RNAi (as in the papaya and potato)

9. Cisgenics/Intragenics
Transfer of specific
genes from the same
species
Cis-genic = as-is
Intra-genic = all
‘native’ sequence
with some re-
arrangement

10. Gene Editing = Genome Editing
(changing a single letter in a single document on the
hard drive)

11. The Gene Editing Revolution

12. The Gene Editing Revolution

15. Products of Genetic Engineering
Add a Transgene
ON/OFF GENE
Natural Mutations
ACGAGTCGATCAGTCTAG
Gene Editing
ACGAGTCGATCAGTCTAG
ACGAGTCGATGAGTCTAG ACGAGTCGATGAGTCTAG
=

16. Applications

17. Gene Editing
Horn Gene Horn Gene
NO HORNS!!!
Good beef
Bad milkHORNS!!!
Bad beef
Great milk
Cross….
Mix of bad beef, bad milk production

18. Gene Editing
Horn Gene Horn Gene
NO HORNS!!!
Good beef
Bad milkHORNS!!!
Bad beef
Great milk
Horn Gene
NO HORNS!!!
Bad beef
Good milk

19. Gene Editing

20. Changing
domestic pigs’
DNA to provide
resistance to
African Swine
Fever
Episode 037

21. X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy

22. Low Acrylamide, non Browning Potatoes
X
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
X
Now with Late Blight
resistance and better cold
storage

23. Stopping Citrus Greening
Several genes show
promise
Earliest deregulation is
2019
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
X
X

24. Health Implications

25. Health Implications

26. Health Implications
Universal donor cells to
attack certain leukemias
have been developed using
gene editing to delete genes
that lead to the treatment to
be rejected from the body.

27. Technical Explosion

28. Technical Explosion

29. Technical Explosion
Sweden will not regulate crops produced with gene
editing
USDA appears to be in a similar situation
Activist groups claim that this is an insidious use of
technology– wanted it labeled as “GMO”
China invested $4 Billion in this technology

30. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
Share your stories to support the development of
gene editing tools and ensure low barriers to
commercialize improved genetics!
It is critical to be part of this discussion!
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2016-N

31. kfolta.blogspot.com
@kevinfolta
kfolta@ufl.edu
www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com
iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM
Thank you.
All funding, reimbursement:
www.kevinfolta.com/transparency
All slides:
www.slideshare.net/kevinfolta

32. “Don’t tell me it can’t be done,
tell me what needs to be done
and help me do it.”