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Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) A Scientific Perspective Presentation to Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs 15 th November, 2005. Professor M.Iqbal Parker University of Cape Town. What is Biotechnology?. Two definitions. General Definition - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Genetically Modified Organisms
(GMO)
A Scientific Perspective
Presentation to Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs 15th November, 2005
Professor M.Iqbal ParkerUniversity of Cape Town
What is Biotechnology?
• Two definitions
General Definition
“Biotechnology is a body of techniques that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives
thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.”
1st Generation Biotechnology
• Insulin
• Growth Hormones
• Cheese Production
• Beer Production
• Many Others
3rd Generation Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a set of technologies including, but not confined to, tissue culture and recombinant DNA techniques, bioinformatics and genomics, proteomics and structural biology, and all other techniques employed for the genetic modification of living organisms, used to exploit and modify living organisms so as to produce new intellectual property, tools, goods, products and services.
The Role of Agriculture in Africa
• 40% of the harvest may be lost due to post-harvest damage
• Population will double by 2025 to 1.5 billion
• Most African countries depend on agriculture for foreign currency earnings
Projected cereal yield in 2025
Region Shortfall(million tons)
Sub-Saharan Africa -88.7
East & Southeast Asia -126.9
Middle East -132.7
UNIDO: Biotechnology Priorities in Africa
• Virus resistant African crops eg. Maize streak virus
• Parasitic weed resistance eg. Striga
• Bt maize African varieties
• Decrease mycotoxin levels eg. Bt maize
• Drought tolerant African crops
Maize streak virus is endemic in Africa causing huge economic losses
to commercial
and small scale farmers
MSV and Africa Cassava Mosaic VirusResistance Strategies
• Most plant viruses = RNA coat proteinR
• MSV and ACMV = DNA viruses CP infection
• Virus Replication associated protein replication initiation as multimers
• Mutant, truncated Rep inhibition virus replication