Daria Schmidt, Researcher

Why Biotech? | More comments from Daria Schmidt | What is the reliability of this process . . . ? |

Transcript for Clip 1 -- Why Biotech?

Before biotechnology we were very limited to the types of genetics we could work with in soybeans. [Genetic traits were limited to] basically whatever was available in the soybean varieties, or what we might be able to get as far as traits for disease reistance or grain quality from related species or plant introductions. That was the limit. That was the scope of genetics that was available. Biotechnology brought us a new tool by which we could bring in genes that weren't of soybean source or that weren't [related]...we could bring in [traits] we simply didn't have before. Biotechnology...is a way to get those genetic traits into the soybean variety so that we can grow them in the field.

More comments from Daria Schmidt...

Q: What is the reliability of this process, how often do you get the gene where you want it?

A: Getting the gene into the right place, we're a little far away from that. But the technology of genetic transformation is evolving all the time and it's better now than it ever was and it's going to continue to evolve. Right now the biggest advances that we've made is to be able to pick out those individual cells that have been transformed in the most efficient way possible and then only generating and only continuing those lines that have good expression and good stable Mendelian genetics. Those are the things that we're able to do better now than we ever have before and that will continue to evolve.


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Posted March 6, 2001