Nobel Laureate James Watson supports applications of recombinant DNA technology in agriculture
Date: 29.1.2007
"I believe in technology. It improves things. I believe in progress. I don't believe, you know, in living in the past. Agriculture today is better than it was 50 years ago. Farming is easier," says Dr. Watson, who, along with Francis Crick, discovered the code for the double helix structure of DNA, for which they received the Nobel Prize in 1962. This discovery made possible the application of recombinant DNA techniques used today in biotechnology.
Recombinant DNA technology is the technique of isolating a gene and inserting it into the DNA of another organism. The first commercial application of recombinant DNA technology was in 1982, when researchers produced human insulin for the treatment of diabetes. By the early 1990s, researchers could successfully transfer a gene that codes for a specific protein that produces a desirable trait - such as disease protection - in a plant.
"So recombinant DNA and plants is a way of having a more rational, dependable agriculture. ... Farmers having a better life and wanting to stay on the farm," continues Dr. Watson. "I think many people just want to make things better. It's part of human nature. You want to have a better agriculture. ... More income for farmers. More dependable farming. Cheaper food. ... All which can be produced through biotechnology."
In addition to Dr. Watson's video, visitors to the Conversations about Plant Biotechnology Web site can view conversations with fellow Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, as well as renowned economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs. Conversations about Plant Biotechnology is designed to give a voice and a face to the farmers and families who grow biotech crops and the experts who research and study the technology. The Web site contains more than 50, two- to three-minute, extremely candid, straightforward and compelling video segments with the people who know the technology best. The Web site is hosted by Monsanto Company - a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.
"www.checkbiotech.org":[ http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=news&doc_id=14296&start=1&control=182&page_start=1&page_nr=101&pg=1]
Related articles
Biotechnology: Fortune's Fool Or Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On? - In a world where arable land is finite and population growth is on a different trajectory, most would concur that innovation is essential for sustaining and enhancing agricultural quality and productivity (2.4.2007)
