Date/Time
Tuesday
2 Apr 2013
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Location
470 Stephens Hall

Event Type
STEP Talk

Steve Lindow
Professor, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley

While molecular biology has led to many advances in our understanding of plant and microbial biology in the lab, the application of these findings to solutions to practical problems in the real world require translational research in field settings. This translational research, however, has been hindered by considerable/excessive regulation. I will discuss a historical example of the first such field study, and more contemporary examples and address the current status of the oversight of such work. Discussion can include various perspectives on how such work should be managed.

Speaker

Dr. Steve Lindow has been at the forefront of translational research involving genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for 30 years. He and Dr. Nickolas Panopoulos performed the first field experiment involving a genetically modified organism (GMO), the ice-minus bacteria. Public perceptions of such studies have led to lawsuits, community protests, and stringent, somewhat arbitrary regulation of field research. Dr. Lindow is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and studies the ecology of plant-associated microorganisms.