Biotechnology

May 19, 2009

2009 BIO International Convention has a blog

AgBiotech@Bio is brought to you by the Council for Biotechnology Information and is focused specifically on agricultural biotechnology news and information for the 2009 BIO International Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.

Day 1 (18 May) was all about sustainability.

May 5, 2009

Diversity on air

I’ve been listening to a radio programme about diversity in action. Called The Evolution Boomerang, from Soundprint, it examines three cases where diversity is important to agriculture and the environment. There’s a segment on GMO cotton and insect resistance, a segment on the need for genetic diversity at salmon hatcheries, and a segment on selecting bacteria to degrade a chemical that had never existed on Earth before humans manufactured it.

All good stuff, if you have half an hour to spare. You will need Real Player to listen.

May 4, 2009May 4, 2009

Nibbles: Asparagus, Eels, ICT, Dingoes, Phoenix dactylifera, Apples, Bear-pit

Liguria’s asparago violetto gets Slow Food treatment.
“The bottom line is we just don’t know why they are struggling so badly.”
Using mobile phones to treat plant pests and diseases in Uganda.
Dingoes have positive effect on biodiversity.
Date palm genome mapped.
Boffins see the light, explain negative effect of fertilizers on biodiversity.
Brogdale situation “better,” but for how long?
Wait, Bern has a bear-pit?

April 30, 2009June 28, 2009

Nibbles: Peppers, Medicinals, NYC gardening, Science writing, Urban ag, Pouteria

Hot chili peppers on a blistering night, dust on my face and my cape…
“North America’s only medicinal herbs germplasm collection.” New one on me.
“Brooklyn was a breadbasket for the city only until the middle of the nineteenth century.” New one on me.
Different journalistic takes on cow genome.
Edmonton learns from Havana.
Lucuma no longer novel, can enter Europe.

April 28, 2009April 28, 2009

Nibbles: James McWilliams, Flowering plant origins, Moon plant, Satellites

“Should we be working to create local foodsheds in areas that have to import water in order to be fertile?” Dude, you had me at foodsheds.
Endosperm “made human civilization possible.”
First plant on moon a brassica?
Eye in sky finds missing sweet potatoes.
Can you think of a better way to use a rooftop than to grow rice on it and then to brew sake? Didn’t think so.