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Moderated conference on Genomics in Food and Agriculture

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Biotech-Mod3 <[log in to unmask]>
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Biotech-Mod3 <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:12:51 +0100
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This is Professor Denis J Murphy, University of Glamorgan, United Kingdom. I previously worked with FAO on the ABDC-10 biotechnology meeting in Mexico in 2010 and in framing the crop sector background document which covered several aspects of crop genomics. More recently, I have been working on crop genomics at several levels from the use of bioinformatics to analyse next generation genome sequencing data to more applied uses of molecular marker development in crops such as oil palm. 

To begin with, we need to acknowledge that even in the most scientifically advanced countries we are still at the early stages of capitalising on the immense possibilities being opened up by modern information generating technologies such as whole genome sequences, transcriptomics, metabolomics etc. 

Hence, we are confronted by a mass of raw data for which in many cases our analytical tools remain less than ideal. Our task is to progress along the so-called DIKW hierarchy (data to information to knowledge to wisdom) to make practical sense of the terabytes of data that are being generated by the new technologies every week.

However, we should not let this prospect daunt us - on the contrary this is potentially one of the most exciting periods in biological science where the riches of genomes are gradually being uncovered both to deepen and enrich our understanding of nature and enable us to make more effective use of this knowledge. 

It took a century from Mendel's work on genetics before it was being systematically applied in crop breeding and we have been struggling (often successfully, but not always) to apply quantitative genetics to the complex traits that regulate many key characters in our major crops. 

Already there are several cases of the use of molecular markers and other genomic technologies being used successfully in developing country (DC) crops but, as several others have noted, in most cases the level of expertise and infrastructure required make it very challenging to introduce such methods to any but the most important commercially traded crops. 

This would seem an ideal opportunity for DCs to form regional consortia and centres of expertise - possibly in collaboration with Northern countries and maybe also via public-private partnership (PPPs). The aim would be to ensure that current advances in genomics stand a decent chance of being applied in as many DC crops as possible. 

However, these are still medium term (10yrs+) developments and in the meantime there are still huge possibilities (as others have said) for using green revolution technologies to confront the more immediate (next few years) challenges of food security especially in some regions of Africa. Both approaches are important and neither should exclude the other.

Professor Denis J Murphy, 
University of Glamorgan, CF37 4AT, 
United Kingdom 
email: dmurphy2 (at) glam.ac.uk
website: http://staff.glam.ac.uk/users/184 
Google Scholar outputs: http://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?hl=en&user=GQc6wQsu-BkC

[Regarding ABDC-10, mentioned at the beginning of the message, FAO published the 592-page proceedings in 2011, entitled "Biotechnologies for Agricultural Development", which are organized in two main sections. The first contains ten chapters with an extensive series of FAO background documents prepared before ABDC-10 took place. They focus on the current status and options for biotechnologies in developing countries in crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries/aquaculture and food processing/safety, as well as on related policy issues and options, in particular about targeting agricultural biotechnologies to the poor; enabling research and development (R&D) for agricultural biotechnologies; and ensuring access to the benefits of R&D. The second section contains five chapters dedicated to the outcomes of ABDC-10, namely the reports from 27 parallel sessions of sectoral, cross-sectoral and regional interest, most of which were organized by different intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and regional fora; keynote presentations; and the conference report adopted by delegates in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the final day of ABDC-10. The proceedings can be freely downloaded from http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2300e/i2300e00.htm or contact [log in to unmask] to receive a copy, providing your full postal address...Moderator]

[To contribute to this conference, send your message to [log in to unmask] For further information on this FAO Biotechnology Forum, see http://www.fao.org/biotech/biotech-forum/]

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