Biotechnology
There is a lot of information available about biotechnology and the use of GMOs but how much of it is based on science?
Biotechnology includes not only GMOs, but also lab skills, determining and developing materials for new uses, and food science applications. This set of materials will help students to understand the science of genetic modification and the skills necessary to be able to work in the growing agriculture biotechnology industry.
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AFNR biotechnology
What are the current issues in biotechnology? There is a lot of resistance to genetic modification and the use of genetically modified crops. What is the science? This unit helps to provide some background in cell function and DNA properties, …
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Are you sterile? Using sterile technique to tissue culture plants
How do sterilization techniques affect our ability to preserve and culture organisms? In vitro collecting (IVC) is the process of starting plant tissue cultures with minimal disturbance to the plants when viable seeds are not available. Become the field researcher and learn how to …
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Be a food scientist
What is your protein IQ? Create a cookbook to learn Standard Operating Procedures for food safety and environmental monitoring. Test for proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids and compare plant and animal protein.
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Biological seed treatment
The biological seed treatment market is expanding rapidly. Farmers obviously have questions about the role those biological treatments may play in soybean production and the claims made about the various products.
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e-learning
Bioproducts
What could a farmer in Ohio possibly have to do with improving homeland security, bringing jobs back to rural America, and curbing global warming? Producing and using bioproducts over traditional, oil-based counterparts is how farmers growing soybeans can play an important role.
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Biotechnology
Watch this video to learn about careers with DuPont Pioneer! Matt Stroud, Product Agronomist and Rebekah Peck, Communications Manager talk about their careers with DuPont Pioneer.
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Central dogma: an integration of science and art
How does DNA code become an expressed trait? Do your students struggle to understand the “central dogma” of biology? Are you looking for innovative teaching techniques? This unit is an integrated art and science project to teach transcription …
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Developing elite genetics
Plant breeding is a numbers game and Rice likens it to using a funnel. “We evaluate as many genetics as possible and funnel it down from there. Breeding starts with elite genetic crosses. We start with proven genetics, and cross those with the …
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Future of food
How has agriculture changed? What is a GMO? What is the future of food? Society and cultures revolve around food. There are television networks solely focused on food and it is almost impossible to take a drive without passing a fast food chain. Billions of dollars are …
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Gel electrophoresis basics
How can we check the success of biotechniques? In what ways can we see if the gene(s) of interest are present? This unit leads students through the process of setting up chambers, understanding the mechanics, and experimenting with various aspects of running gels.
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Getting students ready for science testing—state and AP
Chillicothe High School teacher Jamie Metzger directs the Science Lab, a remediation class for those students who need to get higher points on their State Biology test. Last year, the test included many DNA and gel electrophoresis questions, so …
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GMOs: What do you know? Breakout
How much do you know about GMOs? There is a lot of misinformation about what a GMO is and what foods are genetically modified. Use this unit as a review or a compelling way to engage students in the topic of GMOs using a “breakout,” …
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GMOs go global: should they be labeled?
Should labeling of GMOs be mandatory? What do you know about genetic modification? Is genetic modification helpful or harmful? This unit will help to develop student thinking about genetic modification and food security issues around the …
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Growing more food: biotechnology
How will we feed 9 billion people? Grow soybeans using Round-Up Ready seeds to illustrate how biotechnology can be used as a tool to increase production. Introduce students to different options for growing soybeans, investigate …
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Hello, my name is… GMO
What is genetic modification? What does it mean if something is genetically modified? A lot of questions surround definitions of genetic modification. This unit models two different techniques of genetic modification and tries to help students understand the terms and the consequences …
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Just a spoonful of soybeans
GMO Soybeans Fighting Autoimmune Diseases. Shows researchers focusing on brand new uses for GMO soybeans. Thank you to PBS Learning Media for providing this video. Credit: Funded by GSK.
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Making biodiesel from soybeans
How might we make and use renewable fuel? Make biodiesel and create a scale model of an anaerobic digester, while investigating bioenergy and how it is produced.
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Moving genes: intro to genetic engineering
How do we solve the problems created by 9 billion people? How will we feed 9 billion on about the same amount of land? An introduction to genetic engineering through hands-on and modeling activities that illustrate concepts, which will scaffold student understanding for lab activities to follow, especially focused on …
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Newly-identified gene for resistance to root and stem rot accelerates breeding of resilient soybean plants
Purdue University announced an academic-industrial partnership with Corteva Agriscience on Thursday (Nov. 18), resulting in the identification of an individual gene responsible for Phytophthora resistance so plant breeders can easily detect which …
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Rotate SCN-resistant seed varieties for optimal protection
Understanding the difference between soybean cyst nematode-resistant varieties may help soybean growers understand the importance of rotating sources of resistance, which is one of the “active SCN management” strategies advised by The SCN Coalition.
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Soybean genetics aided by CRISPR technology
Numerous genes of a soybean can be precisely modified to acquire the ability of tolerating herbicides. Once such genes are identified, the CRISPR Cas9 technology can be utilized to edit the DNA sequence at a precise location, changing the underlying …
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Soybeans: from ballast to biotech
What is the future of biotechnology? Create models to understand DNA and the gene transfer process used in biotechnology. Explore questions: Are there harmful side effects of biotechnology? Can biotech solve world hunger? Should GMO …
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Soy fresh, soy clean: Using aseptic technique for food safety
How clean is your lab station? About 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and …
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Stick a fork in it: biodegradable products
Which biobased substrate will create a durable form of bio-plastic? Which biobased material has the least effect on the composition of compost and runoff through degradation? Compostable plastics are a new generation of plastics that are biodegradable through composting. They are derived generally from renewable raw materials like starch (e.g. corn, potato, tapioca etc), …
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Student bonding over DNA
In Advanced Biology, students are required to know what DNA is and how it works with replication, transcription and translation. What better way to demonstrate these steps and to solidify learning than to act out the processes as a group, using your …
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Understanding genes and the environment
Microbes which live in humans and in plants supply the majority of the genes that control many life functions. “Heredity is nothing more than stored environment,” according to Luther Burbank.
e-learning
e-learning
What do you know about GMOs?
Did you know that most fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle are not genetically modified? Take this course to find out which crops are and which three governmental agencies are responsible for regulating the industry. Definitions of various types of genetic modification are also included.
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Why biotechnology is good for farmers
Did you know that agricultural productivity has risen dramatically in recent years? Kyle Poling, DuPont Pioneer Field Agronomist, spoke with the Ag Biotech Academy workshop participants about using biotechnology to increase productivity. In 1930 …