The American Chestnut used to dominate Appalachian forests, but declined after a fungal disease was introduced to North America in the early 1900’s. Scientists have sought to restore the ecology and utility of this tree [...] The post 326 – Update on Transgenic (“GMO”) Chestnut first appeared on Talking Biotech Podcast.
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The American Chestnut used to dominate Appalachian forests, but declined after a fungal disease was introduced to North America in the early 1900’s. Scientists have sought to restore the ecology and utility of this tree species by adding resistance through genetic engineering. For the backstory listen to Episode 9 (2015) of this podcast series. This week’s interview is with graduate student Erik Carlson. Erik recently published a paper in Molecular Plant Pathology that describes a new regulatory control of the gene that confers resistance to Chestnut Blight. We discuss the background of the project, where the project stands, and the regulatory environment of repatriating a forest with engineered trees.
