Do you remember a few years ago when Taco Bell taco shells were pulled off the shelf?  It was because they contained a genetic modification (GM) that isn’t approved for human consumption.  This semester the Advanced Biochemistry course, Che 441, is investigating how genetically modified crops are made, how they work, and the ethics and regulation of introducing a GM crops.

To learn more about the process, we took a field trip to St. Louis over fall break.  We started our visit with a tour of the Missouri Botanical Gardens.   We had hoped to meet with its president, Peter Raven, to discuss the impact of GM crops on biodiversity, but the Gardens and their research units were undergoing their annual review.  We still enjoyed all the biodiversity, the amazing glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly, and the killer koi in the Japanese Garden pond.  I think Chuck Kirshner even got some people photos to use in his photography class.

 Next we visited the Danforth Plant Science Center, a not-for-profit plant research center whose mission is to improve the human condition through plant science.  We talked extensively with Dr. Nigel Taylor about the work they are doing with cassava, one of the major nutrient sources in Africa (and the source of tapioca).  They are working to improve viral resistance and the nutrition of cassava to prevent malnutrition.  It was neat to see how they can obtain samples of virus infected plants from African farmers, who basically send them a piece of paper onto which they’ve wiped a piece of the leaf tissue. It's amazing that a swipe of leaf provides enough material for them to determine the exact viral infection.

We also met with Kevin Lutke, director of the plant transformation facility, and got to see first hand how transgenic plants are made.  Howard Berg showed us their electron and confocal microscopes (see picture), and Leslie Hicks showed us their proteomics and mass spectrometry facility.  These high-power techniques are transforming how biochemistry research is done, and it was awesome to see them in action.  Finally, we talked with Terry Woodford-Thomas about her bio-pharming research on using plants to produce vaccines.  Both the quality and quantity of research being done at the Danforth Center was amazing, and all the researchers we met with were incredibly generous with their time and eager to share their experiences with us.

 Unfortunately the Cardinals were playing in New York and not St. Louis that evening, so we didn’t get to catch a game.   We did end up eating at a place I went to when I was in a summer undergraduate research program at Washington University.  I didn’t recognize Tom’s from the outside, but who could resist the Wings and Rings we used to get after IM softball games?  Then we paid a visit to the Arch—even in the dark it’s a spectacular view.

Friday was dedicated to visiting Monsanto.  Our tour of the Chesterfield facility was led by a professional tour guide, Kathy Sehnert.  Dr. Sehnert had previously worked in the laboratories at Monsanto, so she knew how the research works, and she was able to give us more of the “big picture” than an individual researcher might have.  There were professional videos at various stops on the tour, demonstrating the various testing processes that are used in developing a new crop.  What was most impressive about the facility was the scale of the research—robots were used to test thousands of compounds for insecticidal properties at a time, and the roof was completely covered with greenhouses testing various crops.

 The Regulatory and World Headquarters for Monsanto are in another location, so we hopped back in the minivan to visit Dr. Gary Bannon ’76.  Dr. Bannon is a Lead Scientist in the Protein Sciences Regulatory Division.  Unlike the Chesterfield facility, which focuses on discovering new possibilities by screening thousands of compounds a year, the regulatory division brings these products to the point that they can be grown in the field.  This includes testing them for allergenicity, which is a complicated problem—how do you decide ahead of time if something will cause an allergic reaction?  Dr. Bannon talked with us about how his research team approaches this problem.  We’re lucky that Dr. Bannon will be visiting campus this spring as the Haines Biochemistry speaker.

 We wrapped up the trip with a detour to find a gas station that would accept the Wabash gas cards and grab a burger, then it was a sleepy and fast trip home so Tony Caldwell could compete in the swim team’s meet.  It was a whirlwind visit, but it was a great experience to see plant science research in action at two very different facilities.  I hope the Chemistry Club will make a return trip there someday to appreciate more of the great science that is happening in St. Louis.