CU students instruct high school teachers on genetic engineering

David Silverstein, a January master's degree graduate in chemistry from Cornell, shows slides related to a protein from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis and how this protein acts to kill certain types of insects, at a presentation, April 8, for the Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers in the Biotechnology Building. Nicole White/Jon Reis Photography

By Mark Siegal '00

Cornell undergraduate and graduate students recently delivered lectures and demonstrations on the science and background of one of the most controversial public issues in biotechnology: genetically modified crops.

The students gave their presentations at a meeting of the Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers (CIBT), an 11-year-old program funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, designed to update high school teachers on recent advances in biology and to provide participants with take-home laboratory exercises.

The talk, at the Biotechnology Building April 8, initially was developed and delivered last fall for the students' coursework in BioBM 434, "Applications of Molecular Biology to Medicine, Agriculture and Industry."

The undergraduate students, both seniors, were Gretchen Hoffmann, majoring in molecular and cell biology, and Zack Lippman, majoring in plant science. The graduate students were Sarah Graznak, first-year, plant breeding, and Darrell Hurt, second-year, chemistry and chemical biology. Also participating was David Silverstein, who recently obtained his master's degree in protein crystallography.

Rita Calvo, director of CIBT, said of the presentation, "I couldn't have known that it would be such a timely topic when I lined them up six months ago, but genetically modified foods are very much in the news these days."

Titled "Genetic Engineering of Crops for Insect Resistance: Utilizing Bacillus thuringiensis," the talk focused on the creation of hybrid crops by splicing genes from the bacterium B. thuringiensis into plant genes. These hybrids are very effective against the ravenous European corn borer, a major pest that is destroyed by the modified plant's toxic tissue.

The students discussed the history of genetically modified crops, the reasons for modifying crops, the underlying science and the business aspects of this issue, with ramifications extending beyond this particular example.

Education is the key to having informed opinions, the students said. "The general public may have an opinion regarding genetically modified organisms, but many really aren't informed enough to know whether it's a good opinion," said Lippman.

The talk ended with a debate between Hurt and Silverstein -- which included audience participation -- on several important practical concerns, such as whether products containing genetically modified foods should be labeled.