Science Allies - Biotechnology, Agriculture, Ecology, Health, and Critical Thinking

Sarah received her PhD in the field of plant biology from Cornell University in 2009, for which she conducted an interdisciplinary study combining work in plant molecular biology with science communication. Her dissertation focused on the controversy over genetically engineered papaya in developing countries with a specific focus on Thailand. She came to Cornell after completing a BA in biology at Reed College. Lured by great weather, plenty of water and an unbeatable intellectual environment, she remained at Cornell University after completing her PhD to help lead a global project to help protect the world’s wheat from wheat stem rust.

Sarah is the founder and inaugural director of the Alliance for Science—a global communications effort based at the Boyce Thompson Institute that promotes evidence-based decision-making in agriculture. She currently serves as Lead, Stakeholder Communications at Pairwise, an innovative start-up based in North Carolina.  Sarah grew up in a small agricultural village in northwest Illinois and now lives with her family in Ithaca.

Kenya is one of the African countries gearing up with research on gene edited crops to boost food  security. Among the many gene-edited products under research include  disease-resistant banana and striga-resistant sorghum. African  researchers are using CRISPR gene editing technology to protect these  staples against diseases that affect production and livelihood for  millions of farmers in Africa.

Join expert panelists Dr. Leena Tripathi, principal scientist in plant biotechnology at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA);  Josphat Muchiri, deputy director technical services at Kenya National Biosafety Authority (NBA), and Dr. Steven Runo,  principal investigator of striga species on sorghum and associate  professor at Kenyatta University as they address questions about Kenya’s  readiness to adopt gene editing research and products.  Specifically,  they will discuss the potential of genome editing research to improve  Kenya’s food security. They will also share insights into the regulatory  landscape and public sector perspective in conducting gene editing  research.

Doris Wangari, a biotechnology regulatory expert in Kenya, will moderate this event.

Biotechnology is a powerful tool that is starting to be used for enhancing the nutritional content of fruits and vegetables. One of the first of these new generation crops is the genetically modified purple  tomato, improved for higher levels of anthocyanins, a naturally  occurring anti-inflammatory compound that protects against various forms of chronic, diet-related human diseases. Join the developer of the purple tomato, Prof. Cathie Martin of the John Innes Centre, as we discuss the science and motivation behind GM purple tomatoes.  Nathan Pumplin of Norfolk Plant Sciences and Eric Ward,  president of AgBiome, will discuss the regulatory status and market  perspectives of this product, especially with regard to the pending US  Department of Agriculture decision on purple tomatoes. Modesta Abugu, a doctoral student in horticultural sciences at North Carolina State University and 2015 Alliance for Science Global Leadership Fellow, will serve as moderator.

According to a recent critique published in Scientific American magazine, “GM crops are rooted in a  colonial-capitalist model of agriculture based on theft of Indigenous  land and on exploiting farmers’ and food workers’ labor, women’s bodies,  Indigenous knowledge and the web of life itself.” The Alliance for  Science was singled out as implicated in this supposed model of  exploitation. Yet this political rhetoric is itself problematic,  obscuring urgent needs to improve food security and tackle environmental  challenges and denying the role of science in solving real-world  problems. In this live event, our panel of expert fellows — all from the  Global South — address head-on the so-called “agroecology” critique and  show how critics of biotechnology risk harming the interests of  resource-poor farmers in countries like Bangladesh, Kenya and Ghana by  denying them access to new tools.

Speakers include Arif Hossain, CEO and Executive Director of Farming Future Bangladesh (FFB); Patricia Nanteza, AfS associate director of training and founder of Science Stories Africa; and Nassib Mugwanya, doctoral candidate of agricultural and extension Education, North Carolina State University. Joseph Gakpo Opoku,  journalist from Ghana, will moderate. Note: Dr. Maywa Montenegro de Wi,  an agroecology professor and co-author of the critique, was invited to  dialogue but she declined.

Global climate change, rapid population growth and shifting diets are  creating intense pressures on agricultural systems. The recent advent  of CRISPR/Cas as an additional tool for gene editing has spurred  countless innovations in crops and livestock. From improved yields to  enhanced drought tolerance, gene editing has enabled a range of  promising improvements in a vast array of organisms. In this AfS Live  webinar, three young scientists will discuss their work in gene editing  for agriculture, their hopes for the technology and the role they seek  to play in shepherding the next generation of agricultural  biotechnology.

Panelists include Nicholas Karavolias, a Ph.D.  candidate at the Innovative Genomics Institute, home of CRISPR/Cas  technology, at the University of California, Berkeley. His work seeks to  provide an overview of how gene editing has been applied in agriculture  for climate adaptation. He uses CRISPR/Cas9 in rice to generate  varieties that are more drought-tolerant, and in cassava to improve  nutritional attributes. Maci Mueller is a Ph.D.  candidate at the University of California, Davis. Her work explores the  relative advantages of gene editing and conventional breeding to drive  the genetic improvement of cattle. Navneet Kaur is a  Post-Doctoral Research Scientist at Rothamsted Research and a 2019  Alliance for Science Global Leadership Fellow. Her expertise is in the  area of plant molecular biology and metabolic engineering, specifically  focused on provitamin A biofortification of banana.

Sarah Evanega, director of the Alliance for Science, will moderate.

Humans are now able to access information through more channels than  ever before, exposing us to potentially dangerous conspiracy theories  and deliberate disinformation campaigns. How and why does misinformation  start? And what can we do to slow or stop its viral online spread? Join  our panel of experts as they discuss ways to encourage critical  thinking and promote digital literacy within the global contexts of  public health, food security and the climate crisis. Speakers include  John Cook, research fellow in the Monash Climate Change Communication  Research Hub at Monash University and Devorah Adler, founder of the  online disinformation-disrupting tool known as Triple Check. AfS  Director Sarah Evanega will moderate.

Mexican farmers, scientists and consumers are facing the uncertain implications of a new national policy banning the import and cultivation  of genetically modified (GM) maize. Though Mexico’s President framed  his decree as supporting sustainable agriculture and improved quality of  life for farmers, it’s becoming apparent that banning scientific  innovation from the country’s fields will have significant consequences  on productivity, food prices and trade policies. In this AfS Live  webinar, fifth-generation Mexican farmer Gina Gutierrez and Mexican  economist Fernando Cruz Morales will discuss the decree and those most  likely to be impacted if it is implemented as written. The Gutierrez  family farm cultivates 40 hectares of crops to produce silage for its  420 milking cows. Gina Gutierrez started the La Vida Lactea dairy  advocacy group on social media, holds a master’s degree in corporate law  and is the 2018 winner of the Global Farmer Network’s Kleckner Award.  Morales has more than 15 years of experience in the public finance and  policy sectors, developing policies related to the agri-food sector,  environment and energy. In the private sector he has consulted with  firms focused on the development of market research, new business  development and negotiations with senior managers. He holds master’s  degrees in public administration as well as economics and public policy.  In recent years he has perfected his management capacity at the Pan  American Institute of Senior Business Management (IPADE) with a focus on  private equity and agribusiness.  Luis Ventura, a scientist and the  Alliance’s Mexico-based contributor, will moderate the session.

Nutritional insecurity is a pressing topic around the globe. Some nations struggle with widespread lack of access to nutritious foods and the related hunger, while other nations are facing significant challenges related to increasing levels of obesity due to diets high in fats, sugars and processed carbohydrates. The Alliance for Science is hosting a conversation that explores the impact that gene editing can have in developing and cultivating nutritious foods that will help to address these intractable problems and positively transform our food systems. Join our independent UN Food Systems Summit dialogue to hear from and engage with a panel of experts in the field of gene editing, nutrition and policy. Speakers include Dr. Lawrence Haddad, executive director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN); Dr. Tom Adams, co-founder and CEO of Pairwise; Dr. Cecilia S. Acuin, associate professor in the Institute of Human Nutrition and Food at the University of the Philippines Los Baños; Ambassador Dr. Miguel J. Garcia-Winder, Former Undersecretary of Agriculture/Mexico; and Patience Koku, CEO of Replenish Farms in Nigeria.  Dr. Sarah Evanega, director of the Alliance for Science, will moderate.

In East African countries, bananas are an important staple food and cash crop. However, most of the East African bananas are susceptible to pests and diseases, threatening the livelihoods of over 30 million people. Scientists in Kenya and Uganda are developing and testing hybrid cultivars resistant to Black Sigatoka disease,  the most serious constraint to banana production. 

In this episode, Patricia Nanteza will interview scientists who are developing and promoting the adoption of these hybrid banana varieties. Ivan Kabiita Arinaitwe is a banana breeder at Uganda’s National Banana Research Program, Mary Mwangi is a lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology  and Biotechnology at Kenyatta University and Grace Wamue is an associate professor of Sociology, Gender & Development Studies at Kenyatta University. They will talk about the potential of these high-yielding new hybrids to boost farmers income and food security in Africa, as well as the gender issues associated with this research.

African scientists across the continent are hopeful that gene editing is a tool that can support Africa’s food security by helping to increase crop productivity, enhance nutrition and make crops more resilient to climate change. Gene editing research is already being used to improve major staple foods in Africa, such as maize, sorghum, wheat, cassava, yam, sweet potato and banana, among others, and the research results are promising. In this session, Andrew Kiggundu, project manager of Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa (VIRCA) at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, will be discussing gene editing with James Karanja, KALRO; John Odipio, NARO Uganda, and Rose Harriet Okech, IITA-Kenya. The three scientists are working in various capacities to advance gene editing research in Africa. They will discuss opportunities and anticipated challenges as they use this tool in developing improved and climate resilient crops for Africa.