Who owns the rights to the world's food supply? Can North Carolina meet the workforce challenges of the genomic age?

Two panels of experts will offer varying perspectives on the economic, legal and ethical aspects of these issues at a public symposium, Tuesday, Aug. 27 from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Question and answer sessions will follow both discussions.

The event is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by the N.C. Biotechnology Center and The University of North Carolina System. The symposium is the final in a series of discussions sparked by the traveling exhibition "The Genomic Revolution," on display through Sept. 2 at the Museum in downtown Raleigh.

Session I
2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
"Genetically Engineered Food Crops:
Who Owns the Rights to the World's Food Supply?"
Transgenic plant technology (also known as genetically modified organism or GMO technology) is widely used to improve crop yields. So far, the practice has focused on adding herbicide and insect resistance to important crops-traits that have reduced the chemical inputs needed to increase yields. In the near future, transgenic technology will expand to encompass a plethora of new, value-added traits.

A small number of biotechnology, seed, and chemical companies hold nearly all rights to transgenic technologies and possess "freedom to operate" (FTO) regarding transgenic crops. For economic reasons, companies with FTO concentrate on major crops including wheat, corn, soybean, rice, cotton, and a few others.

What about small companies, universities, and philanthropic foundations that have been unable to obtain FTO to use transgenic plant technology for other crops-those that hold little interest for major companies?

Panelists represent stakeholders on several sides of the issue. Patent lawyer Ken Sibley, founding partner of Myers Bigel Sibley and Sajovec in Cary and senior lecturing fellow at Duke University School of Law, will discuss the scope and limits of intellectual property protection and the ability of various sectors to obtain FTO for transgenic crops. Sibley is the author of The Law and Strategy of Biotechnology Patents.

Johnny Wynne, associate dean and director of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service at N.C. State, will discuss the potential value of transgenic technology to agriculture in North Carolina and reasons the potential has not been realized.

Margaret Gadsby will represent Bayer CropScience, which has FTO regarding transgenic crops. With 10 years of industry experience as a technology provider, Gadsby will outline the challenges inherent in balancing the need for shareholder return with the desire to share the benefits of biotechnology; as well as accepting responsibility for ensuring proper use vs. allowing others to have access to technologies. Gadsby is director of public and government affairs, North America; and global head of bioscience stewardship for Bayer CropScience USA.

Deborah Delmer, associate director for food security for the Rockefeller Foundation, will discuss how lack of freedom to operate affects the development of subsistence crops for the developing world. She also will talk about several initiatives that the Rockefeller Foundation is supporting to help overcome these barriers. Delmer is a former professor and chair of plant biology at the University of California-Davis.

David Winwood, associate vice chancellor and director for technology transfer at N.C. State, will moderate the discussion. Steven A. Lommel, assistant vice chancellor for research and professor of plant pathology, N.C. State, organized the session.

Session II
4:00-5:30 p.m.
"Genomic Revolution: Shaping Our Workforce"
The expanding biotechnology industry has become a focal point of state and regional economic development strategies. Today North Carolina ranks among the top five biotech states in the country with 142 biotechnology companies and 73 contract research companies that employ 32,000 people and generate annual revenues of $7.5 billion.

Industry analysts claim two factors ensure biotech growth: strong research, and the ability to convert that research into commercial activity. Will North Carolina meet the needs of its workforce while contributing to technological advancements? What direction will the genomic industry take, and do we have the will and the resources to keep up?

Leslie Alexandre, president and CEO of N.C. Biotechnology Center (NCBC), will moderate the second session. Alexandre will describe how NCBC collaborates with industry to develop specialized training and curriculum choices to educate the biotechnology workforce.

Panelists include:

· Garland S. Elliott, Jr., director of economic development services at Vance-Granville Community College, will discuss his institution's direct-to-work course, "BioWork for Bioprocess Technicians." Working in partnership with a local biotechnology company, "BioWork" was developed to meet the needs of the growing biotech industry.

· Dr. Myla Lai-Goldman, executive vice president, chief scientific officer and medical director, LabCorp. The Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology in RTP, a division of LabCorp, leads the industry in the development and application of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, used to create sensitive assays in the areas of diagnostic genetics, oncology, human identification, and infectious disease. Using the demographics of the LabCorp workforce in RTP, Lai-Goldman will explain how the company "prospects" for workers for their expanding genomic-focused work environment.

· Bobba Venkatadri, executive vice president for operations, Diosynth RTP Inc. Diosynth RTP develops and manufactures recombinant therapeutic proteins. Venkatadri will discuss how structural changes in education are needed to exploit the full potential of emerging molecular biology and biotechnology industries, especially in the areas of innovative diagnostic agents and therapeutic products.

The session was organized by Russ Lea, vice president for research and sponsored programs, University of North Carolina Office of the President.

Posted August 27, 2002

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