Eggplants, Brinjals and Aubergines

One of the amazing success stories of genetic engineering is the eggplant, known as the “brinjal” in Asia and the “aubergine” in Europe.  In the west it is occasional table fare, yet in many parts of Asia it is a daily staple.  Farmers in Bangladesh and India rely on doses of old-school insecticides to protect their crop, up to eighty a season, and not always with appropriate protection equipment.  The problem is insects that bore into the plant and into the fruit, destroying a crop.

One solution has been the use of the bacterial protein known as “Bt”, only that the plant produces itself to protect it from insects.  It is the same protein used in corn and cotton in other countries, including the USA. The new eggplant lines have been wonderfully accepted, and poor farmers in Bangladesh are making excellent profits from this technology, while making safer produce.

The story is told by Dr. Tony Shelton, Professor of Entomology with Cornell University in Geneva, NY.   The story has captured the interest of many, including science journalist and filmmaker Dr. Hidde Boersma.  Dr. Boersma has a Ph.D. in microbiology, and appreciates the potential contributions of genetic engineering.  He has captured the story of the eggplant in a beautiful documentary called Well Fed.   The documentary tells the story of the farmers that grow the plant, and the well-fed Europeans that change their attitude toward the technology when they see the beautiful ways it can benefit people.

Website for Dr. Tony Shelton   here, but this is the website to the Bt Brinjal project.
Website for Dr. Hidde Boersma  here 
This link is Hidde Boersma’s beautiful prelude to the documentary, sharing much of the same footage.

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.