In our latest episode of TechCast at UMass we talk with CVIP Director, Dr. Nicholas DeCristofaro , about the office of Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property (CVIP). We also discuss how CVIP is working with plant biologist, Dr. Om Parkash, on an exciting project to bring new plant breeds to market and why this project exemplifies the kind of collaboration CVIP wishes to create with scientists and researchers on its campus.
Dr. Parkash, a professor of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst tells us about a project to protect people, animals and soil against arsenic contamination. He explains how he’s using genetic engineering to develop new seed strains that will make soils and food crops safer from environmental pollution through a process known as phytoremediation.
By using molecular biology, genetic engineering, physiology and biochemistry to understand how plants tolerate toxic heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium he’s developing a new plant-based technology for cleaning up these toxins in the environment. By blocking certain genes, he can make the plants absorb more toxic heavy metals, like arsenic. But he’s also enhancing genes in food crops that will make them do the opposite: they’ll resist taking up toxins so that the food people eat is safer.
We discuss the relationship between these two projects and how, with CVIP’s help, Dr. Parkash hopes new seed strains using his work can be brought to market.
Related Links:
- Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences – UMass Amherst
- Plant Biology Graduate Program – UMass Amherst
- Phytoremediation from Wikipedia
- World Health Organization (WHO)
TechCast at UMass #3: Phytoremediation of Toxic Pollutants in Soil and the Role of CVIP [17:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
