How we're using DNA tech to help farmers fight crop diseases | Laura Boykin

TL;DR

In this content, the speaker discusses their passion for using computational biology and cutting-edge technology to help small-scale family farmers in Africa increase their food production.

Transcript

I get out of bed for two reasons. One, small-scale family farmers need more food. It's crazy that in 2019 farmers that feed us are hungry. And two, science needs to be more diverse and inclusive. If we're going to solve the toughest challenges on the planet, like food insecurity for the millions living in extreme poverty, it's going to take all of ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌍 Small-scale family farmers need more food and science needs to be more diverse and inclusive to solve challenges like food insecurity for those in extreme poverty.
• 💻 Computational biology combines computers and biology to address global issues, such as hunger.
• 🌱 The speaker stumbled into biology as a work-study job while in college and eventually combined biology and computers in her career.
• 💪 The power of supercomputing helped the speaker uncover the complexities of influenza and hepatitis C, showing the potential for using technology in biology for the benefit of humanity.
• 🌍 East African farmers asked the speaker to help save cassava, a plant that feeds millions of people, but is under attack from pests and pathogens.
• 🌱 The knowledge and resources for genomic technologies are not equally distributed globally, leaving African scientists with limited access to tools necessary for their work.
• 🛠️ The development of a handheld DNA sequencer called an Oxford Nanopore MinION has enabled the speaker's team to bring genomic analysis to the farmers, providing quick diagnoses and solutions to plant health issues.
• 🌱 By getting data closer to the farmers and providing solutions, the team has helped farmers increase their crop yields, leading to greater food security and improved livelihoods.

Questions & Answers

Q: What motivates the speaker to get out of bed every day?

The speaker gets out of bed for two reasons - to address the issue of hunger among small-scale family farmers and to promote diversity and inclusivity in the field of science.

Q: How does the speaker describe their occupation as a computational biologist?

The speaker describes being a computational biologist as a combination of their interest in computers and biology, which allows them to use the latest technology to address challenges such as hunger.

Q: How did the speaker become a computational biologist?

The speaker stumbled into biology while looking for a work-study job in college. They landed a job in the biology building, which eventually led them to pursue a career in computational biology.

Q: Why did the speaker decide to work with farmers in Africa?

The speaker decided to work with farmers in Africa because of their computing skills. In 2013, a team of East African scientists asked them to join their efforts to save cassava, a plant that is vital for feeding millions of people in Africa.

Q: What are the challenges faced by small-scale family farmers growing cassava in Africa?

Small-scale family farmers growing cassava in Africa face challenges such as whiteflies and viruses that devastate the crop. Whiteflies transmit plant viruses that cause cassava brown streak disease and cassava mosaic disease, leading to crop loss and food insecurity.

Q: How does the speaker's team address the challenges faced by cassava farmers?

The speaker's team developed a portable DNA sequencer called an Oxford Nanopore MinION to quickly diagnose the pests and pathogens affecting cassava. By bringing the technology closer to the farmers, they can provide quick results and solutions, such as burning affected fields and planting resistant varieties.

Q: How does Tree Lab impact small-scale family farmers?

Tree Lab, the portable DNA sequencing project, has had a positive impact on small-scale family farmers. For example, one farmer named Asha saw her cassava yield increase from zero to 40 tons per hectare, providing enough food for her family and additional income.

Q: How does the speaker plan to scale up Tree Lab?

The speaker plans to scale up Tree Lab by leveraging the existing farmer groups in Africa. By providing solutions to individual farmers like Asha, the impact extends to the entire farmer group, benefiting thousands of people in a village.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker gets out of bed for two reasons: to provide more food for small-scale family farmers and to make science more diverse and inclusive.

• As a computational biologist, the speaker uses technology to help end hunger by working with farmers in Africa, specifically focusing on saving the cassava plant from whiteflies and viruses.

• The speaker's team developed a portable DNA sequencer called Tree Lab, which allows farmers to quickly diagnose and treat plant diseases, resulting in increased food security and improved livelihoods.