CALGARY (Staff) — Genetic science is changing the way we use plants, but that doesn’t mean farmers have to change their ways.
“Crop diversification doesn’t always have to mean growing a different crop. It could simply be growing the same crop, but with other uses,” said Maurice Moloney.
A molecular biologist at the University of Calgary, Moloney has invented a transgenic canola that’s as easy to grow as the traditional plant.
Moloney’s research began in 1990 with Calgene, a California company involved in modifying canola oil. However, the protein-rich meal byproducts were ignored and when Moloney came to Calgary, his research team started looking for more uses for the meal.
Easily manipulated
Moloney said he likes to work with canola because it is easy to manipulate genetically.
To extract the protein, researchers use a water-based solvent in a test tube and get the canola oil to float to the top. The oil is skimmed off and, using a chemical procedure, the protein is separated. From there, the proteins are genetically altered for medical and industrial purposes.
