Biotech, Food and the Future

From medicine and food to energy and agriculture, bio-based innovations are in great demand, providing new solutions to the challenges faced by societies in the 21st century. New innovations in plant biotechnology, such as the development of gluten-free wheat, could bring hope to those suffering from celiac disease. On a global scale, as the world population nears seven billion people, biotechnology plays an increasing role in plant health and thereby, human food supplies.

While it is just one field of bioscience, plant biotechnology combines scientific findings and applied research in an exemplary manner, with great impact in the fields of nutrition and medicine. With these advances, new questions arise for the global populace. How will these biotech advances directly affect our lives and our economy? What policy maneuvers are being implemented in the U.S. and Germany to support this groundbreaking research and bring it to market? How do policy and public opinion influence biotechnology’s role in food production in the U.S. and Germany?

Join Prof. Karl-Heinz Kogel, Head of the Department of Phytopathology, Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, and Dr. Rina Singh, Director of Policy, Science & Renewable Chemicals, Industrial Biotechnology and Environmental Section, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), as they discuss biotechnology’s ever-evolving role in feeding, fueling, and healing the world. Dr. Nathan Tinker, Executive Director, New York Biotechnology Association (NYBA), will moderate.

The discussion will take place on Tuesday, September 13, 2011, at the German Center for Research and Innovation (871 United Nations Plaza, First Avenue, btw. 48th & 49th Streets) from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by the German State of Hessen U.S. Office for Economic Development and presented in cooperation with the New York Biotechnology Association (NYBA).

The German Center for Research and Innovation, www.GermanInnovation.org, provides information and support for the realization of cooperative and collaborative projects between North America and Germany. With the goal of enhancing communication on the critical challenges of the 21st century, the GCRI hosts a wide range of events from lectures and exhibitions to workshops and science dinners. Opened in February 2010, the GCRI was created as a cornerstone of the German government’s initiative to internationalize science and research and is one of five centers worldwide.