Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
September 08, 2000
Want to know more about biotech? Profs tell all at farm show
Want to see some DNA? How can plant biotechnology help save lives? Do worms have a preference in what they eat? Just how are our Monarch butterflies doing?
These are just a few of the questions you can ask and discover the answers to at the "What Is Biotechnology?" exhibit at Canada's Outdoor Farm Show Sept. 12 to 14 at the Woodstock Research Station. The University of Guelph has teamed up with Ontario Agri-Food Technologies to provide the public with an opportunity to learn more about biotechnology.
Through a series of interactive displays and living demonstrations, visitors will come face-to-face with some of the science that underlies "biotech." In one experiment, DNA is extracted from fruits and vegetables and actually becomes visible to the naked eye. Another living demonstration features Monarch butterflies and explains the research being done at Guelph to determine whether the butterflies are at risk from biotech crops.
"Our aim is to give people the opportunity to experience some of the science and research that is undertaken at the University in agriculture and food biotechnology, said Prof. Gord Surgeoner, Environmental Biology, who is putting together the displays for the farm show. "We need to demystify it so people can better understand." Activities and demonstrations will be on going throughout the day.
For more information, contact Mary Lou Garr at (905) 945-4165 or Sue Bennett at (519) 824-4120 ext. 6832.
