Reflecting on Joining the Conversation. In Chapter 4 from Joining the Conversation, the authors outlined how academic writer use sources to help inform, develop, and support their claims.

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Reflecting on Unnaturally Delicious. We're going to be practicing those skills in our discussion from Chapter 4, "Synthetic Biology," and Chapter 5, "Growing Flinstones," in Unnaturally Delicious. Specifically, in Chapter 5, Lusk asks us to consider how scientists are using food and food science to tackle the serious health effects of malnutrition and vitamin/mineral deficiencies. Lusk writes in at the chapter's conclusion:

Most would agree that malnutrition is a critical problem worth addressing, whatever the method used. The best solutions will probably depend on the particular circumstances and people involved. Sometimes providing inexpensive supplements may work well. Other times traditional crop breeding to beef up micronutrient expression in staple crops may do the trick. In other cases, genetically engineered crops may be the best bet. It will take a combination of plant science, genetics, economics, politics, and even consumer research to experiment and find the best way forward. All tools should be on the table--including the probability of new tools we haven't yet invented. Even better solutions may be waiting to be found by a humanitarian entrepreneur (89-90).

Considering the focus of these chapters, think about these questions:

What research have you read or seen that supports the points Lusk identified in the chapters?
What does the research say about increasing the micronutrients in food to address hidden hunger?
What have you also read about farmers modifying their crops to promote sustainability and nutritional yield?

Would you like to know more? Check out these videos on yeast and synthetic biology.

Podcast: Can Biotech Crops Feed the Developing World?

https://youtu.be/TVtqwWGguFk

Synthetic Biology Explained

Why is Olive Oil Awesome

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For this week, then, we will: