"Я Майбутнє України"

LUCKYBOOKS

banner

LuckyBooks has reached the international level!

LuckyBooks has reached the international level!

Our project is now known on the other side of the ocean! A well-known American scientist and biotechnologist Wayne Parrott got interested in a new LuckyBooks’ book on biotechnologies, so the US embassy arranged a meeting with the scientist and project representatives including the author of the book Alina Stefan.

The meeting was held at the Children's Library in Podil, which is the LuckyBooks’ partner. The Professor and author of the book also told latest news in genetic engineering and the embodiment of this topic in popular science. The first Ukrainian book for teens on biotechnologies “DNA in a lenth of Summer” will be published next year, but the popularity of the researches in this area is already quite high. The children asked a lot of questions and were genuinely interested. We also took the opportunity to ask the scientist our questions, since his team was marked by the "breaking" the genetic code of four-leaf clover.

- What trends in the development of biotechnology can you name today?

- From the beginning, biotechnology was aimed at changing a single characteristic. Today, the work is aimed at changing several qualities, which can be usefully applied, at once. Now there is a lot of talks about CRISPR technology. I think, eventually it will allow us to develop useful synthetic cells and organisms.

- Is there an influx of young professionals? Which areas of biotechnology are the most interesting for them?

- Now biotechnology is actively used in all spheres of life. Young people are interested in food industry and medicine. Fewer young people are interested in agriculture, because they know very little about it. In the US, children think that food comes from supermarkets. And if they do not know anything about agriculture, what kind of a career in agriculture can interest them?

- Is there a sufficient public awareness of GMOs?

- Most people do not know anything about GMOs. They only know that you have to stay away from them. Although in fact there is a lot of information on the topic.

- What is the percentage of GMO products in the US?

- If we talk about vegetable GMOs, then it's about 80%. And if it is both vegetable products and microorganisms, the percentage is much higher.

- What about Ukraine?

- Microorganisms are used all over the world. For example, if Ukraine imports products that include corn or soy, then this is definitely a modified product.

- Is there a need to educate children regarding the properties of GMOs?

- This is useful. At their age, you can still learn something. For an adult it is much more difficult to understand an unfamiliar thing. At the same time, today I did not expect children to answer questions and take part in the discussion. They are much more knowledgeable on this topic than I expected. And this is very positive.

ЛакіБукс вийшов на міжнародний рівень!

The News