User:Geraldatyrrell/sandbox

=Annotated Bib=
 * Domingo, J. and Bordonaba, J.G. 2011. A literature review on the safety assessment of genetically modified plants. Environment International. 37:4 734-742.
 * "In spite of this, the number of studies specifically focused on safety assessment of GM plants is still limited. However, it is important to remark that for the first time, a certain equilibrium in the number of research groups suggesting, on the basis of their studies, that a number of varieties of GM products (mainly maize and soybeans) are as safe and nutritious as the respective conventional non-GM plant, and those raising still serious concerns, was observed. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that most of the studies demonstrating that GM foods are as nutritional and safe as those obtained by conventional breeding, have been performed by biotechnology companies or associates, which are also responsible of commercializing these GM plants"


 * Konig, A. et al. 2004. Assessment of the safety of foods derived from genetically modified (GM) crops. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 42:7 1047-1088.
 * "This paper provides detailed guidance on how to assess the safety of a GM crop for anyone involved in risk assessment and regulation. The 1990s have demonstrated that agricultural practices can be improved by applying the methods of modern biotechnology to genetically modify traditionally used crops. New characteristics that have been conferred to crops through genetic modification include protection against fungal-, viral-, and bacterial diseases and insects, and tolerance to selected herbicides as well as improvements in yield, flavour, nutritional value, and characteristics for feed use. The paper sets out a systematic stepwise approach on how to tailor appropriate combinations of test methods to the safety assessment of foods derived from a specific GM crop, focusing on the characteristics of the modified crop and the introduced trait. The approach builds on internationally agreed guidelines and principles, and is suitable for current and future GM crops with more complex modifications."


 * Prescott, V.E. and Hogan, S.P. 2006. Genetically modified plants and food hypersensitivity diseases: Usage and implications of experimental models for risk assessment. Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 111:2 374-383.
 * "We describe here a murine model to assess the potential allergenicity of 2 GM plants. We show that consumption of a GM plant expressing an allergen does not necessarily predispose to allergic hypersensitivity responses. In fact, we demonstrate that consumption of GM plants can promote a protective regulatory T-cell response and protect against the subsequent development of allergic disease specific to that protein. However, we also show that diversity in translational and post-translational modification pathways between species can influence the molecular architecture of the expressed protein and subsequent cellular function and antigenicity. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into the usage of animal models for the assessment of antigenicity of GM plants and suggest that post-translational mechanisms may contribute to altered antigenicity."

=Evaluating a PhD Program=

Project

 * Techniques used
 * Field vs lab work
 * Student's component
 * Time frame
 * Start date
 * Course requirements
 * Stipend/finances

My Interests
=List of interesting ideas=
 * Sustainable agriculture
 * Agroecology
 * Conservation
 * Ecosystem services
 * Restoration
 * Public engagement
 * Web design
 * Collective action
 * Rural development
 * Naturalist education
 * Institutional change

List of topics to read

 * behavior and the environment
 * biodiversity and ecosystem health
 * biodiversity and ecosystem services
 * capitalism
 * collaboration
 * collective action
 * ecosystem health
 * ecosystem services
 * externalities
 * game theory
 * genetically modified organisms
 * multinational corporations
 * partnership
 * pesticides
 * sustainable agriculture
 * sustainable development
 * sustainability
 * synthetic biology
 * unified goals
 * wicked problems

List of topics I've read/edited

 * agriculture
 * biodiversity
 * bretton woods system agreed that capitalism is best for developed countries: the free market + private ownership of means of production.
 * communication
 * conservation

List of Ice Breaker Questions

 * What's your favorite instrument to listen too? And how do you like it?
 * If you were a plant, what would your key traits be?
 * What is your ideal food job?
 * If you could be a vehicle, what would you be? Why?
 * Who would you be in a circus?
 * What's your favorite wild animals? Why?

How can small networks draw out the expertise of large national networks?

 * What can those at UM do with the help of COMFOOD?

What would a landscape mosaic model look like for different ag systems

 * What parameters would be included?
 * Could couple mosaic approach with the i/o approach

What would an input output model look like for different agricultural systems?

 * How much human labor is required, fossil fuel, fertilizer etc.?
 * What do you get out of it and how does one system compare to another?
 * What scenarios could we envision? Low CO2, pollution free, friendly matrix, calorie maximizer?

What is the role of informal communities in doing good work, and what is the role of collective action?

 * Ex: Wikipedia in aggregating information
 * Ex: MYFC in propelling the sustainable agriculture movement
 * Do you get more done when there is collective action or personal effort, and how can we tailor different types of action to fit different types of problems?

How can we put values on ecosystem services to protect the environments that provide them?

 * How much wildland management should we practice?
 * Can we construct lakes in such a way to favor water clarity over cloudiness
 * Ex: What if they are oriented along the prevailing wind? We create wave action, movement across the surface, dissolved oxygen, debris is localized.

How do we internalize the true cost of food production? Of anything?

 * Should meat cost more?
 * Should we tax effluent?
 * Should our livelihoods and environments be trusted to markets? What would need to be in place?
 * What if the price of food rises as we capture externalities in the price? Would it really increase? Would the high tide raise all boats? Would it leave some people stranded?
 * Can we ever capture environmental and social externalities in price?

How do you cultivate an ethic of responsibility in children?

 * Make the schoolkids wash the floors and do the dishes
 * Get children in the gardens to raise food and prepare it

Does spatial autocorrelation affect society? Does it hinder globalization? Can we overcome it? Should we overcome it?

 * If we live in our own small spheres we never experience the plight of others, we never empathize with their problems (some that we undoubtedly perpetuate), we never change our behavior, we never fix the problem

How sustainable can our food production be?

 * Where are we doing the best? Is that good enough? What are the costs? Can we measure more than the provision of food on our farms? What other benefits can they bring?

What is it that makes some things seem professional?

 * What makes things seem coherent?
 * What makes them hang together?
 * Simple?
 * Sleek?

How do you foster creativity?

 * Does failure play a role? How can we accept failure gracefully? Can you teach art?

How can we frame information to ignite people to act?

 * Can priming play a role?
 * What about offering recommendations?
 * Should we be positive or negative?
 * Urgent or relaxed?
 * Brief or detailed?
 * How can we break science out of silos?
 * Why are seminal papers seminal?

How can we improve the relationship between humans and the natural world?

 * Farming is at this interface
 * Extraction is at this interface
 * Does it have to start at childhood?
 * People make mid-life course corrections...

Can conservation be paired with other ideologies?

 * Religious communities?
 * Business and industry?