The American chestnut was a dominant tree in many of the forests of the eastern United States. In the early 20th century an imported fungus spread quickly through the population, destroying trees across the range. A biotech solution to repatriate the forests began in the 1990’s, leading to the production of trees that could resist blight based on the addition of a gene from wheat. Erik Carlson speaks about the technology, the testing, and the pushback against the technology. This episode is presented to provide information that may compel you to comment in the public comment period with USDA/APHIS that is part of the deregulation process.
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