Great update. I found the Expert Advisory page a useful summary of where things are heading:
- Doug Rathbone (ex MD Nufarm) to help engage big Ag Chem corporations and get deals across the line;
- Prof. Catherine Hill (eminent entomologist) to strengthen scientific authority for our research and IP;
- Neil Anderson (industrial chemist, 40 yrs Monsanto) to guide commercial production of Bio-gene insecticides.
Check out the brilliant but rather obscure (72 views since Aug2017) youtube video presentation by Prof. Catherine Hill for Rotary International's Adelaide Chapter (the folksy feel adds charm, although I wish we could see the slides). She gives a measured - but none-the-less alarming - discussion of mosquitoes, the various diseases they spread and their global consequences... and makes it clear how mosquito-borne diseases have impeded economic development in large parts of the world to date and will start costing developed countries in a big way in the future (20,000+ Zika cases in US annually in the future...). I particularly liked this line (at 18:30mins):
"... whether you do or don't like insecticides, they are an extremely effective tool and we're probably going to be relying on them for the next 30-40 years, but we will get smarter about the insecticides we use. They will be more environmentally friendly... more environmentally benign... and they won't have such devastating impacts on non-target organisms, such as honey bees..." (and concludes with the use of Naled in the US to control outbreak of Zika).
She goes on to discuss Bill Gates... Bono, Bill Clinton, ... (even Google) and the broad philanthropic movement to promote better global public health outcomes by eradicating mosquito-borne diseases, including US$70M from Bill Gates to support research on genetically modified mosquitoes. This kind of investment explains why BGT have included NGOs and philantropic organisations in their update. But, as Catherine concludes
"... our public health forecast? I'm going to encourage you to think about mosquito-borne diseases as the new norm.. not just a problem for the developing world... and I think you will see a reliance on insecticides for next 20-50 years... it's all we've got for now until we bring on GMO strategies... which I think will be successful."
There's a long path to commercialisation, but the indicators are very positive for Bio-Gene IMO. GLTAH R-7
(20min delay)
