The problem of micronutrient deficiency affects an estimated 3 billion people around the world, and for Professor Dean DellaPenna, that is too many.
DellaPenna, an MSU biochemistry and molecular biology professor and one of the nation's premier experts in plant biofortification, is working with plant genomics to produce crops that contain greater amounts of vitamins and minerals.
His research is being done as part of HarvestPlus, a global alliance of research institutions and implementing agencies that have come together to research, breed and disseminate crops that will aid in the global fight against micronutrient malnutrition.
"The main goal is to provide a healthy diet to people living in all the countries of the world," DellaPenna said.
The $50 million dollar project will spread out over five years, with half of the funding coming from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. MSU will receive about $2.3 million. Most of the funding, 85 percent, will go to breeding programs associated with the program.
The research at MSU will involve studying the genomes of bacteria whose DNA has been completely coded in order to understand how certain vitamins are produced in plants such as wheat, beans and rice. The plants tested are ones that are most often produced and consumed in poorer countries.
"We're taking advantage of genomes of bacteria," DellaPenna said. "Some photosynthetic bacteria make Vitamin E in the same way that higher plants do."
Using computers, DellaPenna finds the sections of a bacteria's genomes that "instruct" the bacteria to produce certain vitamins and then works to implement those codings into well-known staple crops, such as rice, so the crops naturally will produce the vitamins.
"Rice has the genes, but during evolution for some reason the plant decided not to put beta carotene in its seeds," DellaPenna said. "Your only option is to engineer genes for this process."
But some members of MSU's community contend that the grant money could be used for more feasible solutions, such as those that don't revolve around new technology.
Larry Busch, a professor in MSU's department of sociology, argues that the research is very important, but HarvestPlus is forgetting an important factor.
"The project fails to recognize the biggest problem: the access to food," said Busch, who specializes in agricultural research policy and the sociology of agriculture.
With more than a third of the world's population going to bed hungry each night, the answer isn't biofortification, Busch said.
Even if biofortification could fight malnutrition, farmers won't want to produce the crops - which could be more expensive - if they can produce more crops at a cheaper cost, he said.
"It's not part of a larger dialogue about what to do about hunger," Busch said.
"There are too many social, economic and political aspects that are being ignored in this approach."
In the 1930s and 1940s, developed nations tackled the problem of micronutrient malnourishment by fortifying cereal and milk and adding iodine to salt. Producing and distributing these products in many areas of the world is difficult, however, because of a lack of infrastructure, DellaPenna said.
For people around the world, micronutrient malnourishment causes everything from blindness to anemia to premature death.
MSU President M. Peter McPherson is serving as chairman of the HarvestPlus Project Advisory Committee, a venture he said he is very passionate about.
He said most of all, he wants to show his support for the research DellaPenna is doing.
"Biofortification is something that Michigan State is taking a major leadership role in," McPherson said. "It's an important step for this period of history in our world."
For resource development Professor Jim Bingen, the "silver bullet" solution of biofortification might be too good to be true.
"People knowledgeable about nutrition say nutrition doesn't work this way," Bingen said. "If you do have a vitamin or mineral deficiency, it has to be addressed throughout your whole diet."
Bingen said the research is very valuable but hopes that it prompts some community discussion on the issues of biotechnology and biofortification, especially since the topic is so controversial.
"There should be an opportunity for wider public debate, assuming that this is going to put us at the forefront of this kind of biotechnology," Bingen said.
Overall, Bingen said he isn't very optimistic that the HarvestPlus program will eradicate malnourishment any time soon.
"We should be working to bring better health and nutrition services to these areas," Bingen said. "Maybe a magically enhanced bean is not the answer."
Don Jordan can be reached at jordand3@msu.edu.
