Joanne Ekena's talk on GMOs worth every moment

As the presenter for last week's Thursday Evening at Rotary Botanical Gardens Master Gardener Joanne Ekena gave a beautifully prepared presentation on the facts behind the creation and use of Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs.

Joanne works as a lab technician in the Molecular Biology Department at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her work involves GMOs, making her the perfect person to present such a complex topic.

Given the complexity of the topic, Joanne expertly took all the attendees through the basics of the process, while deftly morphing industry jargon into human speak. Using corn as an example, she explained how genetic modifications have made some strains resistant to corn earworm or caterpillars.

I, for one, came away with a much clearer understanding of the science behind GMOs, and the uses to which they can, and in many cases already are, be(ing) used in our food supply.

If Joanne finds the opportunity in which to present this topic again I would strongly encourage those of you who weren't able to attend this class to make sure you do the next time. It was fascinating, fact-filled, fun, and exciting.

Thanks, Joanne, for a wonderfully informative presentation.