Young scientists in a laboratory Young scientists in a laboratory

Creating Science-Based Strategies for Gene Editing Communications

Generating Production Systems Solutions
Generating Production Systems Solutions

Program Contact

Sarah Goldberg

sgoldberg@foundationfar.org

Ochugboju Sheila at COP27.

Dr. Sheila Ochugboju

Alliance for Science

Year Awarded  2021

FFAR award amount   $189,794

Total award amount   $760,271

Location   Ithaca, NY

Matching Funders   Cornell Alliance for Science

Grantee Institution   Cornell University

  • Production Systems

What is the problem this research is tackling?

A recent study found that most Americans rate their knowledge about gene editing and genetic modification in food as very low to below average. However, another study found that despite this lack of knowledge, most believe the technology will bring benefits. There is a thirst for knowledge about gene editing communications, but researchers often struggle to identify how to communicate messages about that research that will resonate best with their audiences.

Why this research is important

This grant is creating science-based communications toolkits that will help students, young professionals and researchers to continue their engagement with a wide variety of audiences. Additionally, this grant creates specific advancement opportunities to increase engagement with underrepresented populations.

Portrait of Sally Rockey.

FFAR envisions a world where everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food grown on thriving farms. To achieve this vision, we need to employ all available tools and technologies, from organics to biotechnology. Among our many projects developing gene editing tools, technologies and strategies, several of our scientific workforce development programs, like the FFAR Fellows program and the Vet Fellows, are spearheading this critical research to revolutionize our global food supply. The Alliance for Science grant is helping us bridge communications gaps to better inform the public about the benefits of this research.

 Sally Rockey, Ph.D.
Executive Director Emeritus

Gene Editing Communications Resources

Perceptions about Gene Editing in Agriculture

Gene Editing FAQ (English version)

Gene Editing FAQ (Spanish version)

Speaking Science Digital Workbook

The Future Faces of Gene Editing in Agriculture Webinar

FFAR Fellow Maci Mueller: Pioneering revolutionary changes in livestock breeding through gene editing

Details About this Research

The Alliance for Science is developing and implementing a communications plan to elevate the work of FFAR beneficiaries, like the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project, which is optimizing crop productivity by enhancing photosynthetic processes.

The Alliance for Science is also conducting several training courses, including a session to familiarize U.S. journalists with gene editing research currently under way and introduce them to leading scientists in the field. Specifically, FFAR and the Alliance are collaborating on a training session at Tuskegee University, an 1890 Land-Grant Institution, to engage young people in science communication and inspire them to pursue careers in plant biotechnology.

How This Research Contributes to Our Mission

The Alliance for Science project supports pioneering science by ensuring gene editing communicators can effectively deliver their message and increase public understanding about the promising benefits associated with gene editing technologies. Additionally, this grant supports scientific workforce development by offering targeted communications training for graduate students pursuing biotechnology research.

Matching Funders

Thank you to the Alliance for Science for providing matching funds for this grant.

Alliance for Science logo.

The Latest

Insights

Our Insights highlight unique perspectives from across the food and agriculture community.

See all Insights

The Aim For Healthy, Productive & Environmentally Friendly, Southeastern Beef Calves 

Federico Tarnonsky

FFAR Fellow (2022-2025), University of Florida

Time Teaches Biosecurity Importance 

Kevin Schulz

Kevin Schulz

Editor, The Farmer/Farm Progress

Greener Cattle Initiative is Game Changer for Dairy’s Future 

Dr. Juan Tricarico

Dr. Juan Tricarico

Senior Vice President, Environmental Research, Dairy Management Inc.

Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Dairy Cattle 

Francisco Penagaricano headshot

Dr. Francisco Peñagaricano and Dr. Guillermo Martinez Boggio

Let’s Raise a Glass on National Milk Day to the Power of Agriculture Research 

Krysta Harden headshot

Krysta Harden

President and CEO U.S. Dairy Export Council

Building Team Chemistry: The Bigger Picture Behind Cows & Climate 

Conor McCabe headshot

Conor McCabe

Animal Biology Graduate Student, UC Davis

Insight on Livestock Methane Mitigation 

Dr. Rod Mackie

Dr. Rod Mackie, Professor, Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

Champaign, IL

Indigenous Farmers are Leading a “New Green Revolution” Focused on Hemp 

James DeDecker, Director, Michigan State University – Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center Mary Donner, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians – Ziibimijwang Farm Executive Director and Tribal Citizen

FFAR Vet Student Fellow Research Spotlight 

Agricultural study in progress.

Anna Schaubeck

2021 FFAR Veterinary Student Research Fellow

Celebrating Innovation on National Egg Day 

Paul Montgomery

Paul Montgomery

Director of Communications, United Egg Producers

Going Nuts: Nut Crops as Climate Resilient Protein Alternatives for the Future 

Matt Davis

University of California, Davis

How Heat Stress Impacts Swine Health 

Portrait of Lauren Anderson.

FFAR Fellow, Lauren Anderson

North Carolina State University

Building Tools for Plant Genome Editing 

Portrait of Simon Sretenovic.

FFAR Fellow, Simon Sretenovic

University of Maryland, College Park

Tackling Malnutrition with Biofortification 

Portrait of Aicha Waziri.

Aichatou Djibo Waziri

Washington State University

Wheat: already delicious and now nutritious 

Portrait of Addy Carroll.

Addison Carroll

FFAR Fellow

Dusting the Soil for Fungus-Prints: Spinach Seed Production and One of its Greatest Threats 

Portrait of Batson.

Alex Batson

Washington State University

A day on the Battlefield: Searching for Perennial defenses in wild places 

Portrait of Kelsey Peterson.

Kelsey Peterson

2019-2022 FFAR Fellow

Heavy Metal and Chocolate: Not the Best Pairing   

Portrait of Zachary Dashner.

Zachary Dashner

2018-2021 FFAR Fellow

Dairy Cattle Metabolic Capacity: Milking It for all It’s Worth 

Portrait of Linda Beckett.

Linda Beckett

2019-2022 FFAR Fellow

News

The latest news and updates from FFAR.

See all News

FFAR Research to Protect Vegetable Crops from Invasive Pest 

FFAR Rapid Research Develops H5N1 Waste Stream Surveillance Tool 

FFAR & AAVMC Open Applications for 2025 FFAR Vet Fellows 

FFAR Grant Seeks to Decrease Corn Inputs, Increases Climate Resiliency 

Seeding Solutions Grant Helps Develop Corn Resistant to Fungal Disease 

SHIC/FFAR Fund Six Japanese Encephalitis Virus Research Projects 

Grant Improves Hemp Fiber Processing & Quality 

FFAR Research Addresses On-Farm Bird Flu Outbreaks Linked to Wild Waterfowl 

SHIC, FFAR & Pork Checkoff Announce H5N1 Risk to Swine Research Program & RFP 

ROAR Funding Protects Strawberries from Dangerous Pathogen 

FFAR Aims to Help Farmers Manage Manure More Sustainably & Profitably 

Hemp Research Consortium Grant Examines Biopesticides for Hemp Treatment 

Seeding Solutions Grant Developing Tomato Resistance to Parasitic Weed 

Crops of the Future Grant Improves Stress Tolerance in Carrots 

ICASA Award Addresses Antimicrobial Stewardship for Bovine Respiratory Disease 

Swine Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program Funds Additional Research 

FFAR Names Sixth Cohort of Veterinary Fellows 

U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef & FFAR Announce Focus Group Series to Develop Sustainable Beef Research Roadmap 

FFAR-Funded Research to Prevent African Swine Fever Virus 

Greener Cattle Initiative Opens Call for Enteric Methane Emission Research 

Breakthroughs

Tools, technologies and strategies from the research we fund.

See all Breakthroughs

Unlocking Genetic Heat Tolerance in Cattle 

Breakthrough for Precision Bred Adaptation of Elite Taurine Breeds of Beef & Dairy Cattle

Accelerating Crop Development with Improved Haploid Fertility 

Breakthrough for Accelerated Development of Crops of the Future

Radiography could transform poultry breeding 

Breakthrough for FFAR Awards $1.4 Million to Purdue University, University of California, Davis and University of Edinburgh Researchers to Improve Health and Productivity of Egg-Laying Hens

Research Pinpoints Why Dairy Cows Produce Less Milk in Warm Weather and Develops Nutrition-Based Solution 

Breakthrough for FFAR Grant Helps Heat-Stressed Dairy Cows Weather Increasing Temperatures

Getting to the Root of the Problem: Fastidious Pathogens 

Breakthrough for A Novel Bioassay for Culturing and Characterizing Fastidious Phytopathogens

Feed Additives Stop Viral Disease Spread, Researchers Find 

Breakthrough for FFAR-Funded Research Finds Feed Additives Stop the Spread of Viral Diseases

Initial Successes in Ending Surgical Castration of Swine 

Breakthrough for FFAR Awards $500,000 Grant to Improve Swine Health and Well-Being

ID: MOU-Alliance

Want to do more to support gene editing communications?