Bill Clinton wants corn

The mood at linkurl:BIO yesterday;http://www.bio.org/ preceding Bill Clinton's speech felt more like a rock concert than a keynote address. In fact, I was very nearly carried away in a stampede when the conference organizers finally opened the barriers to the hall. When everyone finally got settled in, there was rapt attention during Clinton's 45-minute speech. True to form, he spoke with perfect organization, seamlessly citing statistics and facts without ever looking at notes. His theme for t

| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share
The mood at linkurl:BIO yesterday;http://www.bio.org/ preceding Bill Clinton's speech felt more like a rock concert than a keynote address. In fact, I was very nearly carried away in a stampede when the conference organizers finally opened the barriers to the hall. When everyone finally got settled in, there was rapt attention during Clinton's 45-minute speech. True to form, he spoke with perfect organization, seamlessly citing statistics and facts without ever looking at notes. His theme for the day: The world is in a state of ?interdependence.? We all interact with and affect each other, he said. But currently that interdependence is out of balance, and he called on the biotechnology industry to do what they can to restore equilibrium. Some of the tasks for the biotech community: Reduce the spread of infectious disease, curb the momentum of climate change, find better sources of energy, and engineer crops that can economically feed millions who remain undernourished. In a specific challenge, he asked the audience to look for alternatives to fructose made from corn, a key ingredient in soda that has been blamed of late for the exploding rates of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes. But making fructose from corn keeps many farmers employed, so the key is to find a replacement for fructose that doesn?t harm the farmers that make it, he said. As a call to arms and a bit of ego stroking, he explained: ?I think it?s unlikely this problem will be solved by anyone outside your line of work.?
Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Alison McCook

    This person does not yet have a bio.
Share
May digest 2025 cover
May 2025, Issue 1

Study Confirms Safety of Genetically Modified T Cells

A long-term study of nearly 800 patients demonstrated a strong safety profile for T cells engineered with viral vectors.

View this Issue
Detecting Residual Cell Line-Derived DNA with Droplet Digital PCR

Detecting Residual Cell Line-Derived DNA with Droplet Digital PCR

Bio-Rad
How technology makes PCR instruments easier to use.

Making Real-Time PCR More Straightforward

Thermo Fisher Logo
Characterizing Immune Memory to COVID-19 Vaccination

Characterizing Immune Memory to COVID-19 Vaccination

10X Genomics
Optimize PCR assays with true linear temperature gradients

Applied Biosystems™ VeriFlex™ System: True Temperature Control for PCR Protocols

Thermo Fisher Logo

Products

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Biotium Launches New Phalloidin Conjugates with Extended F-actin Staining Stability for Greater Imaging Flexibility

Leica Microsystems Logo

Latest AI software simplifies image analysis and speeds up insights for scientists

BioSkryb Genomics Logo

BioSkryb Genomics and Tecan introduce a single-cell multiomics workflow for sequencing-ready libraries in under ten hours

iStock

Agilent BioTek Cytation C10 Confocal Imaging Reader

agilent technologies logo