Your susceptibility to colon cancer is controlled to a large degree by dietary choices. Colon cancer is considered a westernized disease — but what are westernized diseases, and what steps can be taken to minimize their morbidity and mortality impacts in both the Western and developing worlds?  There is convincing experimental and human study evidence that the Western diet, rich in red meat and animal fat, and deficient in fiber, drives many diseases, including various allergies, autoimmune disease, osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and cancers of the colon, breast, and prostate. Debaters discussed the link between diet and colon cancer during the debate of the paper written by Stephen J O’Keefe, Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   The paper, titled Diet and Colon Cancer Risk was part of an Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP) conference, convened in partnership with North Dakota State University, on Food Safety, Security, and Defense: Food Security and Diet-Linked Public Health Challenges on Sept. 20–23, 2015 in Fargo, North Dakota. For more podcasts, visit ISGP’s The Forum. You've heard about climate models, but how about disease models? Disease models are tools that can help predict – and therefore prevent – the spread of disease. The problem is that they don't always incorporate factors like Nash equilibria into their predictions. How can disease models be improved to increase their utility? Debaters discussed modeling of diseases and whether it is effective during the discussion of the paper written by Dr. David Fisman, Associate Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.  The paper, titled Bugs and Bucks: Infectious Disease Persistence is a Matter of Economics, was part of an Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP) conference on Emerging and Persistent Infectious Diseases: Focus on Prevention, convened June 5–8, 2011 in San Diego, California. For more podcasts, visit ISGP’s The Forum. Our world faces a challenge: we need more animal protein to feed humans...and to feed the animals that feed the humans. One strategy to achieve this goal involves using biotechnology to increase the protein content of major feed plants. Feed for animals is becoming an important area for research because as more highly populated nations become prosperous and developed, there is and will continue to be greater pressure to increase animal production Debaters sorted through the pros and cons of using biotechnology for feed plants during the discussion of the paper written by Dr. Eliot Herman, Professor, School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, titled The Challenge to Meet Global Need for Protein Sources for Animal. Dr. Herman's policy position paper was part of an Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP) conference on 21st Century Borders/Synthetic Biology: Focus on Responsibility and Governance convened December 4-7, 2012 in Tucson Arizona. For more podcasts, visit ISGP’s The Forum.   What will it take for genomic technologies to reach and help the people who need them most?  According to the World Health Organization, or the WHO, Africa is home to the highest recorded mortality rates for the top three infectious diseases in existence: malaria, tuberculosis (which is often referred to as TB), and HIV/AIDS. How can we best build bridges between non-African and African countries to ensure that genomic research benefits ALL people? Participants in Emerging and Persistent Infectious Diseases: Focus on the Societal and Economic Context debated Dr. Vanessa Hayes’s policy position paper titled, “Translating Technical Advances in Genomics to the Developing World: Addressing Cultural Needs as Part of Policy-Making.”  Hayes is a Professor of Genomic Medicine at the J. Craig Venter Institute in San Diego,  California, as well as an Honorary Professor of Medical Sciences at the University of Limpopo in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.  the conference was held at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia,  July 8-11 in 2012. For more podcasts, visit ISGP’s The Forum. Type-2 diabetes is a major health burden, and coordinated care for this disease and its co-morbidities is not well-established. What steps can be taken to improve health care surrounding this progressive disease? Debaters sorted through the challenges facing those with and fighting Type-2 diabetes while debating the paper, Asian Diabetes: Cause, Challenges, and Health Care Reform, by Dr. Devanjan Sikder at the Food Security and Diet-Linked Public Health Challenges conference convened by the Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP) in partnership with North Dakota State University September 20–23, 2015 in Fargo, North Dakota.   Sikder is President and Founder, Science, Entertainment, and Design (SED), Coppell, Texas, and Associate Professor, Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Florida College of Medicine. For more podcasts, visit ISGP’s The Forum.       The Colorado River Basin has made efforts in water management that could be applicable to other parts of the world facing a water-insecure future.   Debaters sorted through the challenges facing Tucson, Arizona, regarding the projected shortages of water looming while debating the paper, Water Resource Management Challenges in a Time of Changing Climate, by Dr. Sharon Megdal at the Living with Less Water conference convened by the Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP) Feb. 20–21, 2015 in Tucson.  Megdal is the Director of the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Arizona.   For more podcasts, visit ISGP’s The Forum.   You've heard of DNA, but what about XNA? XNA is a product of xenobiology, which is the development of new organisms using a genetic code that differs from the DNA/RNA/20 amino acid system that defines life on Earth. Organisms with an altered genetic code would not be able to trade genetic info with natural organisms, so xenobiology may facilitate the safe use of synthetic biology in the real world.<p></p> Debaters explore the possibilities of xenobiology during a discussion with Dr. Markus Schmidt, Founder of Biofaction KG, in Vienna, Austria, about his paper titled “Safeguarding the Genetic Firewall with Xenobiology.” This policy position paper was considered during the ISGP conference, 21st Century Borders/Synthetic Biology: Focus on Responsibility and Governance, convened December 4–7, 2012 in partnership with the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. For more podcasts, visit ISGP’s The Forum. Fermenting foods might be a culinary fad, but could it also be a key to food and nutritional security of the future? Lactic acid bacteria  are the most widely studied microorganisms for food biopreservation.  This bacteria play a particularly critical role in the preservation and microbial safety of fermentable foods. As world population increases, the use of improved lactic acid bacteria strains in industrial food fermentation is expected to have a large economic impact that attracts increasing commercial interest in preserving fresh vegetables, fruits, and a broad variety of food items for feeding populations, especially in developing countries. Debaters dive into the health and food safety benefits of fermentation in their discussion with Dr. Linda Duffy, Health Scientist Administrator and Program Director of the Mechanistic Branch, at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health of the National Institutes of Health.  Dr. Duffy's paper, Microbial Food Fermentation: Enhancing Nutritional Fitness, was cowritten by Dr. Van Hubbard, of the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Pamela Starke-Reed, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This policy position paper was considered during the ISGP conference, Food Security and Diet-Linked Public-Health Challenges, convened September 20-23, 2015 in Fargo, North Dakota. For more podcasts, visit ISGP's The Forum.   What are the biggest sources of food waste at different levels of the food system, and what can corporations do to prevent food losses?   It is estimated that by the year 2050, agricultural productivity will need to double to support a population projected to reach 9 billion.Although production shortfalls could be met by expanding croplands, that option comes with a high environmental cost to biodiversity and carbon emissions. Decreasing food waste and increasing food safety are critical actions to maximize availability of food within our existing system, while reducing the environmental impacts on the resources and infrastructure.   Debaters worked on sorting out some solutions during the discussion of the paper written by Rachel Goldstein, Global Sustainability Manager, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Mars, Inc., titled Value Chain Efficiency and Sustainable Production: The Role of Uncommon Collaboration.   Ms. Goldstein policy position paper was considered during the ISGP conference, Food Security: Production and Sustainability, convened April 24–25, 2015 at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.   For more podcasts, visit ISGP's The Forum. The problem with alternative sources of energy and water is that it is hard to overhaul a fully developed system.  Our infrastructure must be prepared to handle non-traditional sources of said energy and water. Debaters worked on sorting out some solutions during the discussion of the paper written by Dr. Neil Fromer, Executive Director of the Resnick Sustainability Institute at Caltech, titled “Balancing Efficient Use with Sustainable Generation.” Dr. Fromer's policy position paper was considered during the ISGP conference, Sustainability Challenges: Coping with Less Water and Energy convened June 5, 2015 in Pasadena California. For more podcasts, visit ISGP's The Forum.