UPDATE: Celebrity Chef Prepares Biotech Menu For BIO 2004 Media Brunch

As part of the "Biotech Solutions for Obesity" media brunch, acclaimed Chef Robert Del Grande has created a special menu to highlight how biotech foods of today and in the future can aid in fighting the obesity crisis. Mr. Del Grande's Houston restaurant, Café Annie, was voted Best Restaurant of 2001 in a Food & Wine magazine poll and is listed among Gourmet magazine's top 50. BIO invites reporters to enjoy a delicious and healthful meal, then hear from our expert panel the latest in research for new drugs, treatments and foods to fight the growing obesity epidemic.

Who:	David A. Kessler, M.D. Dr. Kessler is the dean and vice chancellor for medical affairs at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine and an outspoken advocate on the need for action on obesity. Before joining UCSF, Dr. Kessler was the dean of the Yale University School of Medicine and served as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Michael W. Schwartz, M.D. Dr. Schwartz is a professor of medicine in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition at the University of Washington. Dr. Schwartz is a leading researcher into the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes, including the regulatory effects of leptin and insulin on brain systems controlling body weight. Robert Fraley, Ph.D. Dr. Fraley is executive vice president and chief technology officer for St. Louis-based Monsanto Co. He oversees Monsanto's integrated crop and seed agribusiness technology and research. Monsanto researchers are applying conventional breeding and biotechnology techniques to develop soybeans that will produce oil containing less trans- and saturated fats, identified as leading contributors to cardiovascular disease. David Dzisiak Mr. Dzisiak is the Global Business Leader for Oils and Oilseeds with Dow AgroSciences, responsible for the company's canola, sunflower and soybean portfolios. Dow AgroSciences has developed canola and high-oleic sunflower oils that are at least as stable as the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils used by food processors, have virtually no trans-fats, and are low in saturated fat compared to other vegetable oils. Robert Del Grande, Ph. D. Mr. Del Grande is executive chef and partner of Cafe Annie in Houston, Texas. He received a B. S. in Chemistry and Biology from the University of San Francisco and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California at Riverside. Chef Del Grande will be preparing the brunch fare, incorporating into each recipe ingredients that have been improved by biotech or for which improved varieties are in development, from the cool cantaloupe thirst-quencher to the delectable caramelized banana cobbler. The panel will be moderated by award-winning journalist George Strait, former ABC News science editor, currently assistant vice chancellor for public affairs at the University of California, Berkeley.
Date:	Sunday, June 6, 2004
Time:	11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Location:	Esplanade Ballroom, South Building Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco

Due to limited seating, please RSVP to Lisa Dry, BIO, by May 28.

Four ingredients - cantaloupe, lime, water and sugar - with a raspberry garnish make the agua de melon easy to prepare and even easier on the eyes. More robust than juice but lighter than a smoothie, this fruity refreshment tickles your tongue, nourishes your body and refreshes your spirits.

Featured ingredients:

• Cantaloupe: Biotech varieties have been developed to resist damaging viruses and to delay ripening in order to reduce spoilage during shipping and extend shelf life.
• Raspberries: In development are biotech varieties of raspberries resistant to a damaging virus that destroys 10 million pounds of raspberries each year.

Serrano chiles kick up the spice in this zucchini-based salad. Poached shrimp proves to be a tasty partner to an unconventional pumpkin seed dressing.

Featured ingredients:

• Zucchini: Varieties of biotech squash and zucchini, resistant to plant diseases which cause tremendous damage to these delicate vegetable crops, are available.
• Onion: Researchers in Japan have identified the enzyme in onions that sparks tears and are working to provide tear-free onions while maintaining a lot of flavor.

Individual aspects of this dish come together beautifully and deliciously on the dinner plate. Chicken breasts topped with papaya-avocado relish and corn pudding sit atop an appealing red chile sauce.

Featured ingredients:

• Soybean oil: Soybeans that produce more healthful, stable oils are in development. New oils would not require hydrogenation, eliminating the production of trans-fatty acids associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. It's hoped that other research would result in soybeans high in heart-healthy oleic acid. Already available are soybeans that allow farmers to do less plowing, which reduces soil erosion and fuel use and preserves more wildlife habitat.
• Tomato: Field tests are underway on a new cancer-fighting tomato containing 3.5 times the amount of the antioxidant lycopene than conventional varieties. Other biotech varieties have built-in insect resistance and delayed-ripening traits.
• Corn: Several varieties of biotech corn are grown in the United States. Some varieties are tolerant of specific herbicides, which allow farmers to plow less. Others resist damaging insects, which can increase yields and lower production costs. New research underway also would enhance corn and other crops and vegetables with higher levels of vitamin E, as well as other vitamins and minerals.
• Papaya: A biotech variety of papaya currently on the market protects itself against a plant disease that threatened to wipe out the Hawaiian papaya industry in the 1990s.

This homemade comfort food uses sweet biscuits and caramel to bring out the wonderful flavor and versatility of bananas. Topped with pecans and a dusting of powdered sugar, this is the perfect finish to any meal.

Featured ingredient:

• Bananas: A staple food in many developing countries, the banana currently is at risk due to devastating diseases that have dropped yields as much as 50 to 75 percent in recent years. Biotech varieties with resistance to the most damaging disease, black sigatoka, currently are being tested.