Ultra-Low Gossypol Cottonseed Will Transform Cottonseed Utilization and ValueMany plants use chemical defense mechanisms to reduce or eliminate predation and the cotton plant is no exception. Gossypol, a naturally occurring noxious compound, found in pigment glands located throughout the cotton plant, is an effective insect deterrent and a cumulative toxin in animals. The elimination of gossypol allows cottonseed protein to beused much more efficiently by using it in food products for direct consumption by humans, rather than feeding it to inefficient cattle. The worldwide production of cottonseed protein is about 11 million tons. This is a massive amount of underutilized protein. Without gossypol, this is enough protein to satisfy the daily, basic protein needs (50 grams/person) of morethan 600 million people for one year. Cotton is uniquely suited to serve as a source of both food and fiber for an ever increasing world population.Modern plant biotechnology (RNAi and a seed specific promoter) has produced a genetically-enhanced cotton plant that has gossypol production silenced in the seed while retaining normal levels in all other plant tissues. This allows the plant to retain its natural defense mechanism against insects, but at the same time creates a seed that is safe for human and animal consumption. Deregulation by various agencies must happen before companiescan commercialize new plant traits that were created with transgenic technology. This is perceived to be a huge and complicated barrier to commercialization of biotechnology innovations. Navigating the regulatory process in the U.S. is not as onerous as its perception.Tom on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/T_Wedegaertner/contributions