Bioinformatics offers novel tools and resources to analyze plant genomes and genes. The complete genomes of two important commercial palms (dates and oil palm) have recently been sequenced. This offers scope for many computational tools to decipher the synteny, collinearity and common and unique genes of palms.

This book reviews the latest developments in this field.
Includes the latest information on the molecular breeding and bioinformatics of palmsCovers past and current work and future opportunitiesWritten in simple language avoiding technical jargon

Rapid changes and significant progress have been made in the Agrobacterium field, such as genetically transforming plants for both basic research purposes and agricultural development. In Agrobacterium Protocols, Third Edition, Volumes 1 and 2, a team of leading experts and veteran researchers describe in detail techniques for delivering DNA to plant cells and permanently altering their genomes. This edition emphasizes agricultural crops and plant species with economic values, with updated protocols on 32 plant species and protocols involving 19 new species. Together with the 1st and 2nd editions, these two volumes offer Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation protocols for a total of 76 plant species. For a number of important plants such as rice, barley, wheat and citrus, multiple protocols using different starting plant materials for transformation are included. Volume 2 contains 29 chapters with updated techniques for industrial plants, root plants, nuts and fruits, tropic plants, and other important plant species. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Agrobacterium Protocols, Third Edition facilitates the transfer of this rapidly developing technology to all researchers in both fundamental and applied biology.

Completing the primary genomic sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana was a major milestone, being the first plant genome and well established as the premiere model species in plant biology. Since working drafts of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genome became available (Yu et al. 2002), it has become the s- ond-best model organism in plants representing monocotyledons. Understanding how the genome sequence comprehensively encodes de- lopmental programs and environmental responses is the next major ch- lenge for all plant genome projects. This requires functional characterization of genes, including identification of regulatory sequences. Several functional genomics approaches were initiated to decode the linear sequence of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, including full-length cDNA collections, microarrays, natural variation, knockout collections, and comparative sequence analysis (Borevitz and Ecker 2004). Genomics provides the ess- tial tools to speed up the research work of the traditional molecular gene- cist, and is now a scientific discipline in its own right (Borevitz and Ecker 2004).

For several decades, Arabidopsis thaliana has been the organism of choice in the laboratories of many plant geneticists, physiologists, developmental biologists, and biochemists around the world. During this time, a huge amount of knowledge has been acquired on the biology of this plant species, which has resulted in the development of molecular tools that account for much more efficient research. The significance that Arabidopsis would attain in biological research may have been difficult to foresee in the 1980s, when its use in the laboratory started. In the meantime, it has become the model plant organism, much the same way as Drosophila, Caenorhabditis, or mouse have for animal systems. Today, it is difficult to envision research at the cutting edge of plant biology without the use of Arabidopsis. Since the first edition of Arabidopsis Protocols appeared, new developments have fostered an impressive advance in plant biology that prompted us to prepare Arabidopsis Protocols, Second Edition. Completion of the Arabidopsis genome sequence offered for the first time the opportunity to have in hand all of the genetic information required for studying plant function. In addition, the development of whole systems approaches that allow global analysis of gene expression and protein and metabolite dynamics has encouraged scientists to explore new scenarios that are extending the limits of our knowledge.

Given the universal interest in whether extraterrestrial life has developed or could eventually develop, it is vital that an examination of planetary habitability go beyond simple assumptions. This book has resulted from a workshop at the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) which brought together experts to discuss the multi-faceted problem of how the habitability of a planet co-evolves with the geology of the surface and interior, the atmosphere, and the magnetosphere.

This book presents the latest developments and recent research trends in the field of plankton, highlighting the potential ecological and biotechnological applications. It critically and comprehensively discusses strain selection, growth characteristics, large-scale culturing, and biomass harvesting, focusing on the screening and production of high-value products from algae, and evaluating carbon dioxide sequestration from fuel gas as a climate change mitigation strategy. The latter areas of research are clearly central to the sustainable development approach that is currently attracting global attention. Over the decades, much of the literature on has focused on the biological and ecological aspects of phytoplankton found in freshwater, marine and brackish water environments. However, these organisms are known to also inhabit various other environments. More recently, there has been a substantial shift toward the concept of sustainable development and the "green economy" with emphasis on exploiting biological systems for the benefit of mankind. The significance of these plankton cannot be underestimated as they contribute approximately 40% of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Therefore, there is potential for exploitation of this invaluable biomass source that could lead to significant environmental and economic benefits for man. Providing a comprehensive outline of the most recent developments and advances in the field of industrial applications of these plankton, this book is an excellent reference resource for researchers and practitioners.

Wild plants are not only beautiful, but they can also be an affordable and sustainable way to add flavor and nutrition to your diet. Edible Wild Plants for Beginners provides you with the essential information and guidance to begin foraging for edible wild plants and including them in your diet. Edible Wild Plants for Beginners provides profiles of common edible wild plants and includes information on dangerous look-alikes, the best time to harvest, where to find each type of wild plant, and how to cultivate your own garden. From natural remedies to delectable dishes and exotic cocktails, Edible Wild Plants for Beginners provides more than 95 ways for you to use these newfound ingredients. Edible Wild Plants for Beginners will help you explore the world of edible wild plants and teach you how to use them in your home and kitchen, with: More than 95 easy-to-follow edible wild plants recipes and remedies, including Amaranth Vegetable Curry, Pickled Jerusalem Artichokes, Chamomile Cookies, and a Purslane Martini Tips for foraging, harvesting, and cultivating edible wild plants Techniques for serving, preserving, and cooking with edible wild plants 31 edible wild plant profiles, including descriptions, distinguishing features, preparation and collection tips, and common uses 10 simple steps to making tinctures A guide to identifying edible wild plants and avoiding common poisonous plants With Edible Wild Plants for Beginners, you'll be able to start living sustainably, saving money, and adding variety to your diet the way nature intended.

This volume examines the molecular basis of all aspects of cell division and cytokinesis in plants. It features 19 chapters contributed by world experts in the specific research fields, providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge on cell division control in plants. The editors are veterans in the field of plant molecular biology and highly respected worldwide.

With an ever-increasing human population, the demand placed upon the agriculture sector to supply more food is one of the greatest challenges for the agrarian community. In order to meet this challenge, environmentally unfriendly agroch- icals have played a key role in the green revolution and are even today commonly recommended to circumvent nutrient de?ciencies of the soils. The use of ag- chemicals is, though, a major factor for improvement of plant production; it causes a profound deteriorating effect on soil health (soil fertility) and in turn negatively affects the productivity and sustainability of crops. Concern over disturbance to the microbial diversity and consequently soil fertility (as these microbes are involved in biogeochemical processes), as well as economic constraints, have prompted fun- mental and applied research to look for new agro-biotechnologies that can ensure competitive yields by providing suf?ciently not only essential nutrients to the plants but also help to protect the health of soils by mitigating the toxic effects of certain pollutants. In this regard, the role of naturally abundant yet functionally fully unexplored microorganisms such as biofertilizers assume a special signi?cance in the context of supplementing plant nutrients, cost and environmental impact under both conventional practices and derelict environments. Therefore, current devel- ments in sustainability involve a rational exploitation of soil microbial communities and the use of inexpensive, though less bio-available, sources of plant nutrients, which may be made available to plants by microbially-mediated processes.

This is the second volume since the reintroduction of the Recent Advances in Phytochemistry (RAP) series, an annual journal supported by the Phytochemical Society of North America. Topics appropriate for RAP include the biosynthesis of natural products and regulation of metabolism, the ecology of specialized metabolites and the evolution of their pathways, and the effects of natural products or plants on human health. Research appropriate for RAP involves genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, natural product structural determination and new technology development, medicinal chemistry and metabolic engineering, or any of the myriad of fields that are now closely associated with what may be called "traditional phytochemistry" and plant biochemistry. The advent of post-genomics-based ways of thinking, of systems biology, of synthetic biology, of comparative genomics/ proteomics/ transcriptomics/ metabolomics and especially of the introduction and establishment of a mentality that leads to support of large collaborative projects, has opened up many new doors to scientists interested and versed in the (bio)chemistry of plants. The goal of RAP is to highlight these developments. Two main types of articles are printed in RAP: Perspectives and Communications. Perspectives in RAP are expected to synthesize results from the primary literature and perhaps from new/novel results and place these in perspective relative to the broader field. These articles may be similar to review articles, but also are intended to present important ideas and hypotheses, and may present proposals for interesting directions in the field. It is the hope of the Editorial Board that these articles will be of great value to a large audience. Communications are intended to represent new advances in the field that will be of interest to a large audience. Articles of both types are typically solicited from the Society membership based on the content of the annual meeting talks, but in keeping with the title "Recent Advances in Phytochemistry" the editorial board reserves the right to solicit additional Perspectives and/or Communications from non-attendees as well (e.g., where an editorial board member has knowledge of an interesting recent advancement that would be of general interest to the society membership). All submissions to RAP go through a rigorous peer review process, overseen by the Editorial Board, which includes external review. RAP is indexed with Springer published journals. All RAP papers are available not only in the published volume form, but also electronically through Springer's online literature services. This marks a significant change from past volumes of RAP and it is the hope of the Editorial Board that this will lead to broader dissemination of the contents of and greater interest in RAP. This 42nd volume of RAP includes a total of seven articles, many, but not all, based on talks presented at the 50th annual meeting of the PSNA. As was seen in RAP volume 41, These seven Perspectives give a very good picture of the breadth of plant (bio)chemistry research in North America, which is also indicative of the state of the field worldwide. Each of these articles describes the integration of several different approaches to ask and then answer interesting questions regarding the function of interesting plant metabolites, either in the plant itself or in interactions with the environment (natural setting or human health application). Many of these Perspectives have a strong ecological focus. McCormick et al. review the discovery of the biosynthetic pathway leading to production of trichothecene mycotoxins such as the T-2 toxin in plant pathogenic and other fungi. These compounds play very important roles in plant-pathogen interaction, and are very significant from a human health perspective. In a complementary paper, Duringer et al. describe recent technological advances in monitoring mycotoxins such as ergovaline and lysergic acid in forage crops, using state of the art and highly sensitive mass spectrometric means. Gross reviews the current understanding of how infochemicals mediate interactions between plants and insects, and highlights how such knowledge can be used to mitigate crop losses by pests. Two Perspectives discuss how recent technological advances are making an impact on our understanding of the role of plant hormones in plant growth and development. Gouthu et al. outline highly sensitive methods for measurement of plant hormones in tissues such as developing grape berry. In contrast, McDowell and Gang outline how new transcriptional profiling techniques are shedding light on old questions, such as how rhizome development is regulated by different plant growth regulators. The last two Perspectives outline the role of biotechnology in modern plant biochemistry research. Makhzoum et al. review the long history of use of hairy roots and provide perspective on future utility of this tissue type in continuing to uncover mechanisms of plant natural product biosynthesis, among other apolications. Dalton et al. outline, on the other hand, recent efforts to produce non-native polymers of human interest in plants and outline many of the challenges associated with such investigations. We hope that you will find these Perspectives to be interesting, informative, and timely. It is our goal that RAP will act not only as the voice of the PSNA, but that it will serve as an authoritative, up-to-date resource that helps to set the gold standard for thought and research in fields related to plant biochemistry.

This book shares the latest insights into the genetic basis of molecular communication between plants and their microbial consortia. Further, the book highlights the capabilities of the rhizosphere and endosphere, which help manage ecosystem responses to climate change, nutrient cycling and sequestration of carbon; and discusses their application to the development and management of renewable energy sources. In their natural environments, plants are surrounded by a tremendous number of microorganisms. Some microbes directly interact with plants in a mutually beneficial fashion, while others colonize plants solely for their own advantage. In addition, microbes can indirectly affect plants by drastically altering their environments. Understanding the complex nature of the plant-microbe interface (PMI) can pave the way for novel strategies to improve plant productivity in an eco-friendly manner. The PMI approach focuses on understanding the physical, molecular, and chemical interactions between organisms in order to determine their functional roles in biological, physical, chemical and environmental systems. Although several metabolites from plants and microbes have now been fully characterized, their roles in chemical interactions between these associates remain poorly understood, and require further investigation.

This book places grapes in the context of their family, the Vitaceae. It begins by focusing on the relationship of the family to other angiosperms and the interrelationships and characteristics of its genera. Two chapters emphasize the structure and development of its major vegetative and reproductive characteristics. Keys and illustrated descriptions for 19 North American species including 10 Vitis are provided. The three chapters on Vitis begin with a brief history of grape growing, with emphasis on North America. There is an illustrated life history of grape, following the two-year cycle from bud initiation to fruit maturity. The final chapter discusses the history of grapevine identification in North America, concluding with descriptions and illustrations of 30 important North American cold climate cultivars. The book is a general resource for understanding the growth, development, life history, and identification of grapes and the Vitaceae.

Detailed information dealing with the ecology of mycobacteria is derived from a variety of different scientific fields such as botany, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology and epidemiology. This text attempts to evaluate this information from an ecological point of view and to develop a strategy for the prevention of tuberculosis and other mycobacterioses based on the ecological behaviour of mycobacteria, especially the potentially pathogenic species capable of either growth in the environment or provoking disease. Regarding the interests of the developing countries, special attention is paid to the ecology of Mycobacterium leprae and to the supporting effect of accompanying mycobacteria in its pathogenicity. On a more positive side, environmental mycobacteria play an important role in the ecology of moorland dragonflies.

This volume provides readers with a comprehensive review of various gene silencing methodologies and its applications. It provides a historical overview of gene silencing mechanisms in plants, vectors, and strategies available for plant gene silencing, practical applications of gene silencing, bioinformatics tools, and other resources. In addition to these review chapters, this book includes methodology for virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in various different plant species, understanding plant stress responses using VIGS, miRNA identification, DNA interference, host-induced gene silencing, use of artificial miRNAs for gene silencing, high throughput RNAi, and more. Written in the highly successful Methods of Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Thorough and practical, Plant Gene Silencing: Methods and Protocols seeks to aid scientists to further understand functional relevance of target genes using gene silencing methods and use these technologies in commercial plant varieties.

The mosses (Bryophatea, Musci) are a diverse and widely distributed group of land plants. Mosses are attractive experimental plants because they exhibit the traditional attributes of good model systems (Le. ease of growth & maintenance, fast generation time, and amenable genetics) with the added advantage of a haploid gametophyte that allowed developmental mutants to be recovered with relative ease. In addition, mosses with the ability to tolerate extreme environmental conditions offer realistic models for the analysis of environmental stress-tolerance; particularly when compared to tracheophytes such as Arabidopsis thaliana in which these important plant phenotypes are either not clearly expressed or entirely lacking. And, in one of the most exciting developments in Plant Biology, efficient homologous recombination occurs in the moss Physcomitrella patens. The ability to perform efficient homologous recombination (Le. gene knock-outs) in P. patens is at present unique amongst all plants and represents an extremely powerful technique for the functional analysis of many plant genes. Over the past 5 years, a world-wide community of moss researchers has evolved. A highly successful "Moss" conference has been held annually (l998-Mumbai, India; 1999-Carbondale, IL, USA; 2000-Villars, Switzerland; 200l-0kazaki, Japan; 2002-Ambleside, UK; 2003-St. Louis, MO, USA) with "Moss 2004" planned to be held in Frieburg Germany. These conferences have been instrumental in the creation & development of strong collaborative ties, and the free exchange of both ideas and materials.

This book discusses innovative methods for mining information from images of plants, especially leaves, and highlights the diagnostic features that can be implemented in fully automatic systems for identifying plant species. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, it explores the problem of plant species identification, covering both the concepts of taxonomy and morphology. It then provides an overview of morphometrics, including the historical background and the main steps in the morphometric analysis of leaves together with a number of applications. The core of the book focuses on novel diagnostic methods for plant species identification developed from a computer scientist's perspective. It then concludes with a chapter on the characterization of botanists' visions, which highlights important cognitive aspects that can be implemented in a computer system to more accurately replicate the human expert's fixation process. The book not only represents an authoritative guide to advanced computational tools for plant identification, but provides experts in botany, computer science and pattern recognition with new ideas and challenges. As such it is expected to foster both closer collaborations and further technological developments in the emerging field of automatic plant identification.