This is a probing analysis of the origins, transformations, and prospects of the Western mentality behind genetic engineering and similar strategies for manipulating the basic elements of life. It is the first media ecology critique of the 'control paradigm' now dominant in developed societies, and a clarion call for cross-cultural dialogue. Beyond demonstrating in damning detail who the side-effects of new technologies usually turn out to be their main effects, the book also highlights alternative perspectives from other cultures and urges renewed attention to the inexhaustible resourcefulness of life itself.

Genomics, the mapping of the entire genetic complement of an organism, is the new frontier in biology. This handbook on the statistical issues of genomics covers current methods and the tried-and-true classical approaches.

The author of the international bestseller The Sixth Extinction returns to humanity's transformative impact on the environment, now asking: after doing so much damage, can we change nature, this time to save it? CHOSEN BY BILL GATES AND BARACK OBAMA AS A SUMMER READ Meet the biologists trying to save the world's rarest fish; the engineers who are turning carbon emissions to stone; the researchers trying to develop a 'super coral'; and the physicists contemplating shooting tiny diamonds into the stratosphere to cool the earth. Elizabeth Kolbert is one of the most important writers on the environment. Here she investigates the immense challenges humanity faces as we scramble to reverse, in a matter of decades, the effects we've had on the natural world and asks - can we save the natural world in time?

**CHOSEN BY BILL GATES AND BARACK OBAMA AS A SUMMER 2021 READ** 'Important, necessary, urgent and phenomenally interesting' HELEN MACDONALD, New York Times The author of the international bestseller The Sixth Extinction returns to humanity's transformative impact on the environment, asking: can we save nature in time? Elizabeth Kolbert has become one of the most important writers on the environment. Now she investigates the immense challenges humanity faces as we scramble to reverse, in a matter of decades, the effects we've had on the atmosphere, the oceans, the world's forests and rivers - on the very topography of the globe. In Under a White Sky, she takes a hard look at the new world we are creating. Along the way, she meets biologists who are trying to preserve the world's rarest fish; engineers who are turning carbon emissions to stone in Iceland; Australian researchers who are trying to develop a 'super coral' that can survive on a hotter globe; and physicists who are contemplating shooting tiny diamonds into the stratosphere to cool the earth, changing the sky from blue to white. One way to look at human civilisation, says Kolbert, is as a ten-thousand-year exercise in defying nature. By turns inspiring, terrifying and darkly comic, Under a White Sky is an utterly original examination of the challenges we face. **A SUNDAY TIMES 'BOOK OF 2021'**

The book focuses on novel particulate technologies for the purpose of drug delivery to humans. Nowadays, macro and nano-scale particles are being investigated for targeted delivery of small and large biological macromolecules. The targeting of drugs can minimize the dosage regimen and reduces dose related potential toxicity of drug molecules, which in turn lead to increased potential compliance. Various types of organic, inorganic and polymer particles are currently being investigated. These are attracting the attention of the research workers in the field of drug delivery science and technology. This book covers polymersomes, inorganic- organic composites, gold nanoparticles biopolymer and synthetic polymer particles etc.All aspects of drug delivery in relation to each technology have been described including these advances, Easy to read and understand the content of each chapter Rich in up-to-date information regarding their application.

The field of antibody engineering has become a vital and integral part of making new, improved next generation therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, of which there are currently more than 300 in clinical trials across several therapeutic areas. Therapeutic antibody engineering examines all aspects of engineering monoclonal antibodies and analyses the effect that various genetic engineering approaches will have on future candidates. Chapters in the first part of the book provide an introduction to monoclonal antibodies, their discovery and development and the fundamental technologies used in their production. Following chapters cover a number of specific issues relating to different aspects of antibody engineering, including variable chain engineering, targets and mechanisms of action, classes of antibody and the use of antibody fragments, among many other topics. The last part of the book examines development issues, the interaction of human IgGs with non-human systems, and cell line development, before a conclusion looking at future issues affecting the field of therapeutic antibody engineering.
Goes beyond the standard engineering issues covered by most books and delves into structure-function relationshipsIntegration of knowledge across all areas of antibody engineering, development, and marketingDiscusses how current and future genetic engineering of cell lines will pave the way for much higher productivity

Regenerative medicine is the main field of groundbreaking medical development and therapy using knowledge from developmental and stem cell biology as well as advanced molecular and cellular techniques. This collection of volumes on Regenerative Medicine: From Protocol to Patient, aims to explain the scientific knowledge and emerging technology as well as the clinical application in different organ systems and diseases. International leading experts from all over the world describe the latest scientific and clinical knowledge of the field of regenerative medicine. The process of translating science of laboratory protocols into therapies is explained in sections on regulatory, ethical and industrial issues. This collection is organized into five volumes: (1) Biology of Tissue Regeneration, (2) Stem Cell Science and Technology, (3) Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials and Nanotechnology, (4) Regenerative Therapies I, and (5) Regenerative Therapies II. The textbook gives the student, the researcher, the health care professional, the physician and the patient a complete survey on the current scientific basis, therapeutical protocols, clinical translation and practiced therapies in regenerative medicine. Volume 4 first gives a survey on the historical background of science and development of regenerative therapies. Ethical, preclinical and regulatory issues for the introduction of new regenerative therapies are depicted as the current background for clinical translation. The clinical chapters describe the state of development for medical science, technology application, and clinical translation for the nervous system, head, and respiratory system.

From breakfast toast to evening wine, yeast is the microscopic thing that we cannot live without. We knew what yeast did as an invisible brewer and baker long before we had a clue about the existence of microorganisms. Ten thousand years ago, our ancestors abandoned bush meat and wild fruit in favor of farming animals and cultivating grain. Leaving the forests and grasslands, our desire for beer and wine produced by the fungus was a major stimulus for agricultural settlement. It takes a village to run a brewery or tend a vineyard. We domesticated wild yeast and yeast domesticated us. With the inevitable escape of the fungus from beer vats into bread dough, our marriage with yeast was secured by an appetite for fresh loaves of leavened bread. Over the millennia, we have adapted the technologies of brewing, winemaking, and baking and have come to rely on yeast more and more. Yeast produces corn ethanol and other biofuels and has become the genetically-modified darling of the pharmaceutical business as a source of human insulin and a range of life-saving medicines. These practical uses of yeast have been made possible by advances in our understanding of its biology, and the power of genetic engineering has been used to modify the fungus to do just about anything we wish. We know more about yeast than any other organism built from complex cells like our own. To understand yeast is to understand life. In this book Nicholas P. Money offers a celebration of our favorite microorganism.

Regenerative medicine is the main field of groundbreaking medical development and therapy using knowledge from developmental and stem cell biology as well as advanced molecular and cellular techniques. This collection of volumes on Regenerative Medicine: From Protocol to Patient, aims to explain the scientific knowledge and emerging technology as well as the clinical application in different organ systems and diseases. International leading experts from all over the world describe the latest scientific and clinical knowledge of the field of regenerative medicine. The process of translating science of laboratory protocols into therapies is explained in sections on regulatory, ethical and industrial issues. This collection is organized into five volumes: (1) Biology of Tissue Regeneration, (2) Stem Cell Science and Technology, (3) Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials and Nanotechnology, (4) Regenerative Therapies I, and (5) Regenerative Therapies II. The textbook gives the student, the researcher, the health care professional, the physician and the patient a complete survey on the current scientific basis, therapeutical protocols, clinical translation and practiced therapies in regenerative medicine. Volume 5 contains clinical science and translation surveys on the circulatory system, visceral, musculoskeletal and skin. The state-of-the-art descriptions involve concepts for clinical diagnosis, stem cell and gene therapy, biomaterials for tissue replacement and pharmacological/biomolecule treatment strategies.

Epigenetics and Systems Biology highlights the need for collaboration between experiments and theoretical modeling that is required for successful application of systems biology in epigenetics studies. This book breaks down the obstacles which exist between systems biology and epigenetics researchers due to information barriers and segmented research, giving real-life examples of successful combinations of systems biology and epigenetics experiments. Each section covers one type of modeling and one set of epigenetic questions on which said models have been successfully applied. In addition, the book highlights how modeling and systems biology relate to studies of RNA, DNA, and genome instability, mechanisms of DNA damage signaling and repair, and the effect of the environment on genome stability.

This book presents a detailed overview and critical evaluation of the state of the art and latest approaches in genetic manipulation studies on plants to mitigate the impact of climate change on growth and productivity. Each chapter has been written by experts in plant-stress biology and highlights the involvement of a variety of genes/pathways and their regulation in abiotic stress, recent advances in molecular breeding (identification of tightly liked markers, QTLs/genes), transgenesis (introduction of exogenous genes or changing the expression of endogenous stress- responsive genes) and genomics approaches that have made it easier to identify and isolate several key genes involved in abiotic stress such as drought, water lodging/flooding, extreme temperatures, salinity and heavy-metal toxicity. Food and nutritional security has emerged as a major global challenge due to expanding populations, and cultivated areas becoming less productive as a result of extreme climatic changes adversely affecting the quantity and quality of plants. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop crop varieties resilient to abiotic stress to ensure food security and combat increased input costs, low yields and the marginalization of land. The role of GM crops in poverty alleviation, nutrition and health in developing countries and their feasibility in times of climate change are also discussed. Recent advances in gene technologies have shown t he potential for faster, more targeted crop improvements by transferring genes across the sexual barriers. The book is a valuable resource for scientists, researchers, students, planners and industrialists working in the area of biotechnology, plant agriculture, agronomy, horticulture, plant physiology, molecular biology, plant sciences and environmental sciences.

** NEW YORK TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER ** The Gene is the story of one of the most powerful and dangerous ideas in our history from the author of The Emperor of All Maladies. The story begins in an Augustinian abbey in 1856, and takes the reader from Darwin's groundbreaking theory of evolution, to the horrors of Nazi eugenics, to present day and beyond - as we learn to "read" and "write" the human genome that unleashes the potential to change the fates and identities of our children. Majestic in its scope and ambition, The Gene provides us with a definitive account of the epic history of the quest to decipher the master-code that makes and defines humans - and paints a fascinating vision of both humanity's past and future. For fans of Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking and Being Mortal by Atul Gwande. 'Siddhartha Mukherjee is the perfect person to guide us through the past, present, and future of genome science' Bill Gates 'A thrilling and comprehensive account of what seems certain to be the most radical, controversial and, to borrow from the subtitle, intimate science of our time...Read this book and steel yourself for what comes next' Sunday Times

While there has been great progress in the development of plant breeding over the last decade, the selection of suitable plants for human consumption began over 13,000 years ago. Since the Neolithic era, the cultivation of plants has progressed in Asia Minor, Asia, Europe, and ancient America, each specific to the locally wild plants as well as the ecological and social conditions. A handy reference for knowing our past, understanding the present, and creating the future, this book provides a comprehensive treatment of the development of crop improvement methods over the centuries. It features an extensive historical treatment of development, including influential individuals in the field, plant cultivation in various regions, techniques used in the Old World, and cropping in ancient America. The advances of scientific plant breeding in the twentieth century is extensively explored, including efficient selection methods, hybrid breeding, induced polyploidy, mutation research, biotechnology, and genetic manipulation. Finally, this book presents information on approaches to the sustainability of breeding and to cope with climatic changes as well as the growing world population.

With innovations in sports equipment, doping methods and human engineering on the horizon, the ethical issues raised by such technology have become noticeably acute. The problematization of technology in sport has gone largely unnoticed in historical, philosophical and policy studies of sport, but this study traces the origins, present contexts and future of sport technology. This volume speaks to a multi-disciplinary audience, developing theory of technology and sport. It provides a foundation for theorising technological issues in sport, building upon themes in cultural studies of the cyborg, otherness and gender. The book begins with an initial contextualising of sport technology, tracing the historical roots of key moments of technological development. Subsequently, chapters work towards theorising technology in sport, providing a socio-philosophical context to ways of understanding technology. From here, applied philosophical and ethical issues focus on the themes of fearing the other, virtual reality in sport, and the use of genetic technology to augment athletic performances. Perspectives draw upon a range of theory, including the works of Alasdair MacIntyre, Jacques Ellul, Don Ihde, Donna Haraway, Andrew Feenberg, Charles Taylor, Langdon Winner, Hilary Putnam, Richard Rorty, John Rawls and Michel Foucault. This book should be relevant to scholars of sport or technology from a diverse range of perspectives. Framed by the broad disciplines of history, philosophy and policy, the issues discussed can have importance for subjects as diverse as theoretical medicine, philosophy of sport and policy studies in technology. For the latter, the aim is to provide a theoretical and ethical grounding for a coherent theory of sport performance.

'A masterpiece of poignant brilliance . . . heartbreaking' Guardian Charlie Gordon, a floor sweeper born with an unusually low IQ, has been chosen as the perfect subject for an experimental surgery that doctors hope will increase his intelligence - a procedure that has been highly successful when tested on a lab mouse named Algernon. All Charlie wants is to be smart and have friends, but the treatement turns him into a genius. Then Algernon begins to fade. What will become of Charlie?

Medicinal Plants, Volume 6 of the Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement series summarizes landmark research and describes medicinal plants as nature's pharmacy. Highlights Examines the use of molecular technology for maintaining authenticity and quality of plant-based products Details reports on individual medicinal plants including their history, origin, genetic resources, cytogenetics, and varietal improvement through conventional and modern methods, and their use in pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, nutrition, and food industries Explains how to protect plants with medicinal properties from deforestation, urbanization, overgrazing, pollution, overharvesting, and biopiracy Brings together information on germplasm resources of medicinal plants, their history, taxonomy and biogeography, ecology and biodiversity, genetics and breeding, exploitation, and utilization in the medicine and food industries Written by leading international experts and an innovative panel of scientists, Medicinal Plants offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on medicinal plant genetic resources and their increasing importance in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries, medicine, and nutrition around the world. Includes eight-page color insert more than 25 full color figures.

Cosmic Genetic Evolution, Volume 106 in the Advances in Genetics series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on Panspermia, Cometary Panspermia and Origin of Life, The Efficient Lamarckian Spread of Life in the Cosmos, The Sociology of Science and Generality of the DNA/RNA/Protein Paradigm Throughout the Cosmos, The Mutagenic Source and Power of Our Own Evolution, Origin of New Emergent Coronavirus and Candida Fungal Diseases - Terrestrial or Cosmic?, and Future Prospects for Investigation -The Near-Earth Neighborhood and Beyond.

Biogenetic resources - the critical biological and chemical materials that underpin so much of medicine, both modern and traditional, agriculture, and wider economic activity in so many fields - are at the centre of heated debate regarding their use, development, and ownership, and the issues of ethics and equity that impinge on all of these factors. This book is a comprehensive examination of the key issues, institutions and ideologies in this area, presenting definitions and explanations of the fundamentals of intellectual property rights (IPRs), biogenetic resources and traditional knowledge. It uses the insights from this to build a picture of how these factors interact in practice, bringing to the surface issues such as: the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, benefit sharing from the commercial use of biodiversity, biotechnological innovation and the transfer of technology, agriculture, food security, rural development, health and international justice. Part 1 describes the relevant international IPR laws, highlights the extent to which modern commerce depends on such resources, and traces the way in which modern IPR law has evolved to accommodate this dependence. Part 2 shows how stronger IPR protection in the area of life science innovation has given rise to controversies such as 'biopiracy', 'terminator' genes and genetic uniformity. Part 3 focuses on traditional knowledge, its nature, its importance, and the applicability of IPR-style protection. Part 4 covers the international negotiation and policy-making of the WTO, WIPO and CBD and the legislative initiatives of national governments of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Finally, Part 5 focuses on two developing country case studies - of India and Kenya - assessing whether they will be able to gain economic benefit from development of their natural resources within the current regulatory system and whether this will encourage the conservation and sustainable use of the resource base. With its multidisciplinary approach and breadth of coverage, this book will appeal both to those new to the subject and to those with professional and specialist interest, including students, academics, legal practitioners, government policy-makers and the private sector.

Maximizing the potential of RNA interference in functional genomics - as well as in the development of therapeutics - continues to be at the forefront of biomedical research. Unlike journal articles, Gene Silencing by RNA Interference: Technology and Application combines essential background to the RNAi field with practical techniques designed by renowned researchers to provide the most diverse and in-depth examination of the subject yet. This book describes methods and protocols for gene silencing and RNA interference. Each chapter provides necessary background to the subject and then gives detailed methods in easy-to-follow steps, along with troubleshooting hints and tips. Following a general and historical introduction, chapters two through eight focus on technical details of the various methods of siRNA design, chemical and enzymatic production, plasmid- and virus-mediated intracellular expression, and other RNAi tools. Chapter nine discusses the exogenous delivery of siRNAs into cells, and the final chapters of the book detail the application of RNAi to dissect gene function in a number of biological systems, including cell-free systems, cultured cells, and whole organisms. From the design and production of RNAi tools to their applications, Gene Silencing by RNA Interference: Technology and Application is the first to present the entire spectrum of activity, design, production, and delivery of RNAi reagents, providing a welcome guide for both academic and commercial use.

With contributions from nearly 130 internationally renowned experts in the field, this reference details advances in transgenic plant construction and explores the social, political, and legal aspects of genetic plant manipulation. It provides analyzes of the history, genetics, physiology, and cultivation of over 30 species of transgenic seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Stressing the impact of genetic engineering strategies on the nutritional and functional benefit of foods as well as on consumer health and the global market economy, the book covers methods of gene marking, transferring, and tagging public perceptions to the selective breeding, hybridization, and recombinant DNA manipulation of food.

Brings together in a single volume many cellular systems, allowing for better comparison of research results and helping to establish global strategies and standards. This unique reference/text presents the basic theory and practical applications of metabolic engineering (ME)-offering systematic analysis of complex metabolic pathways and ways of employing recombinant DNA techniques to alter cell behavior, metabolic patterns, and product formation. Covering ME as a distinct subfield of genetic engineering, Metabolic Engineering demonstrates new means of enabling cells to produce valuable proteins, polypeptides, and primary and secondary metabolites. Proposes a new paradigm for the directed modification of cellular metabolism and properties Written by more than 35 leading international experts in this field, Metabolic Engineering discusses metabolic engineering in plant and mammalian cells, bacteria, and yeasts illuminates the potential of the "cell factory" model for production of chemicals and therapeutics showcases methods of toxic waste management examines techniques for developing new antiviral and antibacterial molecules and effective gene and somatic-cell therapies investigates engineering strategies for increased production of bulk or specialty chemicals, including alcohols, organic and amino acids, aromatic compounds, antibiotics, novel polyketide metabolites, biopolymers, and plant secondary metabolites addresses uses of metabolic flux analysis, metabolic control analysis, and online metabolic flux analysis illustrates navigation of metabolic pathways in mammalian cell systems and new approaches to the degradation of xenobiotics assesses metabolic engineering applications in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and environmental systems and more Containing over 1000 references, tables, equations, and drawings, Metabolic Engineering serves as an indispensable reference for bioprocess technologists, metabolic and chemical engineers, bi

Recent decades have seen tremendous changes in Latin America's agricultural sector, resulting from a broad program of liberalization instigated under pressure from the United States, the IMF, and the World Bank. Tariffs have been lifted, agricultural markets have been opened and privatized, land reform policies have been restricted or eliminated, and the perspective has shifted radically toward exportation rather than toward the goal of feeding local citizens. Examining the impact of these transformations, the contributors to Food for the Few: Neoliberal Globalism and Biotechnology in Latin America paint a somber portrait, describing local peasant farmers who have been made responsible for protecting impossibly vast areas of biodiversity, or are forced to specialize in one genetically modified crop, or who become low-wage workers within a capitalized farm complex. Using dozens of examples such as these, the deleterious consequences are surveyed from the perspectives of experts in diverse fields, including anthropology, economics, geography, political science, and sociology.

From Kathy McAfee's "Exporting Crop Biotechnology: The Myth of Molecular Miracles," to Liz Fitting's "Importing Corn, Exporting Labor: The Neoliberal Corn Regime, GMOs, and the Erosion of Mexican Biodiversity," Food for the Few balances disturbing findings with hopeful assessments of emerging grassroots alternatives. Surveying not only the Latin American conditions that led to bankruptcy for countless farmers but also the North's practices, such as the heavy subsidies implemented to protect North American farmers, these essays represent a comprehensive, keenly informed response to a pivotal global crisis.

Applied Plant Biotechnology for Improvement of Resistance to Biotic Stress applies biotechnology insights that seek to improve plant genomes, thus helping them achieve higher resistance and optimal hormone signaling to increase crop yield. The book provides an analysis of the current state-of-the-art in plant biotechnology as applied to improving resistance to biotic stress. In recent years, significant progress has been made towards understanding the interplay between plants and their hosts, particularly the role of plant immunity in regulating, attenuating or neutralizing invading pathogens. As a result, there is a great need to integrate these insights with methods from biotechnology.