Plant molecular biology came to the fore in the early 1980s and there has been tremendous growth in the subject since then. The study of plant genes and genomes and the development of techniques for the incorporation of novel or modified genes into plants eventually led to the commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) crops in the mid-1990s. This was seen as the start of a biotechnological revolution in plant breeding. However, plant biotechnology has become one of the hottest debates of the age and, in Europe at least, one of the greatest challenges that plant scientists have ever faced.This book covers the history and development of the science and techniques that underpin plant biotechnology. It describes the GM crops that are or have been grown commercially around the world, including failures as well as successes, and the new varieties that are being developed. The safety record of GM crops is reviewed together with the legislation that has been adopted to cover their use. The book also deals with the concerns of consumers, the GM crop debate and the prospects for the technology. In the second edition, sections on current GM crops and future developments in plant biotechnology have been greatly expanded, while those on techniques, legislation and the GM crop debate have also been updated.The book is a concise, comprehensive and readable study that is accessible to a general readership with a scientific background but also provides useful information for the specialist.

An introduction to 17 innovative and commercially important approaches to engineering novel and improved proteins for diverse applications in biotechnology, chemistry, bioanalytics and medicine. As such, key developments covered in this reference and handbook include de novo enzyme design, cofactor design and metalloenzymes, extremophile proteins, and chemically resistant proteins for industrial processes. The editors integrate academic innovations and industrial applications so as to arrive at a balanced view of this multi-faceted topic.
Throughout, the content is chosen to complement and extend the previously published two-volume handbook by the same authors, resulting in a superb overview of this burgeoning field.

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.

Under the expert guidance of Bernd H.A. Rehm, the authors of this book provide a survey of the most striking and successful approaches for the production of biogenic nanodevices considering not only living organisms as manufacturer but also in vitro processes that utilise the self-assembly of isolated biomolecules.

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

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.

Mutant Ecologies traces the spinning of new synthetic threads into the web of life. It is a critical cartography of the shifting landscapes of capital accumulation conjured by recent developments in genomic science, genome editing and the biotech industry. CRISPR crops, fast-growing salmons, heat-resistant Slick (TM) cows, Friendly (TM) Mosquitoes, humanised mice, pigs growing human organs - these are but a few of the dazzling new life-forms that have recently emerged from corporate and university laboratories around the world, all promising to lubricate the circuits of capital accumulation in distinct ways. The deliberate induction of genetic mutations is increasingly central to business operations in a number of sectors, from agriculture to pharmaceuticals. While the Nobel Committee recently proclaimed the life sciences to have entered 'a new epoch', the authors show how these technological innovations continue to operate within a socio-historical context defined by the iron rules of capitalist competition and exploitation. Capital no longer contents itself with simply appropriating the living bodies of plants and animals. It purposefully designs their internal metabolism, and in that way it redesigns the countless living vectors that constitute the global biosphere. It is driving a biological revolution, which will ripple through the everyday lives of people everywhere.

This specially curated collection features six reviews of current and key research on genetic modification of crops. The first chapter reviews key challenges facing banana production, primarily the risk of species decimation by diseases such as Fusarium wilt, and considers how genetic modification may be a solution to this. The second chapter discusses the development and establishment of 'Golden Rice' - a biofortified variety designed as a health intervention to help alleviate the problem of vitamin A deficiency. The third chapter details recent advances in the genetic modification of important agronomic traits of soybean crops, such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. The fourth chapter addresses progress in and prospects for transgenic interventions in the improvement of grain legumes, concentrating on chickpea, pigeonpea, cowpea and more. The fifth chapter reviews recent research efforts in the production of genetically modified (GM) oil palm plants and looks towards establishing stable lines of commercially viable GM varieties. The final chapter describes recent progress relating to transgenic modification of cassava and how future research can strengthen food security and commercialization of the crop.

Shows the importance of plant tissue culture and transgenic technology on plant biology research and its application to agricultural production Provides insight into what may lie ahead in this rapidly expanding area of plant research and development Contains contributions from major leaders in the field of plant tissue culture and transgenic technology

Plant Transformation via Agrobacterium Tumefaciens compiles fundamental and specific information and procedures involving in vitro soybean transformation, which forms the basis for the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic manipulation of soybean using plant tissue culture. This method serves as one of the most preferred, reliable and cost-effective mechanism of transgene expression in both leguminous recalcitrant species and non-legume crops. The technology is favoured due to its simplicity, feasibility and high transformation rates that are so far achieved mostly in monocot plants and a few dicot genotypes. This book provides a comprehensive review of plant transformation which remains necessary for many researchers who are still facing protocol-related hurdles. Among some of the major topics covered in Plant Transformation via Agrobacterium Tumefaciens are the history and discovery of Agrobacterium bacterium, longstanding challenges causing transformation inefficiencies, types and conditions of explants, development of transgenic plants for stress resistance, and the role of transgenic plants on animal/human health, including the environment. Plant Transformation via Agrobacterium Tumefaciens helps the reader to understand how soybean, like many other orphan legume crops, faces the risk of overexploitation which may render the currently available varieties redundant and extinct should its narrow gene pool not improve. Plant transformation serves as a key technique in improving the gene pool, while developing varieties that are drought tolerant, have enhanced nutritional value, pest resistant and reduce the destruction by disease causing microorganims. This book is an essential foundation tool that is available for researchers and students to reinforce the application of Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation in soybean.

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.

The oil palm is a remarkable crop, producing around 40% of the world's vegetable oil from around 6% of the land devoted to oil crops. Conventional breeding has clearly been the major focus of genetic improvement in this crop. A mix of improved agronomy and management, coupled with breeding selection have quadrupled the oil yield of the crop since breeding began in earnest in the 1920s. However, as for all perennial crops with long breeding cycles, oil palm faces immense challenges in the coming years with increased pressure from population growth, climate change and the need to develop environmentally sustainable oil palm plantations. In Oil Palm: Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, world leading organizations and individuals who have been at the forefront of developments in this crop, provide their insights and experiences of oil palm research, while examining the different challenges that face the future of the oil palm. The editors have all been involved in research and breeding of oil palm for many years and use their knowledge of the crop and their disciplinary expertise to provide context and to introduce the different research topics covered.

Although designed for undergraduates with an interest in molecular biology, biotechnology, and bioengineering, this book-Techniques in Genetic Engineering-IS NOT: a laboratory manual; nor is it a textbook on molecular biology or biochemistry. There is some basic information in the appendices about core concepts such as DNA, RNA, protein, genes, and genomes; however, in general it is assumed that the reader has a background on these key issues. Techniques in Genetic Engineering briefly introduces some common genetic engineering techniques and focuses on how to approach different real-life problems using a combination of these key issues. Although not an exhaustive review of these techniques, basic information includes core concepts such as DNA, RNA, protein, genes, and genomes. It is assumed that the reader has background on these key issues. The book provides sufficient background and future perspectives for the readers to develop their own experimental strategies and innovations. This easy-to-follow book presents not only the theoretical background of molecular techniques, but also provides case study examples, with some sample solutions. The book covers basic molecular cloning procedures; genetic modification of cells, including stem cells; as well as multicellular organisms, using problem-based case study examples.

Stem cell research has been a problematic endeavour. For the past twenty years it has attracted moral controversies in both the public and the professional sphere. The research involves not only laboratories, clinics and people, but ethics, industries, jurisprudence, and markets. Today it contributes to the development of new therapies and affects increasingly many social arenas. The matrix approach introduced in this book offers a new understanding of this science in its relation to society. The contributions are multidisciplinary and intersectional, illustrating how agency and influence between science and society go both ways. Conceptually, this volume presents a situated and reflexive approach for philosophy and sociology of the life sciences. The practices that are part of stem cell research are dispersed, and the concepts that tie them together are tenuous; there are persistent problems with the validation of findings, and the ontology of the stem cell is elusive. The array of applications shapes a growing bioeconomy that is dependent on patient donations of tissues and embryos, consumers, and industrial support. In this volume it is argued that this research now denotes not a specific field but a flexible web of intersecting practices, discourses, and agencies. To capture significant parts of this complex reality, this book presents recent findings from researchers, who have studied in-depth aspects of this matrix of stem cell research. This volume presents state-of-the-art examinations from senior and junior scholars in disciplines from humanities and laboratory research to various social sciences, highlighting particular normative and epistemological intersections. The book will appeal to scholars as well as wider audiences interested in developments in life science and society interactions. The novel matrix approach and the accessible case studies make this an excellent resource for science and society courses.

Stem Cell Labeling for Delivery and Tracking Using Noninvasive Imaging provides a comprehensive overview of cell therapy imaging, ranging from the basic biology of cell therapeutic choices to the preclinical and clinical applications of cell therapy. It emphasizes the use of medical imaging for therapeutic delivery/targeting, cell tracking, and determining therapeutic efficacy. The book first presents background information and insight on the major classes of stem and progenitor cells. It then describes the main imaging modalities and state-of-the-art techniques that are currently employed for stem cell tracking. In the final chapters, leading scholars offer clinical perspectives on existing and potential uses of stem cells as well as the impact of image-guided delivery and tracking in major organ systems. Through clear descriptions and color images, this volume illustrates how noninvasive imaging is used to track stem cells as they repair damaged tissue in the body. With contributions from some of the most prominent preclinical and clinical researchers in the field, the book helps readers to understand the evolving concepts of stem cell labeling and tracking as the field continues to move forward.