Plant biotechnology has come of age. Products obtained by genetically engineered methods, once limited to science fiction, have become a reality. This book is an outstanding synthesis of the current status of technology transfer from the laboratory to the marketplace. It discusses the use of genetically engineered crops, with the focus on biotechnology becoming commercially marketable. Technology Transfer of Plant Biotechnology addresses these important new products.

The core of the text is aimed at the research worker in the field of nitrogen fixation, but, despite its specialisation, does not lose the emphasis on teaching, both as a direct reference book and as a backbone for a graduate course on the subject.The closing part of the book includes a subject index and a glossary of terms. The latter was included not for the expert, for whom many of the definitions will be too general, but for the newcomer; the author hopes that the quick survey of key terms will help in the reading of this book.

Plant biotechnology has come of age. Products obtained by genetically engineered methods, once limited to science fiction, have become a reality. This book is an outstanding synthesis of the current status of technology transfer from the laboratory to the marketplace. It discusses the use of genetically engineered crops, with the focus on biotechnology becoming commercially marketable. Technology Transfer of Plant Biotechnology addresses these important new products:

Plant Genome Analysis presents outstanding analyses of technologies, as well as explanations of molecular technology as it pertains to agriculture. Advances in genome analysis, including DNA amplification (DAF and RAPD) markers, RFLPs, and microsatellites are reviewed by accomplished scientists, many of whom are the developers of the technique. Articles by patent lawyers experienced in plant biotechnology present the legal viewpoint.
Chapters focus on special elements of genome analysis, such as the:
use of antisense technology
investigation of telomeres
production of plant YACs
importance of cell cycle genes in plants.
Other chapters focus on specialized topics of genome analysis. These include a description of antisense technology in the study of photosynthesis and a comprehensive review of the characterization and isolation of plant telomere, including their use in varietal discrimination. A detailed anaysis of cytoplasmic male sterility in the french bean that focuses on the mitochondrial genome is described. The book provides a chapter on the production of yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) carrying soybean DNA. Genes of the cell cycle in plants and their importance in developmental processes are presented, as well as detailed chapters on the molecular mapping of trees (apples and pines), and nodulation-related genes in legumes. A comprehensive index and a complete glossary are included.

Plant Biotechnology and Development is the first of a series of publications designed to provide readers with an overview of current topics in plant molecular biology. Such an overview is important due to the fact that researchers from many disciplines are successfully turning their attention to plant development in an attempt to increase our understanding of the laws of nature itself. Plant molecular biology is a new field resulting from this scientific concentration and can be classified anywhere from the purely scientific to the practical and applied. Plant Biotechnology and Development addresses biochemical as well as genetic analyses, in addition to morphological and evolutionary considerations. It emphasizes plant-microbe interactions, especially legume root nodule symbiosis. A glossary of terms is included at the back of the book to enable readers new to the field to "wade" through the jargon often associated with plant molecular biology. The book is fully indexed to allow easy access to information. Plant Biotechnology and Development and the series "Current Topics in Plant Molecular Biology" will interest pharmaceutical researchers, geneticists, botanists, molecular biologists, cell biologists, biochemists, and others who would like to learn more about plant molecular biology and its influence on all disciplines.

We are witnessing an increased awareness of the earth's environment. Examples are easily seen in the rise of 'Green Parties' across Europe, North America, Australasia, and lately Eastern Europe. The public outcry following industrial mishaps in Alaska, Chernobyl, Basel, and Bhopal, as well as the renewed legislative activity, such as the Clean Air Act in the USA and the European Community directive to member nation concerning the control of release of genetically engineered organisms are further examples of the general interest in the biosphere. The 'Ozone hole', 'Greenhouse gases', and 'Genetically engineered Microorganisms' have gained public profiles, and are discussed widely in newspapers, magazines and the electronic media. A recent educational survey of nations, belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that school children are more literate with ecological terms (as listed above) than with 'pure' scientific terms, like 'phloem', 'mitosis', 'proton', or 'Jurasic period'. Perhaps the increase in awareness is cyclical, being fed by non-scientific, sociological and economic advances. The late 1960s/early 1970s saw a major increase in environmental consciousness. Anti-pollution groups were founded, healthfood shops and naturopathy became acceptable as did recycling, the use of lead-free gasoline, and the reduced usage of environmental toxins, like DDT and PCB. For example, Monsanto Chemical Company instigated a self-imposed halt to the manufacture of PCB in the mid-seventies. Chemical companies started to look at biodegradable herbicides, slow release fertilizers, and specifically targeted pesticides.