Transgenic Organisms and Biosafety

Transgenic Organisms and Biosafety PDF Author: Erwin R. Schmidt
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642614604
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 339

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Book Description
Gene/biotechnology and the broad use of genetically modified organisms is rapidly developing into a commercial enterprise. In spite of the pace of scientific progress in this field, a partly emotional debate is still being carried on by the general public and on the part of the consumer about the potential risks linked to this new technology. Especially when genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are tested in the open field, the question of "safety" is controversially discussed among different groups in society. Environmentalists are worried about unforeseeable dangers inherent in the release of a living organism, assuming that special risks are linked to organisms which have been modified by molecular biologists using tools developed in the laboratory. Frequently quoted potential hazards are the phenomena of "gene escape" and "genetic pollution", meaning the very interesting question of natural (horizontal) gene transfer. This phenomenon of horizontal gene transfer is in fact well known to scientists studying prokaryotes. Many prokaryotes are able to exchange DNA readily between individuals of different species or are even able to take up DNA from the extracellular environment by the process of genetic transformation, which has already been known for more than 65 years. For eukaryotes, however, the evidence of natural horizontal gene transfer is very limited.

Transgenic Organisms and Biosafety

Transgenic Organisms and Biosafety PDF Author: Erwin R. Schmidt
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642614604
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 339

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Book Description
Gene/biotechnology and the broad use of genetically modified organisms is rapidly developing into a commercial enterprise. In spite of the pace of scientific progress in this field, a partly emotional debate is still being carried on by the general public and on the part of the consumer about the potential risks linked to this new technology. Especially when genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are tested in the open field, the question of "safety" is controversially discussed among different groups in society. Environmentalists are worried about unforeseeable dangers inherent in the release of a living organism, assuming that special risks are linked to organisms which have been modified by molecular biologists using tools developed in the laboratory. Frequently quoted potential hazards are the phenomena of "gene escape" and "genetic pollution", meaning the very interesting question of natural (horizontal) gene transfer. This phenomenon of horizontal gene transfer is in fact well known to scientists studying prokaryotes. Many prokaryotes are able to exchange DNA readily between individuals of different species or are even able to take up DNA from the extracellular environment by the process of genetic transformation, which has already been known for more than 65 years. For eukaryotes, however, the evidence of natural horizontal gene transfer is very limited.

Gene Transfer in the Environment

Gene Transfer in the Environment PDF Author: Stuart B. Levy
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 458

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Book Description


Gene Transfer in the Environment

Gene Transfer in the Environment PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780070462816
Category : Bacterial transformation
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description


Size Limits of Very Small Microorganisms

Size Limits of Very Small Microorganisms PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309172748
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 171

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Book Description
How small can a free-living organism be? On the surface, this question is straightforward-in principle, the smallest cells can be identified and measured. But understanding what factors determine this lower limit, and addressing the host of other questions that follow on from this knowledge, require a fundamental understanding of the chemistry and ecology of cellular life. The recent report of evidence for life in a martian meteorite and the prospect of searching for biological signatures in intelligently chosen samples from Mars and elsewhere bring a new immediacy to such questions. How do we recognize the morphological or chemical remnants of life in rocks deposited 4 billion years ago on another planet? Are the empirical limits on cell size identified by observation on Earth applicable to life wherever it may occur, or is minimum size a function of the particular chemistry of an individual planetary surface? These questions formed the focus of a workshop on the size limits of very small organisms, organized by the Steering .Group for the Workshop on Size Limits of Very Small Microorganisms and held on October 22 and 23, 1998. Eighteen invited panelists, representing fields ranging from cell biology and molecular genetics to paleontology and mineralogy, joined with an almost equal number of other participants in a wide-ranging exploration of minimum cell size and the challenge of interpreting micro- and nano-scale features of sedimentary rocks found on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system. This document contains the proceedings of that workshop. It includes position papers presented by the individual panelists, arranged by panel, along with a summary, for each of the four sessions, of extensive roundtable discussions that involved the panelists as well as other workshop participants.

DNA Traffic in the Environment

DNA Traffic in the Environment PDF Author: Hiromi Nishida
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9811334110
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
This book comprehensively discusses our current understanding of the role and biological mechanisms of horizontal transfer of genetic elements in the environment, which has been important in the evolution of prokaryotes (archaea and bacteria). Horizontal transfer of genetic elements generates variations of prokaryotes and their genomes. Comparative studies of genomes revealed that it frequently occurred during archaeal and bacterial evolution. The book introduces a variety of studies related to horizontal gene transfer, gene silencing, plasmids, phages, transposons, and the emergence of microbes that degrade man-made xenobiotics and have antimicrobial resistance. Written by leading researchers in DNA traffic, the book is a valuable guide to horizontal transfer for both young scientists and experts in the field.

Marine Metagenomics

Marine Metagenomics PDF Author: Takashi Gojobori
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9811381348
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
This book presents the state-of-art marine metagenome research and explains the method of marine metagenomic analysis in an easy-to-understand manner. Changes in the marine environment due to global warming and pollution have become a major global problem. Maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem requires advanced environmental monitoring and assessment systems. As such, the book presents a novel metagenomic monitoring method, which has been developed for comprehensive analyses of the DNA of microorganisms living in seawater to further our understanding of the dynamics of the marine environment. The book can be used as a primer for new researchers and as a manual on experimental methods.

Gene Transfers and Environment

Gene Transfers and Environment PDF Author: Michel J. Gauthier
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642774504
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
Provided here is an up-to-date survey of gene transfers in the main natural habitats, with a special reference to genetically engineered microorganisms.In the first of five sections technical approaches of gene transfer in the natural environment are developed. These emphasize the use of modernmethodologies for the detection of recombinant bacteria in natural waters and soil, using DNA or rRNA probes and PCR technology. The three following sections deal with various aspects of gene transfer in aquatic environments, terrestrial habitats and human and animal gut. These include transfer of plasmidic or chromosomal markers through either conjugation, mobilization, transformation or transduction processes. Also covered are factors influencing survival of cells harbouring the transferred genes in these environments. The last section is devoted to an examination of scientific and ethical problems related to the release of genetically engineered microorganisms.

Animal Biotechnology

Animal Biotechnology PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309084393
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 201

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Book Description
Genetic-based animal biotechnology has produced new food and pharmaceutical products and promises many more advances to benefit humankind. These exciting prospects are accompanied by considerable unease, however, about matters such as safety and ethics. This book identifies science-based and policy-related concerns about animal biotechnologyâ€"key issues that must be resolved before the new breakthroughs can reach their potential. The book includes a short history of the field and provides understandable definitions of terms like cloning. Looking at technologies on the near horizon, the authors discuss what we know and what we fear about their effectsâ€"the inadvertent release of dangerous microorganisms, the safety of products derived from biotechnology, the impact of genetically engineered animals on their environment. In addition to these concerns, the book explores animal welfare concerns, and our societal and institutional capacity to manage and regulate the technology and its products. This accessible volume will be important to everyone interested in the implications of the use of animal biotechnology.

Oversight and Review of Clinical Gene Transfer Protocols

Oversight and Review of Clinical Gene Transfer Protocols PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030929665X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 78

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Book Description
Gene transfer research is a rapidly advancing field that involves the introduction of a genetic sequence into a human subject for research or diagnostic purposes. Clinical gene transfer trials are subject to regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at the federal level and to oversight by institutional review boards (IRBs) and institutional biosafety committees (IBCs) at the local level before human subjects can be enrolled. In addition, at present all researchers and institutions funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are required by NIH guidelines to submit human gene transfer protocols for advisory review by the NIH Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC). Some protocols are then selected for individual review and public discussion. Oversight and Review of Clinical Gene Transfer Protocols provides an assessment of the state of existing gene transfer science and the current regulatory and policy context under which research is investigated. This report assesses whether the current oversight of individual gene transfer protocols by the RAC continues to be necessary and offers recommendations concerning the criteria the NIH should employ to determine whether individual protocols should receive public review. The focus of this report is on the standards the RAC and NIH should use in exercising its oversight function. Oversight and Review of Clinical Gene Transfer Protocols will assist not only the RAC, but also research institutions and the general public with respect to utilizing and improving existing oversight processes.

Genetic Engineering of Plants

Genetic Engineering of Plants PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309034345
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 97

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Book Description
"The book...is, in fact, a short text on the many practical problems...associated with translating the explosion in basic biotechnological research into the next Green Revolution," explains Economic Botany. The book is "a concise and accurate narrative, that also manages to be interesting and personal...a splendid little book." Biotechnology states, "Because of the clarity with which it is written, this thin volume makes a major contribution to improving public understanding of genetic engineering's potential for enlarging the world's food supply...and can be profitably read by practically anyone interested in application of molecular biology to improvement of productivity in agriculture."