Plant Biotechnology: Current and Future Applications of Genetically Modified Crops

 Plant Biotechnology: Current and Future Applications of Genetically Modified Crops

Author: Nigel Halford
ISBN: 9780470021811
Pages: 316
Format: 17 Χ 25
Binding: Hardback
Pub. Year: 2006

Description

Plant Biotechnology: Current and Future Uses of Genetically Modified Crops covers in detail the development, use and regulation of GM crops. Split into three sections, Part 1 introduces GM crops and describes the GM crops that are used commercially. Part 2 looks at new developments and methodologies in areas including potential applications of GM crops for the production of vaccines, enhanced nutritional value of GM food, and engineering resistance to fungal pathogens. Part 3 concludes by considering the key issues of safety and legislation, including allergenicity, environmental impacts, risk assessment and labelling.

Key features:

* Covers the topic in depth and addresses key subject areas
* Takes a broad view of the current situation in different countries
* Examines the commercial application of plant biotechnology in the USA and China
* Covers two major areas of public concern: allergenicity and gene flow
* Covers new developments in plant research, safety and legislation aspects

This book is essential reading for postgraduates and researchers in plant biotechnology and related sciences in Departments of Plant Science, Biotechnology, Bioscience, Environmental Science, Food Biosciences and Chemistry. It is also of interest for professionals working in the plant biotechnology industry or government professionals working in environmental policy.

Contents

List of Contributors.

Preface.

PART I: THE CURRENT SITUATION.

1.1 From Primitive Selection to Genetic Modification, Ten Thousand Years of Plant Breeding (Nigel G. Halford).

1.2 Crop Biotechnology in the United States: Experiences and Impacts (Sujatha Sankula).

1.3 Development of Biotech Crops in China (Qingzhong Xue, Yuhua Zhang and Xianyin Zhang).

PART II: NEW DEVELOPMENTS.

2.1 Advances in Transformation Technologies (Huw D. Jones).

2.2 Enhanced Nutritional Value of Food Crops (Dietrich Rein and Karin Herbers).

2.3 The Production of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Transgenic Plants (Louise V. Michaelson, Frédéric Beaudoin, Olga Sayanova and Johnathan A. Napier).

2.4 The Application of Genetic Engineering to the Improvement of Cereal Grain Quality (Peter R. Shewry).

2.5 Improvements in Starch Quality (Michael M. Burrell).

2.6 Production of Vaccines in GM Plants (Liz Nicholson, M. Carmen Can˜izares and George P. Lomonossoff).

2.7 Prospects for Using Genetic Modification to Engineer Drought Tolerance in Crops (S.G. Mundree, R. Iyer, B. Baker, N. Conrad, E.J. Davis, K. Govender, A.T. Maredza and J.A. Thomson).

2.8 Salt Tolerance (Eduardo Blumwald and Anil Grover).

2.9 Engineering Fungal Resistance in Crops (Maarten Stuiver).

PART III: SAFETY AND REGULATION.

3.1 Plant Food Allergens (E.N. Clare Mills, John A. Jenkins and Peter R. Shewry).

3.2 Environmental Impact and Gene Flow (P.J.W. Lutman and K. Berry).

3.3 Risk Assessment, Regulation and Labeling (Nigel G. Halford).

Index.