Genetically Modified Plants

Genetically Modified Plants
Assessing Safety and Managing Risk

Author: Roger Hull, G. T. Tzotzos, Graham Head
ISBN: 9780123741066
Pages: 256
Format: 15 Χ 23
Binding: Hardback
Pub. Year: 2009

Description

A transgenic organism is a plant, animal, bacterium, or other living organism that has had a foreign gene added to it by means of genetic engineering. Transgenic plants can arise by natural movement of genes between species, by cross-pollination based hybridization between different plant species (which is a common event in flowering plant evolution), or by laboratory manipulations by artificial insertion of genes from another species. Methods used in traditional breeding that generate transgenic plants by non-recombinant methods are widely familiar to professional plant scientists, and serve important roles in securing a sustainable future for agriculture by protecting crops from pest and helping land and water to be used more efficiently.

Contents

Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION
Conventional Approach
Improvement
Effects
Risk Assessment Methodologies
Technology


Chapter 2. RISK SOURCE CHARACTERISATION
Properties of donor organism
Properties of recipient organism
DNA
Selectable Markers


Chapter 3. EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
Release sites
Performance
Biological Properties
Impact on Human Health
Impact on Animals
Impact on the Environment
Case Studies


Chapter 4. RISK ASSESSMENT & RISK MANAGEMENT ? HUMAN HEALTH
Allergies
Unintentional Toxins
Resistance of Microbes to Antibiotics
Mitigation and Containment Approaches
Case Studies


Chapter 5. RISK ASSESSMENT & RISK MANAGEMENT ? ENVIRONMENT
Agricultural Environment
Peri-agricultural and ?natural? environment
Spread of Transgenes to non-GM crops
Gene Flow to Weeds and Feral Crop Species
Impact on Biodiversity of Crop Species and Wild Flora and Fauna
Generation of ?Superweeds?
Case Studies
Stewardship Procedures
Co-existence of GM and non-GM crops
Testing for GM
Modifying Agronomic Practices


Chapter 6. REGULATORY SYSTEMS
Current framework of GM regulation
International Conventions and Agreements
Major Regulatory Systems
Major Sources of Information.


Chapter 7 THE POLITICS OF GM TECHNOLOGY
Development of Regulation of GM Crops
Risk Perception
Understanding the Scientific Process
Bioethical Aspects
Roles of NGOs, the media and industry.


Chapter 8 THE FUTURE OF GM TECHNOLOGY
The Future of GM Products
Technology
Evolution of Regulatory Structures

Appendices
Further Reading List
Useful Internet Sites