Intellectual property protection of plant biotechnology inventions

The intellectual property protection of biotechnology-related subject matter is undergoing significant change and several countries have revised their legislation and/or patent practice as a result of challenges from industry and members of the public. Plant-related subject matter can be protected using plant variety protection, utility patents or, in the USA, by plant patent. Although easier to obtain than a utility patent, plant variety protection does not provide the same scope of protection. Protecting a plant using a utility patent is permitted only in countries that allow the patenting of higher life forms and requires a higher degree of experimental support than is required for plant variety protection, although the scope of protection is being steadily reduced.     

A quantum-theoretic approach to genetic problems

A quantum-theoretic picture of the transfer of genetic information is described. The advantage of such an approach is that a number of genetic effects appear to be explicable on the basis of general microphysical laws, independent of any specific model (such as DNA-protein coding) for the transmission of genetic information. It is assumed that the genetic information is carried by a family of numerical observables belonging to a specific microphysical system; it is shown that a single observable is theoretically sufficient to carry this information. The various types of structure that this observable can possess are then described in detail, and the possible genetic effects which can airse from each such structure are discussed. For example, it is shown how the assumption that the genetic observable possesses degenerate eigenvalues may lead to a theory of allelism. To keep the treatment self-contained, the basic quantum-theoretical principles to be used are discussed in some detail. Finally, the relation of the present approach to current biochemical ideas and to earlier quantum-theoretic treatments of genetic systems is discussed.     

Achievements and problems of genetic engineering of Crucifereceae plants

Plants of the Brassicaceae family are important oil, vegetable and feed crops. The review is devoted to the latest achievements in genetic engineering of plants from this family. Results concerning development of effective methods both of Agrobacteium-mediated transformation and of direct gene uptake are considered. Particularly, possibilities of plant genetic modification with the aim to improve agronomically and commercially important traits are stressed. Problems of biologically safe introduction of transgenic plants into agricultural production are discussed.     

Environmentally friendly approaches to genetic engineering

Summary Several environmental problems related to plant genetic engineering may prohibit advancement of this technology and prevent realization of its full potential. One such common concern is the demonstrated escape of foreign genes through pollen dispersal from transgenic crop plants to their weedy relatives, creating super weeds or causing gene pollution among other crops or toxicity of transgenic pollen to nontarget insects. The high rates of gene flow from crops to wild relatives (as high as 38% in sunflower and 50% in strawberries) are certainly a serious concern. Maternal inheritance of the herbicide resistance gene via chloroplast genetic engineering has been shown to be a practical solution to these problems. Another common concern is the suboptimal production of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal protein or reliance on a single (or similar) B.t. protein in commercial transgenic crops, resulting in B.t. resistance among target pests. Clearly, different insecticidal proteins should be produced in lethal quantities to decrease the development of resistance. Such hyperexpression of a novel B.t. protein in chloroplasts has resulted in 100% mortality of insects that are up to 40 000-fold resistant to other B.t. proteins. Yet another concern is the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in transgenic plants that could inactivate oral doses of the antibiotic or be transferred to pathogenic microbes in the GI tract or in soil, rendering them resistant to treatment with such antibiotics. Cotransformation and elimination of antibiotic resistant genes from transgenic plants using transposable elements via breeding are promising new approaches. Genetic engineering efforts have also addressed yet another concern, i.e., the accumulation and persistence of plastics in our environment by production of biodegradable plastics. Recent approaches and accomplishments in addressing these environmental concerns via chloroplast genetic engineering are discussed in this review.     

用实例组织“基因工程”的备考复习

高三生物学的备考复习要求教师精心地搜集教学资源,通过再加工和再创造的过程,设计并实施有效的教学程序,帮助学生解析单元知识要点的层次结构,构建相关的知识网络结构,把握核心概念和主干知识,强化科学方法的学习,增强自主学习能力、逻辑思维能力、分析和解决实际问题的能力。     

A survey of genetic polymorphisms in Sardinia

A sample of unrelated individuals coming from Sardinia has been typed for AB0, Rhesus, Kell, 6-PGD, G-6-PD, PGM₁, AK polymorphisms. The gene frequencies are compared with the published data from other Italian population samples. With regard to these polymorphisms a considerable heterogeneity appears among the Sardinians and the Italian of mainland populations. This work was partially supported by M.P.I. (40%, 1983) and Assessorato P.I. Regione Autonoma Sardegna and was presented at the 4^th Congress of the European Anthropology Association (Florence, Sept. 1984).     

Spermatogenesis inDrosophila hydei: A genetic survey

Summary We constructed balancer-chromosomes for the large autosomes ofDrosophila hydei and screened more than 16000 chromosomes for male sterile mutations in order to dissect spermatogenesis genetically. 365 mutants on the X chromosome and the autosomes 2, 3, and 4 were recovered and analysed cytologically in squash preparations under phase-contrast optics. The majority of the mutations allows a rather advanced differentiation of the spermatozoa. At the light-microscopical level, it is possible to classify these mutations with respect to individualization, coiling or motility of the mutant spermatozoa. In contrast, a small number of mutants exhibits conspicuous, pleiotropic phenotypes. Gonial divisions, the shaping of the spermatocyte nucleus and male meiotic divisions are controlled by X chromosomal or autosomal genes which can mutate to male sterile alleles. A number of nonallelic 3^rd chromosome male sterile mutations interfere with the unfolding of the Y chromosomal lampbrush loops. Other autosomal male sterile mutations modify the morphology of these lampbrush loops. Another group of mutations inhibits the formation of the nebenkern while the development of the spermatid nucleus and the flagellum can proceed. Such male sterile mutations can decouple the development of nucleus, protein body, nebenkern, and flagellum of the spermatid. Thus, we can describe spermatogenesis inDrosophila as the coordinate execution of the individual developmental programs of the different components of the spermatozoon.     

Inverse metabolic engineering: A strategy for directed genetic engineering of useful phenotypes

The classical method of metabolic engineering, identifying a rate-determining step in a pathway and alleviating the bottleneck by enzyme overexpression, has motivated much research but has enjoyed only limited practical success. Intervention of other limiting steps, of counterbalancing regulation, and of unknown coupled pathways often confounds this direct approach. Here the concept of inverse metabolic engineering is codified and its application is illustrated with several examples. Inverse metabolic engineering means the elucidation of a metabolic engineering strategy by: first, identifying, constructing, or calculating a desired phenotype; second, determining the genetic or the particular environmental factors conferring that phenotype; and third, endowing that phenotype on another strain or organism by directed genetic or environmental manipulation. This paradigm has been successfully applied in several contexts, including elimination of growth factor requirements in mammalian cell culture and increasing the energetic efficiency of microaerobic bacterial respiration. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Actinomycetes--the test-organisms of genetic engineering

The paper contains a short review of the data on using the methods of genetic engineering in studies of genetics and molecular biology in Streptomyces. The techniques of DNA introduction into actinomycetes and wide-spread vectors are briefly described. The origin of the actinomycete plasmids as chromosomal segments capable of autonomous replication is discussed. In this view, it is suggested that genetic instability in actinomycetes is connected with excision of specific DNA sequences from the chromosome at frequencies characteristic of recombination events. Also, amplification of short DNA segments within the chromosome resulting in tandem repeats is a consequence of unequal crossing over between direct repeats flanking the amplifying DNA and, possibly, of induction of replication of this DNA. The data on molecular cloning of actinomycete genes for primary metabolism and those for resistance to and biosynthesis of antibiotics, on using actinomycetes as the hosts for foreign genes to be expressed, as well as on analysis of nucleotide sequences of actinomycete DNA, are presented.     

A survey of unresolved problems in life cycle assessment

Background, aims, and scope  Life cycle assessment (LCA) stands as the pre-eminent tool for estimating environmental effects caused by products and processes from ‘cradle to grave’ or ‘cradle to cradle.’ It exists in multiple forms, claims a growing list of practitioners and remains a focus of continuing research. Despite its popularity and codification by organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, life cycle assessment is a tool in need of improvement. Multiple authors have written about its individual problems, but a unified treatment of the subject is lacking. The following literature survey gathers and explains issues, problems and problematic decisions currently limiting LCA’s impact assessment and interpretation phases. Main features  The review identifies 15 major problem areas and organizes them by the LCA phases in which each appears. This part of the review focuses on the latter eight problems. It is meant as a concise summary for practitioners interested in methodological limitations which might degrade the accuracy of their assessments. For new researchers, it provides an overview of pertinent problem areas toward which they might wish to direct their research efforts. Having identified and discussed LCA’s major problems, closing sections highlight the most critical problems and briefly propose research agendas meant to improve them. Results and discussion  Multiple problems occur in each of LCA’s four phases and reduce the accuracy of this tool. Considering problem severity and the adequacy of current solutions, six of the 15 discussed problems are of paramount importance. In LCA’s latter two phases, spatial variation and local environmental uniqueness are critical problems requiring particular attention. Data availability and quality are identified as critical problems affecting all four phases. Conclusions and recommendations  Observing that significant efforts by multiple researchers have not resulted in a single, agreed upon approach for the first three critical problems, development of LCA archetypes for functional unit definition, boundary selection and allocation is proposed. Further development of spatially explicit, dynamic modeling is recommended to ameliorate the problems of spatial variation and local environmental uniqueness. Finally, this paper echoes calls for peer-reviewed, standardized LCA inventory and impact databases, and it suggests the development of model bases. Both of these efforts would help alleviate persistent problems with data availability and quality.

Iacuc review of genetic engineering

IACUC approval of research using genetically engineered animals must balance research needs with humane treatment of the animals, safety of animals and personnel, and compliance with regulations.     

A survey of unresolved problems in life cycle assessment

Background, aims, and scope  Life cycle assessment (LCA) stands as the pre-eminent tool for estimating environmental effects caused by products and processes from ‘cradle to grave’ or ‘cradle to cradle.’ It exists in multiple forms, claims a growing list of practitioners, and remains a focus of continuing research. Despite its popularity and codification by organizations such as the International Organization for Standards and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, life cycle assessment is a tool in need of improvement. Multiple authors have written about its individual problems, but a unified treatment of the subject is lacking. The following literature survey gathers and explains issues, problems and problematic decisions currently limiting LCA’s goal and scope definition and life cycle inventory phases. Main features  The review identifies 15 major problem areas and organizes them by the LCA phases in which each appears. This part of the review focuses on the first 7 of these problems occurring during the goal and scope definition and life cycle inventory phases. It is meant as a concise summary for practitioners interested in methodological limitations which might degrade the accuracy of their assessments. For new researchers, it provides an overview of pertinent problem areas toward which they might wish to direct their research efforts. Results and discussion  Multiple problems occur in each of LCA’s four phases and reduce the accuracy of this tool. Considering problem severity and the adequacy of current solutions, six of the 15 discussed problems are of paramount importance. In LCA’s first two phases, functional unit definition, boundary selection, and allocation are critical problems requiring particular attention. Conclusions and recommendations  Problems encountered during goal and scope definition arise from decisions about inclusion and exclusion while those in inventory analysis involve flows and transformations. Foundational decisions about the basis of comparison (functional unit), bounds of the study, and physical relationships between included processes largely dictate the representativeness and, therefore, the value of an LCA. It is for this reason that problems in functional unit definition, boundary selection, and allocation are the most critical examined in the first part of this review.