Chemicals from biotechnology: molecular plant genetics will challenge the chemical and the fermentation industry

 Industrial biotechnology has evolved as a significant manufacturing tool for products like fuel-grade ethanol, organic acids and bulk amino acids, but most items are still speciality products for food and pharmaceutical applications. Current development projects within the chemical industry, including lactic acid and 1,3-propanediol based polymers and plastics, indicate that new biotechnological processes and products may soon approach the market place, clearly targeted at the leading petrochemical bulk outlets. This is flanked by a strategic shift by the major chemical companies in to “life sciences”–pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and the seed business as well as biotech fine chemicals. The recent tremendous achievements in molecular plant genetics and transgenic crop breeding will boost agro-biotechnology, agriculture and renewable raw materials as compelling projects for chemistry and biotechnology. New plant-based production routes may challenge established chemical and biochemical domains, but at the same time open new horizons to valuable feedstocks, intermediates and end-products. Received: 16 October 1998 / Received revision: 3 December 1998 / Accepted: 5 December 1998     

Human molecular genetics: from monogenic to polygenic or complex disorders

Human molecular genetics has successfully identified the genes involved in several monogenic disorders. It now aims at pinpointing the genetic determinants of polygenic or complex traits with a strong genetic component. This constitutes a new challenge. We discuss the methodological and practical aspects of identifying such genes as well as the challenges facing physicians that will have to use efficiently these new diagnostic tools.     

Human molecular genetics: study in the area of medical and ethnic genomics

The review covers selected research topics in fields of medical and ethnic genomics tackled at the Department of Molecular Basis of Human Genetics, the Institute of Molecular Genetics. Primary concern is given to genetic causes of monogenic neurological disorders, among them hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson's disease), torsion dystonia, and myotonic dystrophy. Results of polymorphic DNA marker surveys in Russia and neighboring countries are also presented.     

Hereditary deafness: molecular genetics

This article outlines recent advances in explaining hereditary deafness in molecular terms, focusing on isolated (i.e. nonsyndromic) hearing loss. The number of genes identified (36 to date) is growing rapidly. However, difficulties inherent in genetic linkage analysis, coupled with the possible involvement of environmental causes, have so far prevented the characterization of the main genes causative or predisposing to the late-onset forms of deafness.