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Environmental Risk Assessment Regulation Of Genetically Modified Organisms
Published in K. M. Baharul Islam, Zafar Mahfooz Nomani, Environment Impact Assessment, 2021
Biotechnology is an offshoot of science. Many definitions are available for it1. Genetically Modified Plant and Organisms are being adopted globally for the past two decades. Now Genetically Modified Micro-Organisms are being transferred from the laboratory to the fields. Plants with new characteristics are being developed with the transgenic technology; for example, most of the genetically engineered crops are pest resistant, weed resistant, and so on. Thus, the farmers are reaping the benefits of this technology as there is now less dependence on pesticides. Another area of research involves developing protein-rich food having more shelf life. Agricultural biotechnology includes traditional breeding techniques that alter living organisms, or parts of organisms; improve plants or animals; or develop micro-organisms for specific agricultural uses.2 However, modern biotechnology today includes the tools of genetic engineering.3 Biotechnology increases productivity and reduces production cost. Genetically Engineered Plants are also being developed for phytoremediation in which the plants detoxify pollutants in the soil or absorb and accumulate polluting substances out of the soil so that the plants may be harvested and disposed of safely. In many countries, the debate on agricultural biotechnology revolves around the Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) only.4
Agricultural biotechnology
Published in Firdos Alam Khan, Biotechnology Fundamentals, 2018
Agricultural biotechnology is an advanced technology that allows plant breeders or farmers to make precise genetic changes in plants to impart beneficial traits, which include size, yield, color, taste, and appearance. For centuries, farmers and plant breeders have labored to improve crop plants. Traditional breeding methods include selecting and sowing seeds of the strongest and most desirable plants to produce the next generation of crops. By selecting and breeding plants with characteristics such as higher yield and resistance to pests and hardiness, early farmers dramatically changed the genetic makeup of crop plants long before the science of genetics was understood. As a result, most of today’s crop plants bear little resemblance to their wild ancestors. The tools of modern biotechnology allow plant breeders to select genes that produce beneficial traits and move them from one organism to another. This process is far more precise and selective than crossbreeding, which involves the transfer of tens of thousands of genes, and provides plant developers with a more detailed knowledge of the changes being made. The ability to introduce genetic material from other plants and organisms opens up a world of possibilities to benefit food production. As an example, “Bt” crops that are protected against insect damage contain selected genes found in the common soil bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis. Bt genes produce proteins that are toxic to the larvae of certain plant pests but are found to be safe for humans and animals. Plants in which Bt genes are incorporated are protected from insects that eat and destroy the plants, thus improving yield, reducing the need for pesticide applications, and saving the farmer time and money. The extensive manipulation of genes in plants and microbes has revolutionized modern agricultural products. This has not only protected plants against various diseases and pests but has also improved the annual agricultural production.
Economic issues to consider for gene drives
Published in Journal of Responsible Innovation, 2018
Paul D. Mitchell, Zachary Brown, Neil McRoberts
Public perceptions will play a significant role in the successful deployment of gene drive applications. Potential applications of gene drive technologies seem to be quite valuable – eradicating mosquito-vectored human diseases such as malaria, effectively managing major agricultural pests without the use of pesticides, and helping restore ecosystems impacted by invasive species. We believe, however, that the obvious value of these goals is not enough to ensure successful use of gene drives, nor is scientific consensus of their value and safety. Rather, public perceptions of the technology will also matter. Two contemporary examples demonstrating this reality are the commercialization of agricultural biotechnology and policy responses to climate change. Despite solid scientific evidence for minimal human safety concerns after 20 years of widespread commercial by farmers (Shelton, Zhao, and Roush 2002; Nicolia et al. 2014; James 2015; NASEM 2016; USDA ERS 2016), negative public perceptions of crop biotechnology persist, even among scientists (Hilbeck et al. 2015; Wunderlich and Gatto 2015). As a result, many valuable crop and agricultural biotechnology applications remain underutilized or unavailable. Similarly, widespread disbelief in human-caused climate change exists in the US and other nations, despite the extensive data and scientific consensus, and these perceptions have played a significant role in political and social opposition to efforts and policies to mitigate climate change (Swim et al. 2009; Engels et al. 2013; Rejesus et al. 2013; van der Linden et al. 2015).
Biosurfactants produced from corncob: a bibliometric perspective of a renewable and promising substrate
Published in Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology, 2022
Hysla Maria Albuquerque Resende Nunes, Isabela Maria Monteiro Vieira, Brenda Lohanny Passos Santos, Daniel Pereira Silva, Denise Santos Ruzene
In Figure 2, it is possible to observe the list of journals that published the articles under analysis. There were seven different journals: Journal of Environmental Engineering, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, Biotechnology Reports, Biotechnology for Biofuels, Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, and Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Only the journal Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology published two scientific articles. The links found in Figure 1 refer to the occurrence of citations between scientific articles from different journals.