Introduction to Plant Biotechnology

Author: Chafra
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Plant biotechnology provides unprecedented opportunities for the manipulation of biological systems and has become a prominent field in plant science. This book serves as a textbook for biotechnology courses and is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students of various levels. It covers all important aspects of plant tissue culture, including nutrient media, micropropagation, organ culture, cell suspension culture, haploid culture, protoplast isolation and fusion, secondary metabolites, somatic cloning variation, and cryopreservation. Additionally, to enhance understanding of recombinant DNA technology, the author has added several chapters in the revised edition, covering genetic material, the structure of DNA in genomes, and the fundamental techniques involved in recombinant DNA technology.
Recombinant DNA technology encompasses a wide range of topics, including gene cloning, plant gene isolation, transposons and gene markers, in vitro mutagenesis, PCR, molecular markers, marker-assisted selection, transgenic technology, genomics, and bioinformatics. Gene cloning is introduced in three chapters: one on enzymes, another on vectors, and a third on cDNA and genomic cloning, as well as sequence analysis of cloned DNA. The genomics section of the book includes functional genomics, structural genomics, proteomics, sequencing efforts in different organisms, and DNA chip technology.
Experimental procedures for each technique are provided with specific steps. Regarding the applications of biotechnology, the author discusses the improvement of crops through transgenic technology and provides an overview of the impact of biotechnology on crop improvement. The chapter on intellectual property introduces various forms of intellectual property rights, such as plant breeder's rights, biodiversity, and examples of patents.