The 10th IAPTC&B Congress, Plant Biotechnology 2002 and Beyond, was held June 23-28, 2002, at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, in Orlando, Florida, USA. It was attended by 1,176 scientists from 54 countries. The best and brightest stars of international plant biotechnology headlined the scientific program. It included the opening address by the President of the IAPTC&B, 14 plenary lectures, and 111 keynote lectures and contributed papers presented in 17 symposia covering all aspects of plant biotechnology. More than 500 posters supplemented the formal program. The distinguished speakers described, discussed and debated not only the best of science that has been done or is being done, but also how the power of plant biotechnology can be harnessed to meet future challenges and needs. The program was focused on what is new and what is exciting, what is state of the art, and what is on the cutting edge of science and technology. In keeping with the international mandate of the IAPTC&B, 73 of the 125 speakers were from outside the United States, representing 27 countries from every region of the world. The 10th IAPTC&B Congress was a truly world-class event. The IAPTC&B, founded in 1963 at the first international conference of plant tissue culture organized by Philip White in the United States, currently has over 1,500 members in 85 countries. It is the largest, oldest, and the most comprehensive international professional organization in the field of plant biotechnology. The IAPTC&B has served the plant biotechnology community well through its many active national chapters throughout the World, by maintaining and disseminating a membership list and a website, by the publication of an official journal (formerly the Newsletter), and by organizing quadrennial international congresses in France (1970), the United Kingdom (1974), Canada (1978), Japan (1982), the United States (1963, 1986, 2002), The Netherlands (1990), Italy (1994), and Israel (1998). In addition, the IAPTC&B has a long tradition of publishing the proceedings of its congresses. Individually, these volumes have provided authoritative quadrennial reports of the status of international plant biotechnology. Collectively, they document the history of plant biotechnology during the 20th century. They are indeed a valuable resource. We are pleased to continue this tradition by publishing this proceedings volume of the 10th IAPTC&B Congress. Regrettably, we are not able to publish seven of the lectures in full (only their abstracts are included). The American and Canadian chapters of the IAPTC&B, the Plant Section of the Society for In Vitro Biology, and the University of Florida hosted the 10th IAPTC&B Congress. The Congress was a true partnership between academia and industry, and was generously supported by both groups (see list of donors/sponsors on back cover). A number of prominent international biotechnology companies and publishers participated in the very successful Science and Technology Exhibit (see accompanying list of exhibitors) The IAPTC&B awarded 84 fellowships to young scientists from 31 countries (see accompanying list of fellowship recipients) to support their participation in the Congress.

As the oldest and largest human intervention in nature, the science of agriculture is one of the most intensely studied practices. From manipulation of plant gene structure to the use of plants for bioenergy, biotechnology interventions in plant and agricultural science have been rapidly developing over the past ten years with immense forward leaps on an annual basis. This book begins by laying the foundations for plant biotechnology by outlining the biological aspects including gene structure and expression, and the basic procedures in plant biotechnology of genomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and proteomics. It then focuses on a discussion of the impacts of biotechnology on plant breeding technologies and germplasm sustainability. The role of biotechnology in the improvement of agricultural traits, production of industrial products and pharmaceuticals as well as biomaterials and biomass provide a historical perspective and a look to the future. Sections addressing intellectual property rights and sociological and food safety issues round out the holistic discussion of this important topic. - Includes specific emphasis on the inter-relationships between basic plant biotechnologies and applied agricultural applications, and the way they contribute to each other - Provides an updated review of the major plant biotechnology procedures and techniques, their impact on novel agricultural development and crop plant improvement - Takes a broad view of the topic with discussions of practices in many countries

Designed to inform and inspire the next generation of plant biotechnologists Plant Biotechnology and Genetics explores contemporary techniques and applications of plant biotechnology, illustrating the tremendous potential this technology has to change our world by improving the food supply. As an introductory text, its focus is on basic science and processes. It guides students from plant biology and genetics to breeding to principles and applications of plant biotechnology. Next, the text examines the critical issues of patents and intellectual property and then tackles the many controversies and consumer concerns over transgenic plants. The final chapter of the book provides an expert forecast of the future of plant biotechnology. Each chapter has been written by one or more leading practitioners in the field and then carefully edited to ensure thoroughness and consistency. The chapters are organized so that each one progressively builds upon the previous chapters. Questions set forth in each chapter help students deepen their understanding and facilitate classroom discussions. Inspirational autobiographical essays, written by pioneers and eminent scientists in the field today, are interspersed throughout the text. Authors explain how they became involved in the field and offer a personal perspective on their contributions and the future of the field. The text's accompanying CD-ROM offers full-color figures that can be used in classroom presentations with other teaching aids available online. This text is recommended for junior- and senior-level courses in plant biotechnology or plant genetics and for courses devoted to special topics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also an ideal reference for practitioners.

Contains case studies illustrating the cell culture production of pigments, flavors, and antineoplastic compounds Plant Biotechnology and Transgenic Plants covers topics that range from food to fragrances to fuel. It includes discussions of technologies and research on the engineering, synthesis, utilization, and control of primary and secondary plant metabolites such as carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, polymers, proteins, and phytochemicals for industrial, pharmaceutical, and food and feed applications. The editors put the emphasis on recent methods in farming, plant propagation, and breeding and modern procedures to formulate more effective biopharmaceuticals.

This book summarises various aspects of plant biotechnology and is divided into 27 chapters. This edition discusses: plant cell culture and development, plant tissue culture, micropropagation, germplasm storage, haploid plants, triploid plants, in vitro pollination and fertilisation, protoplast isolation and culture, somatic cell hybridisation, synthetic seeds, plant breeding, plant derived vaccines, genetically modified foods, improving photosynthesis and crop yield, insect resistant plants, fungus resistant plants, virus resistant plants, ornamental plants, medicinal plants, recombinant DNA, molecular markers, intellectual property rights. Chapters on nanotechnology for micronutrients in soil-plant systems are a unique feature of the book.

Plant genomics and biotechnology have recently made enormous strides, and hold the potential to benefit agriculture, the environment and various other dimensions of the human endeavor. It is no exaggeration to claim that the twenty-first century belongs to biotechnology. Knowledge generation in this field is growing at a frenetic pace, and keeping abreast of the latest advances and calls on us to double our efforts. Volume II of this two-part series addresses cutting-edge aspects of plant genomics and biotechnology. It includes 37 chapters contributed by over 70 researchers, each of which is an expert in his/her own field of research. Biotechnology has helped to solve many conundrums of plant life that had long remained a mystery to mankind. This volume opens with an exhaustive chapter on the role played by thale cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, which is believed to be the Drosophila of the plant kingdom and an invaluable model plant for understanding basic concepts in plant biology. This is followed by chapters on bioremediation, biofuels and biofertilizers through microalgal manipulation, making it a commercializable prospect; discerning finer details of biotic stress with plant-fungal interactions; and the dynamics of abiotic and biotic stresses, which also figure elsewhere in the book. Breeding crop plants for desirable traits has long been an endeavor of biotechnologists. The significance of molecular markers, marker assisted selection and techniques are covered in a dedicated chapter, as are comprehensive reviews on plant molecular biology, DNA fingerprinting techniques, genomic structure and functional genomics. A chapter dedicated to organellar genomes provides extensive information on this important aspect. Elsewhere in the book, the newly emerging area of epigenetics is presented as seen through the lens of biotechnology, showcasing the pivotal role of DNA methylation in effecting permanent and transient changes to the genome. Exclusive chapters deal with bioinformatics and systems biology. Handy tools for practical applications such as somatic embryogenesis and micropropagation are included to provide frontline information to entrepreneurs, as is a chapter on somaclonal variation. Overcoming barriers to sexual incompatibility has also long been a focus of biotechnology, and is addressed in chapters on wide hybridization and hybrid embryo rescue. Another area of accomplishing triploids through endosperm culture is included as a non-conventional breeding strategy. Secondary metabolite production through tissue cultures, which is of importance to industrial scientists, is also covered. Worldwide exchange of plant genetic material is currently an essential topic, as is conserving natural resources in situ. Chapters on in vitro conservation of extant, threatened and other valuable germplasms, gene banking and related issues are included, along with an extensive account of the biotechnology of spices – the low-volume, high-value crops. Metabolic engineering is another emerging field that provides commercial opportunities. As is well known, there is widespread concern over genetically modified crops among the public. GM crops are covered, as are genetic engineering strategies for combating biotic and abiotic stresses where no other solutions are in sight. RNAi- and micro RNA- based strategies for crop improvement have proved to offer novel alternatives to the existing non-conventional techniques, and detailed information on these aspects is also included. The book’s last five chapters are devoted to presenting the various aspects of environmental, marine, desert and rural biotechnology. The state-of-the-art coverage on a wide range of plant genomics and biotechnology topics will be of great interest to post-graduate students and researchers, including the employees of seed and biotechnology companies, and to instructors in the fields of plant genetics, breeding and biotechnology.

The title of this volume, Plant Biotechnology: Nell' Products and Applications, may look a little out of place among previous vol umes of Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology that have focused mostly on issues related to human health and ani mal biology, However, plant biology has always been of immense and has enjoyed an intimate relationship practical importance, with medicine and other biological sciences for centuries, In creasing scientific specialization and the dramatic advances in the medical and chemical sciences during this century have left many persons with the impression that plant biology and plant bio technology is important only in relation to the agricultural sci ences, This is no longer true. Within the past year a genetically engineered plant virus has been used to vaccinate and protect against an animal disease (see the chapter by Lomonossoff and Hamilton), the first human trials of a potential transgenic plant based oral vaccine against cholera have been conducted (see the chapter by Richter and Kipp), and the first human trial of an injectable transgenic plant-derived therapeutic protein is under way (discussed in the chapter by Russell et al. ). Today plant biotechnology is being used in new and creative ways to produce therapeutic products for medicine and plastics for industry as well as new disease-and stress-resistant crops for agriculture.

This book is divided into five sections. The first section deals with the methodology and bioresource generation, techniques related to genetic engineering, and gene transfer to the nuclear genome and chloroplast genome. The new techniques of genome profiling and gene silencing are also presented. The second section of the book covers the classical aspect of plant biotechnology viz. tissue culture and micropropagation. Use of genetic engineering via Agrobacterium and direct transfer of DNA through particle bombardment to develop transformed plants in Artemisia, castor and orchids, and production of recombinant proteins in plant cells have been dealt with in the third section. The fourth section addresses the abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in plants. The basic biology of some of the stress responses, and designing plants for stress tolerance is discussed in this section. The fifth section examines medicinal plants and alkaloid production.