Agricultural Biotechnology

Genetic Engineering for a Food Cause

1st Edition - April 19, 2023
Authors: Vidya Venkataram, Kathleen Hefferon
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 8 8 4 7 6 - 1
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 8 8 4 7 7 - 8

Agricultural biotechnology and the production of GM crops have been controversial despite being practiced in both developed and developing countries, the major reason being th… Read more

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Agricultural biotechnology and the production of GM crops have been controversial despite being practiced in both developed and developing countries, the major reason being their potential negative impact on human / animal health or environment. Also prevalent is the view that it is simply unethical to engineer different forms of life in the laboratory, especially when it comes to consuming food generated through genetic engineering. GM crops have been introduced into the agricultural landscape more than 2 decades ago which has allowed us to study their effects on economy, health and the environment.

Agricultural Biotechnology: Genetic Engineering for a Food Cause is a compendium of information, practices, observations and discernible insights on agriculture, biotechnology and sustainable development. The book begins by descriptions of genetic engineering practices and strategies for producing GM crops, their importance in the food chain and advantages of GM crops over non-modified crops. Followed by chapters on the strategic genetic applications and the use of synthetics microbiology and microbial symbiosis, Agricultural Biotechnology: Genetic Engineering concludes with an insight of the Future of microbiotechnology in agricultural practices.

Agricultural Biotechnology: Genetic Engineering for a Food Cause fills a gap by summarizing the available literature in a wide variety of topics under one single volume, being accessible to audiences in academic, government and industry spaces.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Author biography
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Engineered microbes for improved soil and plant health
1. Introduction
2. Engineered plants and microbes that break down industrial waste
3. Engineered plants and microbes that break down plastics
4. Engineered plants and microbes for carbon fixation
5. Conclusion
Chapter 3. Biofortified crops
1. Malnutrition: the hidden hunger
2. Addressing malnutrition: strategies and technologies
3. Conventional strategies
4. Use of plant growth promoting organisms to enhance crop biofortification
5. HarvestPlus program
6. New breeding technologies
7. RNA interference
8. Genome editing toward crop biofortification
9. Regulatory issues concerned with crop varieties generated through new plant breeding techniques (NBTs)
10. Conclusions and future perspectives
Chapter 4. Genetically engineered plant products for health: plant-made recombinant pharmaceuticals
1. An overview of major accomplishments in the area of plant-based biopharmaceuticals
2. Benefits and drawbacks of using plants for the generation of biopharmaceuticals
3. Difficulties encountered by plant-derived recombinant vaccines and therapeutics
4. Recent developments in the generation of plant-based pharmaceuticals
5. Use of plant viruses and derivatives as biopharmaceuticals
6. Conclusions and future perspectives
Chapter 5. Genome-edited crops
1. An overview of genome editing and its action mechanism
2. CRISPR/Cas9 complex: mechanism of action
3. Delivery of CRISPR/CAS components into plants
4. Precision plant breeding applications using CRISPR/Cas9 technology
5. CRISPR/Cas9-based control of gene transcription or translation
6. Use of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in mutant library construction
7. Use of base editors in plant breeding
8. Accelerating hybrid breeding
9. Biological, political challenges, and regulatory decisions on GenEd crops
10. Conclusions and future perspectives
Chapter 6. Gene drives focusing on agriculture
1. Introduction
2. Gene drives and genome editing
3. Pest management through genetic control
4. Controlling weeds through the use of CRISPR/Cas9 gene drives
5. Genetic modification of polyploids
6. Pregametic gene drives
7. Postgametic gene drives
8. Use of genetic engineering measures to control insect vector transmission of plant disease pathogens
9. Nascent and forthcoming genetic engineering technologies and gene drives
10. Sterile insect methodology
11. Insects infected with Wolbachia
12. Genetically modified insects
13. Synthetic gene drives and their constructs
14. Risks incurred by gene drives
15. Mitigating the risks posed by gene drives
16. Conclusions and future perspectives
Chapter 7. Phytoremediation strategies using biotechnology
1. Introduction
2. Removal of air pollutants by phytoremediation: purification of indoor air pollutants by plants
3. Removal of water pollution by phytoremediation
4. Removal of organic pollutants from the soil by phytoremediation
5. In situ phytoremediation
6. Improved integrated phytoremediation measures
7. Nanophytoremediation: an inimitable strategy
8. Genetic engineering measures used for phytoremediation
9. In situ phytoremediation mechanisms and examples of hyperaccumulator plants
10. Challenges faced by phytoremediation procedures
11. Conclusions and future directions
Chapter 8. Engineering crop resistance to biotic stresses
1. Introduction
2. Cellular machinery of plant defense against pathogens and insect pests
3. Translational application of PGIP toward mitigation of biotic stresses
4. Regulatory activities of plant transcription factors in response to biotic stress
5. Role of plant hormones in plant defense response
6. Hormonal crosstalk involved in plant defense response
7. Generation of plants resistant to biotic stresses
8. Disease resistance breeding in the pre-editing times
9. Prospects for genome editing–based engineering of disease resistance in plants
10. Targeting of susceptibility genes for generating disease resistance
11. Gene editing–based engineering of immune receptors toward generating broad-spectrum resistance
12. Spatial uncoupling of plant hormones implicated in defense response
13. CRISPR/cas technology in engineering plant defense against biotic stresses
14. Recent developments in engineering resistance against biotic stresses
15. Conclusions and future directions
Chapter 9. Strategies to address climate change: novel ways to generate food proteins using biotechnology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
1. Introduction
2. History and current status of alternative proteins
3. Circular food systems
4. Impact of the alternative protein on land use, food sovereignty, and social justice
5. Consumer behavior toward the alternative protein movement
6. Conclusion and future prospects for alternative protein development
Chapter 10. Recent developments in agricultural biotechnology
1. Introduction
2. Phytoremediation
3. Gene drive management
4. Biofortified crops
5. Genome-edited crops
6. Plant-based biopharmaceuticals
7. Engineered microbes for improved soil and planet health
8. Strategies to address climate change: novel ways to generate food proteins using biotechnology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
9. Conclusion
Chapter 11. Conclusion
Index

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Vidya Venkataram

Kathleen Hefferon