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Eat your genes : how genetically modified food is entering our diet / Stephen Nottingham.

By: Publication details: London ; New York : Zed Books Ltd, 2003.Edition: 2nd edDescription: xxiv, 212 p. ; 22 cmISBN:
  • 184277347X
Subject(s): LOC classification:
  • TP248.65.F66 N67 2003
Contents:
1. A brief history of genetic improvement in agriculture: Artificial selection -- The laws of inheritance -- The Green Revolution -- Plant breeding a genetic engineering -- The scale of transgenic plant releases to the environment -- Biotechnology: transgenic bacteria and fungi -- Genetic modifications to animals and fish. 2. What is genetic engineering? : DNA -- Protein synthesis -- Jumping genes -- Enzymes: the genetic engineer's toolkit -- Methods of gene transfer to crop plants -- Viral vectors and gene regulation -- Bacterial vectors: the Agrobacterium method -- Gene guns -- Gene silencing -- Plant tissue culture -- Marker Genes -- Gene libraries. 3. Milking it: increasing yields and the pharming of proteins: Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) -- The pharming of transgenic animals -- Dolly the sheep and animal cloning. 4. Herbicide-resistant crops: Advantages for weed control -- Achieving herbicide resistance -- Monsanto's Roundup Ready crops -- Environmental considerations. 5. Insect-resistant crops and a modified insect baculovirus: Bacillus thuringiensis toxin -- Ciba-Geigy's B.t. maize -- Protease inhibitors and lectins -- Pyramiding genes -- Benefits for insect control -- Resistance management -- Baculovirus: engineering a quicker kill. 6. Designer food and engineered plants: Modifications for food processing and taste -- Oilseed composition -- Protein content -- Viral resistance -- Fungal resistance -- Nematode resistance -- Photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation -- Tolerance to high salinity and other poor soil conditions -- Tolerance to drought conditions -- Tolerance to frost: ice minus bacteria and antifreeze proteins -- Drugs and vaccines -- Engineering cotton: blue jeans and plastic plants. 7. Ecological risks: Risks assessment -- Risks posed by transgenic micro-organisms -- Risks posed by virus-resistant crops -- Risk of invasion and adverse effects on other organisms -- The risk of transgene spread. 8. Risks to human health: Allergens -- Antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms. 9. Some ethical and moral issues: Ethically sensitive genes -- Animal welfare -- Is DNA life? 10. The lucrative art of patenting: Patenting plants -- Species-wide patents -- Interfirm cooperation agreements -- Gene-licensing agreements -- The decline of independent seed companies -- The GATT and the MAIs: free trade and global rights for multinationals -- Intellectual property rights and genetic resources from the Third World. 11. Regulation of genetically modified organisms and food products: The regulatory framework in the USA -- The regulatory framework in the UK. 12. Marketing approval for genetically modified food in Europe: Decision-making in the European Community -- Monsanto's Roundup Ready soybeans -- Ciba-Geigy's B.t. maize -- A new wave of crops. 13. The consuming question of labelling: Lessons from irradiated foods -- The case against mandatory labelling: the food is no different -- The case for mandatory labelling: the consumer's right to choose -- Europe decides -- Negative labelling and organic food. 14. Impacts on the Third World: Transgenic crops and the world's hungry - Transgenic crop: chemical dependency or sustainable agriculture? -- Economic impacts. 15. Prospects for genetically modified food: Who benefits? -- Perceived risks and benefits -- The battle for hearts and minds.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [195]-202) and index.

1. A brief history of genetic improvement in agriculture: Artificial selection -- The laws of inheritance -- The Green Revolution -- Plant breeding a genetic engineering -- The scale of transgenic plant releases to the environment -- Biotechnology: transgenic bacteria and fungi -- Genetic modifications to animals and fish. 2. What is genetic engineering? : DNA -- Protein synthesis -- Jumping genes -- Enzymes: the genetic engineer's toolkit -- Methods of gene transfer to crop plants -- Viral vectors and gene regulation -- Bacterial vectors: the Agrobacterium method -- Gene guns -- Gene silencing -- Plant tissue culture -- Marker Genes -- Gene libraries. 3. Milking it: increasing yields and the pharming of proteins: Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) -- The pharming of transgenic animals -- Dolly the sheep and animal cloning. 4. Herbicide-resistant crops: Advantages for weed control -- Achieving herbicide resistance -- Monsanto's Roundup Ready crops -- Environmental considerations. 5. Insect-resistant crops and a modified insect baculovirus: Bacillus thuringiensis toxin -- Ciba-Geigy's B.t. maize -- Protease inhibitors and lectins -- Pyramiding genes -- Benefits for insect control -- Resistance management -- Baculovirus: engineering a quicker kill. 6. Designer food and engineered plants: Modifications for food processing and taste -- Oilseed composition -- Protein content -- Viral resistance -- Fungal resistance -- Nematode resistance -- Photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation -- Tolerance to high salinity and other poor soil conditions -- Tolerance to drought conditions -- Tolerance to frost: ice minus bacteria and antifreeze proteins -- Drugs and vaccines -- Engineering cotton: blue jeans and plastic plants. 7. Ecological risks: Risks assessment -- Risks posed by transgenic micro-organisms -- Risks posed by virus-resistant crops -- Risk of invasion and adverse effects on other organisms -- The risk of transgene spread. 8. Risks to human health: Allergens -- Antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms. 9. Some ethical and moral issues: Ethically sensitive genes -- Animal welfare -- Is DNA life? 10. The lucrative art of patenting: Patenting plants -- Species-wide patents -- Interfirm cooperation agreements -- Gene-licensing agreements -- The decline of independent seed companies -- The GATT and the MAIs: free trade and global rights for multinationals -- Intellectual property rights and genetic resources from the Third World. 11. Regulation of genetically modified organisms and food products: The regulatory framework in the USA -- The regulatory framework in the UK. 12. Marketing approval for genetically modified food in Europe: Decision-making in the European Community -- Monsanto's Roundup Ready soybeans -- Ciba-Geigy's B.t. maize -- A new wave of crops. 13. The consuming question of labelling: Lessons from irradiated foods -- The case against mandatory labelling: the food is no different -- The case for mandatory labelling: the consumer's right to choose -- Europe decides -- Negative labelling and organic food. 14. Impacts on the Third World: Transgenic crops and the world's hungry - Transgenic crop: chemical dependency or sustainable agriculture? -- Economic impacts. 15. Prospects for genetically modified food: Who benefits? -- Perceived risks and benefits -- The battle for hearts and minds.

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