Genetic Engineering for Nitrogen Fixation

Genetic Engineering for Nitrogen Fixation PDF

Author: Alexander Hollaender

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 531

ISBN-13: 1468408801

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There is a time in scientific research when a number of developments coincide making it possible to progress with a tough and complicated problem. It is believed that such a time has come in the area of biological nitrogen fixation. A better understanding of photosynthesis, cell hybridization, plasmid, and gene transfer between cells not necessarily genetically related, have opened new avenues of research. New developments in traditional genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, including enzyme chemistry, and plant physi ology have brought about the feeling this is a most appro priate time to pull together the different approaches in a conference where the lines of research could be discussed and thus help to speed up developments in this area. What makes biological nitrogen fixation especially im portant is the promise that a good understanding of the basic problem would help us to make organisms more amenable to fix nitrogen, not only in symbiosis with legumes, but also with other plant species and develop a wider variety of organisms with the ability to fix N • It will also 2 encourage a search for naturally occurring N2 fixing organ isms other than the traditional N2 fixers. Some success has already been encountered in this area. Success in broadening the field of nitrogen fixing would help to increase food supply, especially in de veloping countries which cannot afford to purchase synthetic nitrogen sources.

Genetic Engineering of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation and Conservation of Fixed Nitrogen

Genetic Engineering of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation and Conservation of Fixed Nitrogen PDF

Author: J. M. Lyons

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 681

ISBN-13: 1468439537

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The present volume developed from a symposium entitled "Enhancing Biological Production of Ammonia From Atmospheric Nitrogen and Soil Nitrate" that was held at Lake Tahoe, California in June, 1980. The meeting was supported by the National Science Foundation, Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences and by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis. A total of 99 scientists from 41 insti tutions participated. Plants capture solar energy in photosynthesis and use mineral nutrients to produce human food and fiber products. The extent to which such materials are removed from agricultural production sites represents a permanent drain of mineral nutrients. Some plants of agronomic importance such as alfalfa, soybean, and clover associate with soil bacteria and use photosynthetic energy to reduce N2 to NH3. Many other free-living bacteria and some symbioses involving procaryotes and eucaryotes also reduce N2. Such processes repre sent one natural mechanism by which Man can augment soil N for agronomic purposes without using fossil fuel to synthesize and distribute N fertilizer. Other metabolic conversions in the N cycle and physical leaching processes remove N made available through N2 fixation. Thus nitrification, denitrification, and utilization of soil N by plants are processes that must be con sidered if one is to conserve N captured by N2 fixation. The meeting at Lake Tahoe united scientists from many disci plines to review the literature and to discuss current research directed toward the goal stated in the symposium title.

Genetically Engineered Crops

Genetically Engineered Crops PDF

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-01-28

Total Pages: 607

ISBN-13: 0309437385

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Genetically engineered (GE) crops were first introduced commercially in the 1990s. After two decades of production, some groups and individuals remain critical of the technology based on their concerns about possible adverse effects on human health, the environment, and ethical considerations. At the same time, others are concerned that the technology is not reaching its potential to improve human health and the environment because of stringent regulations and reduced public funding to develop products offering more benefits to society. While the debate about these and other questions related to the genetic engineering techniques of the first 20 years goes on, emerging genetic-engineering technologies are adding new complexities to the conversation. Genetically Engineered Crops builds on previous related Academies reports published between 1987 and 2010 by undertaking a retrospective examination of the purported positive and adverse effects of GE crops and to anticipate what emerging genetic-engineering technologies hold for the future. This report indicates where there are uncertainties about the economic, agronomic, health, safety, or other impacts of GE crops and food, and makes recommendations to fill gaps in safety assessments, increase regulatory clarity, and improve innovations in and access to GE technology.

Physiological Limitations and the Genetic Improvement of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation

Physiological Limitations and the Genetic Improvement of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation PDF

Author: F. O'Gara

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 1988-05-31

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 9789024736928

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Rhizobium species involved in root nodule formation on legume plants are one of the best known groups of micro organisms. The Rhizobium legume symbiosis continues to be of strategic importance particularly in the context of food production. As the world population grows, it is also neces sary to have new developments taking place in crop improve ment. The development and application of new technologies in biological sciences over the past number of years have made the entire area of plant-microbial interaction an exciting and challenging research area to be involved in. In view of the importance of symbiotic nitrogen fixation, it is not surpris ing that it still represents one of the priority areas for commercial development in agricultural biotechnology. Since this symbiosis involves an association between procaryotic and eucaryotic partners, it requires of necessity a co-ordinated and interdisciplinary approach. It was in this spirit that this international conference was organised. The scientific programme was designed to focus on physio logical limitations affecting symbiotic nitrogen fixation and the potential for overcoming such limitations using genetic technologies. Participants were drawn from contractants of the EEC DGVI "Energy in Agriculture" nitrogen fixation prog ramme. The scientific programme was also supplemented with invited scientists from Europe and North America to provide appropriate expertise on the various conference topics.

CRC Handbook of Symbiotic Cyanobacteria

CRC Handbook of Symbiotic Cyanobacteria PDF

Author: Amar Nath Rai

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2018-05-04

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 1351088084

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In one convenient source, this ready reference brings together for the first time, all the information available on various cyanobacterial symbioses/symbiotic cyanobacteria. Comprehensive data on structure, physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of the cyanobiont in various cyanobacterial symbioses is included. Aplied aspects such as use of Azolla in rice cultivation and artificial symbioses are addressed, along with a chapter dedicated to methodology. This informative new text is useful to researchers, teachers, and students.

The Rhizobiaceae

The Rhizobiaceae PDF

Author: Herman P. Spaink

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 576

ISBN-13: 9401150605

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The Rhizobiaceae, Molecular Biology of Model Plant-Associated Bacteria. This book gives a comprehensive overview on our present molecular biological knowledge about the Rhizobiaceae, which currently can be called the best-studied family of soil bacteria. For many centuries they have attracted the attention of scientists because of their capacity to associate with plants and as a consequence also to specifically modify plant development. Some of these associations are beneficial for the plant, as is the case for the Rhizobiaceae subgroups collectively called rhizobia, which are able to fix nitrogen in a symbiosis with the plant hosts. This symbiosis results in the fonnation of root or stem nodules, as illustrated on the front cover. In contrast, several Rhizobiaceae subgroups can negatively affect plant development and evoke plant diseases. Examples are Agrobacterium tumefaciens andA. rhizogenes which induce the formation of crown galls or hairy roots on the stems of their host plants, respectively (bottom panels on front cover). In addition to the obvious importance of studies on the Rhizobiaceae for agronomy, this research field has resulted in the discovery of many fundamental scientific principles of general interest, which are highlighted in this book. To mention three examples: (i) the discovery of DNA transfer of A.

Cycles of Soils

Cycles of Soils PDF

Author: F. J. Stevenson

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 1999-04-05

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 9780471320715

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An updated edition of the classic work on the inorganic chemistry of soils. * With its companion volume, Humus Chemistry, forms a complete, advanced-level treatment of both organic and inorganic aspects of soil chemistry. * Revised to keep pace with the latest developments in the field. * Provides more in-depth treatment of all topics.