Hi! Thanks for the question.
I shall provide direct sources that answer your questions. I will also
provide quotes from some of the articles that I will cite here but I
certainly suggest that you read them in their entirety so as to get a
better perspective. Some documents are in PDF file so you will need
the Adobe Acrobat Reader to read them. In case you haven’t installed
it yet here is a link so you could download The Adobe Acrobat Reader
(http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html).
The Virginia Tech Institute and State University and the next link
which is a UK site, have good backgrounds on plant biotechnology and
the method used to achieve it.
“Plants are made of millions of cells all working together. Every cell
of a plant has a complete "instruction manual" or genome (pronounced
"JEE-nom") that is inherited from the parents of the plant as a
combination of their genomes.”
“Genes are found within the genome and serve as the ‘words’ of the
instruction manual. When a cell reads a word, or in scientific terms
"expresses a gene," a specific protein is produced. Proteins give an
individual cell, and therefore the plant, its form and function. Genes
(words) are written using the four-letter alphabet A, C, G, T. The
letters are abbreviations for four chemicals called bases, which
together make up DNA. DNA is universal in nature, meaning that the
four chemical bases of DNA are the same in all living organisms.
Consequently, a gene from one organism can function in any other
organism.”
“The ability to move genes into plants from other organisms, thereby
producing new proteins in the plant, has resulted in significant
achievements in plant biotechnology that were not possible using
traditional breeding practices.”
“One method to transfer DNA into plants takes advantage of a system
found in nature. The bacterium that causes "crown gall tumors" injects
its DNA into a plant genome, forcing the plant to create a suitable
environment for the bacterium to live. After discovering this process,
scientists were able to "disarm" the bacterium, put new genes into it,
and use the bacterium to harmlessly insert the desired genes into the
plant genome.”
“In the "biolistic" or "gene gun" method, microscopic gold beads are
coated with the gene of interest and shot into the plant cell with a
burst of helium. Once inside the cell, the gene comes off the bead and
integrates into the cell's genome.”
“It was also discovered that plant cells could be 'electroporated' or
mixed with a gene and 'shocked' with a pulse of electricity, causing
holes to form in the cell through which the DNA could flow. The cell
is subsequently able to repair the holes and the gene becomes a part
of the plant genome.”
Plant Biotechnology
Authors: Randy Vines, Extension Specialist, Biotechnology Information;
Virginia Tech
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/biotech/443-002/443-002.html
“Plant biotechnology is an extension of this traditional plant
breeding with one very important difference -- plant biotechnology
allows for the transfer of a greater variety of genetic information in
a more precise, controlled manner.”
“Unlike traditional plant breeding, which involves the crossing of
hundreds or thousands of genes, plant biotechnology allows for the
transfer of only one or a few desirable genes. This more precise
science allows plant breeders to develop crops with specific
beneficial traits and without undesirable traits.”
“The Basics of Plant Biotechnology”
http://www.monsanto.co.uk/primer/basics.html
The article “Biotechnology Basics” provides an explanation of the
difference between ordinary plant breeding and biotechnology.
“Since Gregor Mendel’s first experimentation with cross-breeding peas,
science has progressed fast and furiously toward new innovations in
agriculture. Biotechnology takes Mendel’s breeding principles one,
precise step farther. By identifying a particular genetic trait (gene)
in one organism, removing it and then placing it in another organism,
the ability to immediately create a product with added benefits is
possible.”
“Biotechnology isolates the specific gene of a desired trait or
characteristic and transfers it into an existing product. In
traditional plant breeding, trying to achieve this specific
characteristic/trait transfer could take years, sometimes with limited
or no success”
“But biotechnology is not limited to agriculture. Its promise is being
applied to medicine, where proteins that can fight infection and
disease are being replicated at a cheaper, faster rate, as well as
helping clean up the environment.”
“Biotechnology Basics”
http://www.cpha.net/bioregs.pdf
The following page provides a discussion on the basic tools that one
can use for plant tissue culture which is one form of plant
biotechnology.
“Kitchen Culture Kit”
http://www.kitchenculturekit.com/kit.htm
If you would need to design a laboratory, this article provides the
necessary steps you will have to take.
“Designing a Plant Micropropagation Laboratory”
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/tisscult/microprop/facilities/microlab.html
The following websites provides links to papers and web resources on
the explanation of plant biotechnology and its methods.
Plant Biotechnology Tutorials
http://sbc.ucdavis.edu/Outreach/resource/tutorial_biotech.htm#Plant
Biotechnology Tutorials
Plant Tissue Culture & Biotechnology WEB Sites
http://www.agro.agri.umn.edu/plant-tc/ptcb.htm
The next articles and links maybe of further assistance to your
research:
“Biotech Basics - Achievements in Plant Biotechnology 1999”
http://www.biotechknowledge.monsanto.com/biotech/bbasics.nsf/achievements.html?OpenPage
“AN AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY ANNOTATED DICTIONARY”
by Susan Allender-Hagedorn and Charles Hagedorn
http://filebox.vt.edu/cals/cses/chagedor/glossary.html
Kitchen Culture Kits (The website where I got the equipment list also
provides more information on plant biotechnology)
http://www.kitchenculturekit.com/tcinfo.htm#Basics
Search terms used:
“plant biotechnology” basics tools equipment
I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if
you would need further information.
Thanks for visiting us at Google Answers.
Regards,
Easterangel-ga |
Clarification of Answer by
easterangel-ga
on
27 Sep 2002 11:35 PDT
Hi! Thanks for asking a clarification.
One of the plant biotechnology techniques used is Micropropagation in
plant tissue culture. The following site provides a variety of
information on Micropropagation.
“Micropropagation is the art and science of plant multiplication in
vitro. The process includes many steps--stock plant care, explant
selection and sterilization, media manipulation to obtain
proliferation, rooting, acclimation, and growing on of liners.”
Micropropagation
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/tisscult/microprop/microprop.html
The following Micropropagation technique called “shoot tip culture”
which is described below.
“Shoot tip culture is the method in widest use for the mass
propagation of woody species. An actively growing shoot tip is surface
sterilized and placed on a defined culture medium under sterile
conditions. The culture medium contains inorganic and organic salts
(macronutrients, micronutrients and vitamins) as well as an energy
source (sucrose or table sugar), growth regulators, and agar )to gel
the medium). If the growth regulators are appropriately balanced, the
shoot tip elongates, lateral buds break and begin growth, and
adventitious shoots are also produced on the stem piece. This rapid
proliferation of shoots results in masses of shoots being produced
from a single shoot tip. Up to a hundred shoots may be produced in as
little as eight to twelve weeks from a single tip. The number of
shoots produced and the rapidity of shoot proliferation varies between
species, and in some cases, between cultivars of a single species.
Shoots are removed from the cultures at regular intervals and a
portion of the mass is replaced on fresh media to continue
proliferation. The small shoots which are removed are then rooted in a
separate medium, either a sterile gelled medium or a peat-perlite
medium (in much the same fashion as conventional woody cuttings).”
“TISSUE CULTURE OF WOODY PLANTS”
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/tisscult/microprop/woodypl.html
The following are other examples of Micropropagation technique:
"Micropropagation of Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow'"
R. Daniel Lineberger and Audrey Wanstreet
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/tisscult/microprop/ajuga/ajuga.html
“Virus-free Red Raspberry Propagation Auto-Tutorial Module” By Dr.
Kenneth Mudge & Brian Caldwell
http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/hort400/raspberry/raspberry.html
"PLANT MICROPROPAGATION USING AFRICAN VIOLET LEAVES"
http://www.biotech.iastate.edu/publications/lab_protocols/AV_Micropropagation.html
Bioreactor Systems meanwhile are also used in Plant Biotechnology.
“Tulecke & Nickel cultivated plant cell cultures in simple bioreactor
systems such as aerated carboys of 9 litre volume, but also in steel
tanks up to 134 litre working volume. Recently the plant cell cultures
were cultivated semi-continuously in bioreactors of 75 in. 'with a
working value of 60M3 for several months without problems with respect
to sterility (Westphal & Rittershaus, 1992). More recently normal
commercial reactors developed for cultivation of microorganisms were
used with slight modification for cultivation of plant cells. However,
plant cells grow much more slowly which requires a longer cultivation
time. This means it requires higher demands for sterility of the
reactors. Plant cells form large aggregates, therefore the pipes for
transfer as well as for sampling have to be enlarged. Because of
cellulose plant cell walls are relatively sensitive to shear stress
although Scragg (1990) recorded cell lines with a higher shear
resistance after selection.”
"IN VITRO PRODUCTION OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM
MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS"
http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:TCRjkj_YCksC:www.telmedpak.com/agricultures.asp%3Fa%3Dagriculture%26b%3Dmed_plant13+%22bioreactor+systems%22+%22plant+biotechnology%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Another technique used is Genetic Engineering.
“A new use for genetic engineering is regulating the production of
desired proteins with the idea of "mining" these proteins. For
example, genetically engineered tobacco plants may be used to produce
large quantities of lysozyme, an enzyme used in many detergents.
Tobacco already has a small amount of naturally occurring lysozymes.
The genetic control region that regulates production of lysozyme can
be turned up, much like we turn up the thermostat at home when we want
more heat. Genetically engineered tobacco can be harvested and the
lysozyme mined from the leaves. Similar techniques are being used to
mine pharmaceutical chemicals.”
Genetic Engineering of Food, Feed, and Fiber:
Understanding Genetic Engineering
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/resources/crops/ag546-1/ag546-1.html
“A number of genetically engineered plant varieties have been
developed. Traits that have been introduced by transformation include
herbicide resistance, increased virus tolerance, or decreased
sensitivity to insect or pathogen attack. Traditionally, most of such
genetically engineered plants were tobacco, petunia, or similar
species with a relatively limited agricultural application. However,
during the past decade it now has become possible to transform major
staples such as corn and rice and to regenerate them to a fertile
plant. Increasingly, the transformation procedures used do not depend
on Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Instead, DNA can be delivered into the
cells by small, µm-sized tungsten or gold bullets coated with the DNA.
The bullets are fired from a device that works similar to a shotgun.
The modernized device uses a sudden change in pressure of He gas to
propel the particles, but the principle of "shooting" the DNA into the
cell remains the same. This DNA-delivery device is nicknamed "gene
gun", and has been shown to work for DNA delivery into chloroplasts as
well. Over the last several years, use of the "gene gun" has become a
very common method to transform plants, and has been shown to be
applicable to virtually all species investigated. For example,
transformation of rice by this method is now routine. This is a very
important development as rice is the most important crop in the world
in terms of the number of people critically dependent on it for a
major part of their diet.”
"Plant Genetic Engineering: Methodology"
http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:2M3Ko1SafUsC:photoscience.la.asu.edu/photosyn/courses/BIO_343/lecture/geneng.html+%22plant+biotechnology%22+genetic+engineering&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Ballistic Impregnation could also be used in Plant Biotechnology.
“These include ballistic impregnation, also known as "bioballistics"
or "biolistics," an unlikely-sounding projectile science developed and
popularized during the 1980s and used for narrow-leafed plants such as
grasses and grains.”
“A specially-designed ``gene gun'' fires dozens of metal slivers like
bullets at target cells. The tiny pellets, usually of tungsten or
gold, are much smaller than the diameter of the target cell, and
coated with genetic material.”
“While the shell cartridge is stopped in its tracks by a perforated
metal plate, the metallic micro-missiles are able to penetrate into
living cells where the genetic material is then carried to the nucleus
to be integrated among the host genes.”
“Gene guns have helped to transform monocot species such as corn and
rice. Monocots, meaning monocotyledonae or plants with one cotyledon
or seed leaf, comprise a quarter of all flowering plant types. Barley
and wheat also derive from monocots.”
“'Gene gun' blazes away in biotech fight on famine”
http://sdnp.delhi.nic.in/resources/biotech/news/enn-20-11-01-gun.html
The next link provides real life situation in the use of genetic
engineering in plants.
"A Report on Genetically Engineered Crops"
http://members.tripod.com/c_rader0/gemod.htm#potatofamine
The next link provides other plant tissue culture resources on the
Internet.
Plant Tissue Culture Research at the University of Minnesota
http://www.agro.agri.umn.edu/plant-tc/optc.htm
In terms of skills necessary, this “Mediterranean Agronomic Institute
of Chaina website, provides topics for its course on biodiversity and
plant biotechnology.
MAICh
http://www.maich.gr/natural/shortcourses/biotechnology/
I hope this would answer the questions in your clarification. In case
you would need further research assistance please do not hesitate to
ask. Thanks for visiting us.
Regards,
Easterangel-ga
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