Category Archives: Genetic Engineering

Citrus greening, the plague that could wipe out Florida's $9 billion orange industry, begins with the touch of a jumpy brown bug on a sun-kissed leaf. From there, the bacterial disease incubates in the tree's roots, then moves back up the trunk in full force, causing nutrient flows to seize up. Leaves turn yellow, and the oranges, deprived of sugars from the leaves, remain green, sour, and hard. Many fall before harvest, brown necrotic flesh ringing failed stems. For the past decade, Florida's oranges have been literally starving. Since it first appeared in 2005, citrus greening, also known by its Chinese name, huanglongbing, has swept across Florida's groves like a flood. With no hills to block it, the Asian citrus psyllidthe invasive aphid relative that carries the diseasehas infected nearly every orchard in the state. By one estimate, 80 percent of Florida's citrus trees are infected and declining. The disease has spread beyond Florida to nearly every orange-growing region in the United States. Despite many generations of breeding by humanity, no citrus plant resists greening; it afflicts lemons, grapefruits, and other citrus species as well. Once a tree is infected, it will die. (See "Can Parasitic Wasps Help Save America's … Continue reading →

Ending Osteoporosis For Beyond 50's Natural Healing talks, listen to an interview with Dr. Sandy Bevacqua. Founder of the World Integrated Systems of Health, she has a background in Genetic Engineering,... By: 50beyond … Continue reading →

29 - Genetic Engineering by Bailey Hanson 29 - Genetic Engineering by Bailey Hanson. By: Bruce Rasmussen … Continue reading →

Shaking Science with style from IMGGE University of Belgrade, Serbia Shaking Science with style made by the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering (IMGGE), University of Belgrade, Belgrade Serbia Video made for the Competition The Art of Shaking... By: The Art of Shaking by Kuhner Shaker … Continue reading →

Life Science 012: Genetic Engineering Life Science 012: Genetic Engineering Lesson objectives: Explaining the concept and process of genetic engineering. By: SABC Education Shows … Continue reading →

" ": How University of Belgrade shake Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade Serbia http://www.abtek.ru/home/news/161-novosti-kompanii/286-the-art-of-shaking http://vk.com/abtek... By: Abtek TV … Continue reading →

Federal authorities have been slow to answer questions about genetic engineering regulations asked by an Oregon task force assembled by Gov. John Kitzhaber. Kitzhaber launched the task force early this year to write a report framing the controversy on genetically modified organisms and how theyre regulated in Oregon. Task force members held a teleconference in early June with representatives from the USDA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which jointly regulate biotechnology. Task force members followed up with two sets of questions to clarify such issues as how the government increases tolerance levels of pesticides on biotech crops. They requested a response by mid-August. As of the task forces latest meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 3, only the FDA provided responses to the questions, according to state officials at the meeting. I personally am disappointed they have not been able to come back to us with concrete responses, says Ivan Maluski, director of Friends of Family Farmers, a group thats critical of federal oversight of biotechnology. Stephanie Page of the Oregon Department of Agriculture says representatives from USDA and EPA have apologized for the delay, citing the absences of key officials. It appears that some of the … Continue reading →

Genetic engineering was one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent history that has immensely helped mankind, according to Harikrishna Ramaprasad Saripalli, Associate Professor at Aksum University in Ethiopia. Sri Durga Malleswara Siddhartha Mahila Kalasala Department of Zoology organised a lecture on Genetic Engineering and Cell Culturing-Animal Science Perspectives here on Wednesday. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Harikrishna said that there were many advantages of genetic engineering. Diseases could be prevented by detecting people or animals that were genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases and preparing for the inevitable. Genetic engineering, a technique used to manipulate genes, makes human bodies better, and has the capacity to make disease a history, he said. Animals and plants can be tailor made to show desirable characteristics. The genetic engineering would bring novelty. Another advantage of genetic engineering is that animals and plants can be made to have desirable characteristics which could help solve some of the worlds problems. The underlining principle behind every research and novelty should be aimed at solving the problem faced by the people, he said. All these techniques and technologies should be used for the betterment of society. If a vaccine for diseases like polio was found, it should be used … Continue reading →

Cotton research institute to write to GEAC for allowing refuge in bag cottonseeds Chennai, September 10: Nagpur-based Central Institute for Cotton Research will soon write to the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to allow sale of refuge in bag (RIB) cottonseeds that will have Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) variety along with non-Bt. A process such as RIB will ensure that pests present on a farm growing genetically modified crop like cotton and corn do not develop resistance to the Bt gene that destroys them. We have conducted tests of RIB seeds for the last three years and the results are promising. We are now preparing the data on the results. Once we prepare them, we will write to GEAC, said KR Kranthi, director of the research institute. While the Bt variety will make up 95 per cent of the RIB cottonseeds, the non-Bt one will comprise the rest. While cultivating genetically-modified crops, it is mandatory for farmers to grow refuge or a non-GM trait of the same crop in five per cent of the area. In India, while selling Bt cottonseeds, seed companies provide the non-Bt refuge seeds along with them in a separate packet. The objective of the RIB concept … Continue reading →

Due to the largest-ever Ebola virus outbreak in Africa and the treatment of a handful of patients with an experimental drug, there has been a resurgence of interest in therapeutics to treat the disease. One aspect that has been largely ignored is that the drug, called ZMapp, a mixture of three varieties of humanized monoclonal antibodieswhich bind, in vivo, to proteins on the surface of the Ebola virusrepresents an exquisite tour de force of genetic engineering. The drug is obtained from genetically engineered tobacco plants that have been infected with genetically engineered plant viruses. During infection of the tobacco plants over the course of a week, the viruses, which are completely harmless to animals and humans, produce huge amounts of the antibodies. The plants are then harvested and homogenized and the antibodies are purified and formulated for administration. They bind to proteins of the Ebola virus in patients and elicit a humoral (antibody) and cellular (lymphocyte) response to the virus. A seminal study of ZMapp in monkeys experimentally infected with Ebola virus was reported last week in the journal Nature. All 18 rhesus macaques treated with the drug recovered, even when it was administered beginning up to five days after … Continue reading →