E-Book Overview
Genetically engineered plant products line the shelves of our grocery stores, but we don't know which ones they are because no label identifies them. Should we be concerned? It is true that biotech companies are saying that engineered corn and canola are safe, but are they telling the truth? In High Tech Harvest, Paul Lurquin answers these questions and more, believing that the public has a right to know and understand how its food is manipulated at the most basic level, that of the DNA itself. With the goal to inform, and a mission to reinforce the importance of the scientific method, Paul Lurquin writes a comprehensive and user-friendly description of the scientific origins, the development, and the applications of genetically modified plants throughout the world today. Lurquin argues that only with an understanding of the basic science can people make informed and reasonable decisions about genetically modified foods.
E-Book Content
HIGH TECH
HARVEST
This page intentionally left blank
HIGH TECH
HARVEST
Understanding Genetically Modified Food Plants
Paul F. Lurquin
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright © 2002 by Westview Press, A Member of the Perseus Books Group Westview Press books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the United States by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142, or call (617) 252-5298. Published in 2002 in the United States of America by Westview Press, 5500 Central Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80301-2877, and in the United Kingdom by Westview Press, 12 Hids Copse Road, Cumnor Hill, Oxford OX2 9JJ Find us on the World Wide Web at www.westviewpress.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lurquin, Paul F. High tech harvest: understanding genetically modified food plants / Paul F. Lurquin. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ). ISBN 0-8133-3946-4 (alk. paper) 1. Transgenic plants. 2. Plant genetic engineering. 3. Plant biotechnology. I. Title. SB123.57 .L88 2002 631.5'233—dc21
2002004938 The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48-1984. 1 0 9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
To Antigone, Jean-Paul, Lev, and Louis-Ferdinand, for general inspiration and attitudes in life.
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
List of Illustrations Preface Chronology of Events
ix xi xv
Introduction
1
1 Before Biotechnology Before Genetics, 7 The Discovery of Genes, 9 Genes Are Located on Chromosomes, 19 2 From Mendel to DNA The Chemical Nature of Genes, 26 The Structure of DNA, 30 The Flow of Genetic Information in Cells, 35 3 Genes in the Test Tube: The Recombinant DNA Revolution Cloning, 43 Another Technique, 50 Identifying Cloned Genes, 52 The Fine Structure of Genes, 54 Safety, 58 4 Difficult Beginnings and Great Triumphs: The Transformation of Plants False Starts, 65 An Unlikely Ally, 73
vii
7
25
41
63
viii
CONTENTS Agrobacterium Does Transfer Genes to Plants After All, 77 The Taming of Agrobacterium, 83 Back to the Beginning, 87
5 Plant Biotechnology: Accomplishments and Goals with Food Plants Crop Protection, 97 Boosting Yields Through Enh