Genetic-based animal biotechnology has produced new food and pharmaceutical products and promises many more advances to benefit humankind. These exciting prospects are accompanied by considerable unease, however, about matters such as safety and ethics. This book identifies science-based and policy-related concerns about animal biotechnologyâ€"key issues that must be resolved before the new breakthroughs can reach their potential. The book includes a short history of the field and provides understandable definitions of terms like cloning. Looking at technologies on the near horizon, the authors discuss what we know and what we fear about their effectsâ€"the inadvertent release of dangerous microorganisms, the safety of products derived from biotechnology, the impact of genetically engineered animals on their environment. In addition to these concerns, the book explores animal welfare concerns, and our societal and institutional capacity to manage and regulate the technology and its products. This accessible volume will be important to everyone interested in the implications of the use of animal biotechnology.
An up-to-date list of terms currently in use in biotechnology, genetic engineering and allied fields. The terms in the glossary have been selected from books, dictionaries, journals and abstracts. Terms are included that are important for FAO's intergovernmental activities, especially in the areas of plant and animal genetic resources, food quality and plant protection.
The Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology, Fifth Edition, provides definitions for thousands of terms used in the study of cell and molecular biology. The headword count has been expanded to 12,000 from 10,000 in the Fourth Edition. Over 4,000 headwords have been rewritten. Some headwords have second, third, and even sixth definitions, while fewer than half are unchanged. Many of the additions were made to extend the scope in plant cell biology, microbiology, and bioinformatics. Several entries related to specific pharmaceutical compounds have been removed, while some generic entries ("alpha blockers, "NSAIDs, and "tetracycline antibiotics, for example), and some that are frequently part of the experimentalist's toolkit and probably never used in the clinic, have been retained. The Appendix includes prefixes for SI units, the Greek alphabet, useful constants, and single-letter codes for amino acids. - Thoroughly revised and expanded by over 20% with over 12,000 entries in cellular and molecular biology - Includes expanded coverage of terms, including plant molecular biology, microbiology and biotechnology areas - Consistently provides the most complete short definitions of technical terminology for anyone working in life sciences today - Features extensive cross-references - Provides multiple definitions, notes on word origins, and other useful features
Even if you studied biotechnology in school, if you haven't stayed current, it's not likely you'll be able to speak the same language as today's biotech scientists. The same is even truer for nanotechnology where everything gets smaller and smaller, except the terminology required to navigate it. In the Glossary of Biotechnology and Nanobiotechnology Terms, Fourth Edition, Kimball Nill continues to improve upon the reference that for over a decade has helped thousands of professionals, including scientists, attorneys, government workers, lobbyists, venture capitalists, and university tech transfer staff, to communicate successfully with those working on the cutting edge of modern science. Now in its fourth edition, Nill has taken the much appreciated step of adding nanotechnology to his glossary. Just by casually perusing the Glossary of Biotechnology and Nanobiotechnology Terms, Fourth Edition you will learn a number of enlightening facts. Even those in related sciences will be surprised to discover what the language unveils. The Glossary of Biotechnology and Nanobiotechnology Terms, Fourth Edition is a handy reference designed for people with little or no training in the biological and chemical sciences, as well as scientists communicating from other disciplines. Unlike other glossaries, this one is both informative and completely accessible. Instead of looking up one term to end up mired in equally difficult terminology, this intelligently designed volume follows what the author refers to as a Reference Chain that steadily leads you to simpler more common terminology, down to a level that anyone with a high school education will be able to understand. The definitions are written utilizing words that enable you to conceptualize the idea embodied in the term, with explanations based on analogy whenever possible. Consider this example: Suppose you just received a funding request, a faculty memo, or patent concern that refers to A-DNA, which happens to be the first definition in the Glossary. A-DNA A particular right-handed helical form of DNA (possessing 11 base pairs per turn), which is the form that DNA molecules exist in when they are partially dehydrated. A-form DNA is found in fibers at 75% relative humidity and requires the presence of sodium, potassium, or cesium as the counterion. Instead of lying flat, the bases are tilted with respect to the helical axis, and there are more base pairs per turn. The A-form is biologically interesting because it is probably very close to the conformation adopted by DNA-RNA hybrids or by RNA-RNA double-stranded regions. The reason is that the presence of the 2'2 hydroxyl group prevents RNA from lying in the B-form. See also B-DNA, DNA-RNA HYBRID, DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (DNA), BASE PAIR (bp) But then after looking at the above definition, you wonder what exactly is a DNA-RNA Hybrid? DNA-RNA Hybrid A double helix that consists of one chain of DNA hydrogen-bonded to a chain of RNA by means of complementary base pairs. See also HYBRIDIZATION (MOLECULAR GENETICS), HYBRIDIZATION (PLANT GENETICS), DOUBLE HELIX ...however while you've often heard mention of a double helix, you were never quite sure what that meant.... Double Helix The natural coiled conformation of two complementary, antiparallel DNA chains. This structure was first put forward by Watson and Crick in 1953. See also DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (DNA) And that might brings you to ask, Do you really actually know what DNA is? Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Discovered by Frederick Miescher in 1869, it is the chemical basis for genes. The chemical building blocks (molecules) of which genes (i.e., paired nucleotide units that code for a protein to be produced by a cell's machinery, such as its ribosomes) are constructed. Every inherited characteristic has its origin somewhere in the code of the organism's complement of DNA. The code is made up of subunits called nucleic acids. The sequence of the four nucleic acids is interpreted by certain molecular systems in order to produce the proteins required by an organism. The structure of the DNA molecule was elucidated in 1953.... The Glossary of Biotechnology and Nanobiotechnology Terms, Fourth Edition is packed with over 400 pages of exceptionally well-organized and cross-referenced terminology, making it an essential reference for anyone working directly or indirectly with those pioneering the frontiers of modern biology.
Many potential applications of synthetic and systems biology are relevant to the challenges associated with the detection, surveillance, and responses to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. On March 14 and 15, 2011, the Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) Forum on Microbial Threats convened a public workshop in Washington, DC, to explore the current state of the science of synthetic biology, including its dependency on systems biology; discussed the different approaches that scientists are taking to engineer, or reengineer, biological systems; and discussed how the tools and approaches of synthetic and systems biology were being applied to mitigate the risks associated with emerging infectious diseases. The Science and Applications of Synthetic and Systems Biology is organized into sections as a topic-by-topic distillation of the presentations and discussions that took place at the workshop. Its purpose is to present information from relevant experience, to delineate a range of pivotal issues and their respective challenges, and to offer differing perspectives on the topic as discussed and described by the workshop participants. This report also includes a collection of individually authored papers and commentary.
This book contains alphabetical entries of around 230 biotechnological terms frequently used in publications. The choice of terms and the type of definitions addresses in particular the community of chemists and chemical engineers. In this book an English term appears with translations into six languages in the same volume.
Between 1973 and 2016, the ways to manipulate DNA to endow new characteristics in an organism (that is, biotechnology) have advanced, enabling the development of products that were not previously possible. What will the likely future products of biotechnology be over the next 5â€"10 years? What scientific capabilities, tools, and/or expertise may be needed by the regulatory agencies to ensure they make efficient and sound evaluations of the likely future products of biotechnology? Preparing for Future Products of Biotechnology analyzes the future landscape of biotechnology products and seeks to inform forthcoming policy making. This report identifies potential new risks and frameworks for risk assessment and areas in which the risks or lack of risks relating to the products of biotechnology are well understood.
This dictionary attempts to define routinely used specialized language in the various areas of biotechnology, and remain suitable for use by scientists involved in unrelated disciplines. Viewing biotechnology as the practical application of biological systems to the manufacturing and service industries, and to the management of the environment, terms defined have been selected from as broad a spectrum as possible to include work accomplished by the following disciplines: (1) microbiology; (2) pharmacology; (3) biochemistry; (4) chemistry; (5) physiology; (6) chemical engineering; (7) genetic engineering; (8) enzymology; and (9) cell biology. The typical biotechnologist can utilize this dictionary to integrate specialized work with studies being carried out by collaborators in related fields, particularly with respect to differences in terminology, i.e., jargon. (JJK)
