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Biotechnology
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Founded in 1997, Mendel Biotechnology, Inc., a closely-held private company, has been a pioneer in the application of functional genomics to the study of plant genes. Mendel has identified and patented the use of genes that control many aspects of plant growth and development, and is using such inventions to develop or co-develop new plant varieties with improved productivity and quality. Mendel has relationships with leading agricultural, forestry and horticulture companies for the commercialization of improved seed and plant products, including Monsanto. Mendel is developing new seed products for the emerging bioenergy market, focused on seeds and feedstock products for the cellulosic ethanol industry. For more information, visit: www.mendelbio.com.
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Biotechnology, in its broadest sense, is the use of biological systems to carry out technical processes. Food biotechnology uses genetic methods to enhance food properties and to improve production, and in particular uses direct (rather than random) strategies to modify genes that are responsible for traits such as a vegetable's nutritional content. Using modern biotechnology, scientists can move genes for valuable traits from one plant into another plant. This way, they can make a plant taste or look better, be more nutritious, protect itself from insects, produce more food, or survive and prosper in inhospitable environments, for example, by incorporating tolerance to increased soil salinity. Simply put, food biotechnology is the practice of directing genetic changes in organisms that produce food in order to make a better product.
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Biotechnology ... has applications in the mining industry. In its natural state, copper is found combined with other elements in the mineral chalcopyrite. The bacterium Thiobacillus ferrooxidans can use the molecules of copper found in chalcopyrite to form the compound copper sulfate (CuSO4), which, in turn, can be treated chemically to obtain pure copper. This microbiological mining process is used only with low-grade ores and currently accounts for about 10 percent of copper production in the United States. The percentage will rise, however, as conventionally mined high-grade deposits are exhausted. Procedures have also been developed for the use of bacteria in the mining of zinc, lead, and other metals.
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Biotechnology is having an increasingly important impact on a number of sectors and disciplines. OECD has been working on biotechnology-related topics for over 25years. These include scientific, industrial, health and agricultural applications. It ... has a strong record on safety issues in biotechnology.
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Scientists at Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. announced that they have identified the complete set of transcription factor genes in the small mustard plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. In a paper to appear in the December 15 issue of Science, Mendel scientists describe a comprehensive comparative analysis of transcription factors from plants, animals and fungi. This paper is being published at the same time scientists are announcing completion of the sequencing of the whole genome of Arabidopsis, which is the first higher plant whose genome has been completely sequenced. "Mendel’s identification of the complete set of Arabidopsis transcription factors is an important milestone," according to Dr Christopher Somerville, Chairman of Mendel and Director of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Plant Biology. "This knowledge, coupled with Mendel’s fully operational functional genomics engine, is accelerating discovery of the function of transcription factors, not only from Arabidopsis, but ... from other plant species such as soybeans and corn." "This is a major achievement for Mendel," adds Dave Summa, President and CEO.
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Biotechnology and its products have created some amazing possibility as well as raised fears among many of their potential negative consequences. There is ... the moral dimension of playing with living beings. Nevertheless, the technology and its products are here to stay. GM foods highlight both the potential and the problems with this technology. Foods like "golden rice" may one day ensure that malnutrition is never a concern. However, the fears and uncertainty of its impact on health and the environment have raised important ethical issues as in the case of Zambia turning down GM food aid while in the midst of a famine.
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