Genetically Engineering Algae for Better Biofuel.

The simplest way to make biofuel from algae is to essentially wring out the natural oils and refine them, much like petroleum. Genetic engineering can make this process more efficient. For example, scientists with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography figured out how to curb an enzyme that breaks down the lipids in algae that are crucial for making biofuel. Typically, algae growers “starve” the algae to boost lipid production, but that inhibits growth. The genetically engineered algae can grow quickly while still accumulating lots of lipids. In 2009, a Boeing 737 powered partly by algae took off from Houston and circled over the Gulf of Mexico. The 90-minute test flight was a success, bolstering hopes that algae biofuels, which emit much less carbon than standard gasoline and diesel, could soon power everything from jets to cars. But scientists have struggled to find a way to produce and process algae cheaply enough to compete with petroleum fuel. Now, thanks to advances in genetic engineering, filling up your car with algae-derived biofuel is a step closer to reality. Algae can also be used for biomanufacturing: Microscopic algae are turned into a living machine that can be genetically programmed to produce molecules like lipids and hydrocarbons ideally suited for biofuels. “If you just squeeze the oil out of algae, what you basically get is vegetable oil, which you can convert to diesel,” says Stephen Mayfield, a molecular biologist at the University of California, San Diego. “But because we have complete control of genetics now, we have all the technology to make [algae into] some kind of fancy photosynthetic machine.” Mayfield is using genetically engineered algae only to make drugs and nutritional supplements. But if oil prices rise enough for algae fuels to be cost effective, scientists hope to use what they’ve learned from that process to make biofuels that are both clean and profitable. Read more; http://discovermagazine.com/

Cells from cow knee joints used to grow new cartilage tissue in laboratory.

An effort to develop a method for cartilage tissue engineering, researchers have successfully used cartilage cells from cow knee joints. By creating a successful method with conditions conducive to growing healthy cartilage tissue, the findings could help lead to a new treatment cure for osteoarthritis using stem cell-based tissue engineering, a new report suggests. In an effort to develop a method for cartilage tissue engineering, researchers at Umeå University in Sweden successfully used cartilage cells from cow knee joints. By creating a successful method with conditions conducive to growing healthy cartilage tissue, the findings could help lead to a new treatment cure for osteoarthritis using stem cell-based tissue engineering. This is according to a doctoral dissertation at Umeå University. Tissue engineering provides a possible solution to osteoarthritis. In their experiments, the researchers at Umeå University made findings that provided useful information for efforts to develop new methods to produce cartilage-like "neotissues" in a laboratory environment. In the engineering process, the cells, the signaling molecules and the scaffold, i.e. artificial support material, are combined to regenerate tissue at the damaged site in the joint. The process is difficult and much of what constitutes suitable growth factors and a mechanical loading environment is still unknown. Today, there is a huge variety of available synthetic and natural scaffolds. It is also unclear whether stem cells or primary cells are best suited. Using primary bovine chondrocytes, i.e. cartilage cells from cows, the researchers improved methods to grow cartilage tissue in a laboratory environment, producing tissue similar to tissue normally present in the human joints. In future, these results may help the development of neocartilage production for actual cartilage repair. For this, stem cells could be grown to provide unlimited amount of material for tissue engineering. However, more research is needed to improve the tissue quality and make it more structurally similar to the hyaline cartilage found in the human body. source; science daily.

GOLDEN RICE AND VITAMIN A.

Golden rice is a form of rice with biosynthesis of beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A). In other words, golden rice is produced through genetic engineering. Beta-carotene gives golden rice its “golden” or “yellow” coloring. White rice, on the other hand, does not contain carotenoids (i.e. beta carotene) and therefore lacks that “golden” coloring. When you consume golden rice, the beta-carotene either accumulates in your fatty tissues or is transformed into vitamin A. It is important to understand that golden rice is genetically modified rice (GMO). It is a fortified food that is produced to combat a vitamin A deficiency in areas where this vitamin is scarce. More and more people are being diagnosed with a vitamin A deficiency. In fact, young children are the most vulnerable to vitamin-related deficiencies. Approximately 1 million children die of a vitamin A deficiency each year. A vitamin A deficiency can severely affect a child’s eyesight; weaken his/her immune system function and increase his/her risk of chronic conditions. Moreover, in underdeveloped countries, approximately half-a-million people, mostly children, develop blindness, associated with a vitamin A deficiency. Approximately 50% of those diagnosed with this type of deficiency-related blindness die a year or two after becoming blind (Wright, Hinchliffe & Adams, 2005). To make matters worse, approximately 10 million children suffer from malnutrition every year. In severe cases, the malnutrition turns deadly (Wright, Hinchliffe & Adams, 2005). The production of new varieties of crop not only ensure food security,but also produce disease resistant strains and crops with medical advantages.The road to food security is mapped by biotech and integration of these techniques in plant and animal production.

GENETIC ENGINEERING AND FOOD SECURITY.

Pamela Ronald talks about her work as a plant geneticist, about her work “studying genes that make plants resistant to disease and tolerant of stress.

”Genetic improvement of plants isn’t new, she says. Ancient corn had a case so hard that it couldn’t be chewed; the ancient banana was full of large seeds; ancient brussels sprouts weren’t actually individual objects.

“To create these crops, breeders used many kinds of genetic techniques,” says Ronald. “Today breeders have even more the options choose from. Some of them are extraordinarily precise.

” She moves on to her own work on rice, “the staple food for more than half the world’s population.” Every year, 40% of the rice harvest is lost to pests and disease.


“Farmers rely on varieties that carry genes for resistance. Read more ;http://blog.ted.com/why-genetic-engineering-of-plants-is-vital-for-food-security-pamela-ronald-speaks-at-ted2015/

GENETICS AND FOOD SECURITY.

I have always been fascinated about genes ,mapping,cloning and isolation. The fact that you can completely erase certain traits from a line and add desired traits to a line simply blows my mind.

 The fact that new strains,varieties and offspring's can actually be produced by gene manipulation is just awesome and its even more interesting as i believe this holds the key to food security.

 Every living form; plants,animals and even micro organisms have codes called genes, which are information about what that living form.These genes represent traits about that living form that cannot be easily recognized by looking at the organism.

Welcome to genetic engineering!!!. The work on genes dates back to sir Mendel; who explained how traits can be transferred and also what traits to expect in selective breeding both in plants and animals.This method was adopted to produce desired progeny.

 The work has progressed over the years with enormous technological development....resulting in biotechnology in agriculture.

 Agriculture has evolved over the years with many innovations to solve pressing issues such as food scarcity, diseases, environmental factors (such as flood,drought and arid region ),food preservation and lower yields.

These issues have been identified as major causes of lack of food security thus various solutions have been proffered typically biotechnology; which is the use of genetically engineered strains of plants and animals to produce better strains with higher yield and enhanced flavors.

 Farmers have been improving plants and animals through selection and breeding desirable traits.Bio technology enhances breeders ability to make improvement in crops and livestock,this is achieved through various techniques used to improve plants and animals.

Bio technology use gene modification,genetic improvement and genetic engineering

.Crops improved with transferred traits referred to as genetic improvement have been developed to aid farmers to increase productivity . 

Biotechnology holds the key to food security with higher yield and better products.