PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

Table of Contents
Introduction ………………………………………………………………
Outline …………………………………………………………………………
Key Concepts……………………………………………………………..
Content ……………………………………………………………………….
Summary …………………………………………………………………….
References ………………………………………………………………..
Introduction

Biotechnology is essentially the product of interaction between the science of biology

and technology. The products of biotechnology are going to have a major impact on the

quality of human life, productivity, trade and economics in the world.

Plant biotechnology is a set of techniques used to adapt plants for specific needs or

opportunities. Situations that combine multiple needs and opportunities are common.

For example, a single crop may be required to provide sustainable food and healthful

nutrition, protection of the environment, and opportunities for jobs and income. Finding

or developing suitable plants is typically a highly complex challenge.

What is meant by Plant Biotechnology?

"Application of science and technology to plants, parts, products and models, to alter

living or inert materials, in order to develop knowledge, goods and services" (OECD)

"Plant Biology Based Technology" (BIOVEGEN)

OUTLINE

I. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

a. Definition of Plant Biotechnology

b. History of Plant Biotechnology

c. Traditional Method (Selective and Hybrid Breeding)

II. METHODS OF PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

a. Protoplast Fusion

b. Transformation by Agrobacterium Method

c. Leaf Fragment Technique

d. Transformation by Gene Gun Method

e. RNA Interference (RNAi)

-Antisense Technology

III. GMO

a. Definition of GMO

b. GM crops

c. Advantages of GMO

d. ISSUES WITH GMO

e. GMO in the Philippines

KEY CONCEPTS

 Plant biotechnology describes a precise process in which scientific techniques

are used to develop useful and beneficial plants’’

(According to the Council for Biotechnology Information )

 There are different Methods of Plant Biotechnology, these are Protoplast

Fusion, Transformation by Agrobacterium Method, Leaf Fragment Technique,

Transformation by Gene Gun Method and RNA Interference (RNAi) used in

Antisense Technology

 GMO stands for “genetically modified organism”. A GMO is created when the

genes from one species are artificially forced, in laboratory conditions, into the

gene structures of unrelated plants or animals. Sometimes GMOs are referred to

as transgenic products.

 Advantages of GMO include Insect Control, Weed Management, Disease

Resistance, Enhanced Nutrition, Future Transgenic Products, Biofuel.

 There are also issues raised with the use of GMO among those are Human

Health (Allergens, Antibiotic resistance) , Environmental Impact (Effect on non-

target species, Super weeds, Super bugs), Propaganda and Increased

Dependency of Famers
CONTENT

Plant Biotechnology

“Plant biotechnology describes a precise process in which scientific techniques are

used to develop useful and beneficial plants’’

(According to the Council for Biotechnology Information )

HISTORY OF PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

- Early Plant breeding

- Humans domesticate crops.

- Breed plants to further improve desirable characteristics

- Plant breeding started approximately 12,000 years ago …

Selective Breeding - Farmers cross plants with desirable traits to increase the

likelihood of producing offspring with that trait.

Hybridization - It is the process of interbreeding between individuals of different

species (interspecific hybridization) or genetically divergent individuals from the same

species (intraspecific hybridization).

Methods of Plant Biotechnology

1. Protoplast Fusion – This is done by degrading cell wall with cellulase . A cell

lacking a cell wall is called a protoplast . The protoplasts from different species of

plants can be fused together to create a hybrid. The fused protoplasts grow in

nutrient agar for a few weeks. The colonies are then transferred to media to

induce root and shoot growth

2. Transformation by Agrobacterium Method - Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a

soil bactergenetically engineer plants. It causes crown gall disease in a wide

range of broad-leaved plants such as apple.Basically, the bacterium transfers

part of its DNA to the plant, and this DNA integrates into the plant’s genome,

causing the production of tumors and associated changes in plant metabolism.

Ti plasmid integrates into the DNA of the host cell, making it an ideal vehicle for

transferring recombinant DNA to plant cells

3. Leaf Fragment Technique - Small discs of leaf incubated with genetically

modified Agrobacterium Ti plasmid. Treat with hormones to stimulate shoot and

root development

4. Transformation by Gene Gun Method - Blast tiny metal beads coated with

DNA into an embryonic plant cell

5. RNA Interference (RNAi) - Inhibits gene expression by interfering with

transcription or translation of RNA molecules.

a. Antisense Technology - Flavr SavrTM tomato introduced in 1994

Ripe tomatoes normally produce the enzyme, polyglacturonase (PG) which

digests pectin. Scientists isolated the PG gene, produced a complementary gene

 which produces a complementary mRNA that binds to the normal mRNA

inactivating the normal mRNA for this enzyme

GMO

 GMO stands for “genetically modified organism”

 A GMO is created when the genes from one species are artificially forced, in laboratory

conditions, into the gene structures of unrelated plants or animals.

 Sometimes GMOs are referred to as transgenic products.

GM Crops

• Maize (Zea mays L.)

• Melon (Cucumis melo)

• Papaya (Carica papaya)

• Petunia (Petunia hybrida)

• Plum (Prunus domestica)

• Polish canola (Brassica rapa)

• Poplar (Populus sp.)

• Eggplant (Solanum melongena)

• Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.)

• Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)

• Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

• Apple (Malus x Domestica)

• Argentine Canola (Brassica napus)

• Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

 • Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus)

• Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

• Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

• Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera)

Advantages of GMO
 Insect Control
• Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces a protein that is toxic to plant pests
• Transgenic plants contain the gene for the Bt toxin and have a built-in
defense against these plant pests
• Bt is low in toxicity to people and other mammals. Several studies have
found no evidence of sickness or infection as a result of exposure.
• However, some products with Bt have caused eye and skin irritation. In
one study, rats breathed in very high doses of concentrated Bt. Some had
runny noses, crusty eyes, and goose bumps. Others were less active or
lost weight.

 Weed Management ( Herbicide resistance) - Scientists who use genetic engineering

techniques for food production have the same goal as traditional breeders:
making our food supply safer for consumers and the environment and less
expensive to produce. An estimated 5.5 million farmers grow transgenic crops
on 130 million acres in about 15 countries, led by the US and Canada. Virtually
all of the biotech crops on the market today were developed to reduce crop
damage by weeds, diseases, and insects. Anyone who grows a garden or
maintains a lawn knows the importance of weed management.

 Disease Resistance- Vaccines for plants contain dead or weakened strains of

plant viruses to turn on the plant’s immune system. Transgenic plants express
viral proteins to confer immunity

 Enhanced Nutrition- Golden rice that is genetically modified to produce large

amounts of beta carotene. QPM: Maize with increased nutritive value

 Future Transgenic Products – RNAi is being explored as a way to create the

next wave of genetically modified foods.
  Biofuel – fuel derived from biomass. Bioethanol is a biofuel made by fermenting
the sugar components of plant materials into alcohol. This sort of fermentation is
the same metabolic process that is used to convert carbohydrates into alcoholic
beverages such as beer and wine. Distillation of the fermentation broth yields
pure ethanol (bioethanol) that can be used as a transport biofuel

ISSUES WITH GMO

 Human Health
• Allergens
• Antibiotic resistance
• GMO generated a number of questions about possible negative
consequences. People with concerns about this technology have reacted
in many ways, from participating in letter-writing campaigns to
demonstrating in the streets to vandalizing institutions where transgenic
research is being conducted. These are complex issues and have
powerful emotional appeal, particularly as they relate to human health.
 Environmental Impact
 Effect on non-target species
 Super weeds
 Super bugs
 In addition to concerns relating to human health a number of opponents
of genetically modified food express concerns about damage to the
environment. The Monarch butterfly became a symbol for the anti-
biotech movement in the 1990’s because of a laboratory experiment
with Bt corn pollen that suggested that the pollen produced by the
transgenic corn could be deadly to monarch butterflies. The results
were expected. Researchers had known for years that, in large doses,
the toxin naturally produced by B. thuringiensis could be harmful to
butterflies. Still, the report set off a firestorm of controversy.

 Propaganda – There are issues raised about how GM crops aren’t actually
different from the organic crops.

 Dependency of Farmers - Farmers who buy GMO seeds must pay licensing
fees and sign contracts that dictate how they can grow the crop – and even allow
seed companies to inspect their farms. GMO seeds are expensive and farmers
must buy them each year or else be liable for patent infringement. And while
 contamination can happen through no fault of their own, farmers have been sued
for “seed piracy” when unauthorized GMO crops show up in their fields.

GMO in the Philippines

The debate is still ongoing. But in the Philippines, as in the rest of the world,
its actual use has gained the upper hand over all the talk and protests against
it.

In truth, genetically modified (GM) food has been eaten by Filipinos every day
since it was first introduced in 1996, said Dr. Saturnina C. Halos, consultant,
Biotech and Climate Change of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Halos was one of three speakers at the recent Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) Media Seminar on Food Safety, organized by the
Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines (BCP), Philippine Rice Research
Institute (PhilRice), and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

One of the pillars of biotechnology in the country, Halos said an everyday

Filipino breakfast can include hotdog, cheese, coffee, fruit juice, eggs, corned
beef, and even chocolate bars—all containing genetically-modified Textured
Vegetable Protein or TVP.
SUMMARY
Plant biotechnology is a precise process in which scientific techniques are

used to develop useful and beneficial plants. There are different Methods of Plant

Biotechnology, these are Protoplast Fusion, Transformation by Agrobacterium Method,

Leaf Fragment Technique, Transformation by Gene Gun Method and RNA Interference

(RNAi) used in Antisense Technology.

GMO stands for “genetically modified organism”. A GMO is created when the genes

from one species are artificially forced, in laboratory conditions, into the gene structures

of unrelated plants or animals. Sometimes GMOs are referred to as transgenic

products. Advantages of GMO include Insect Control, Weed Management, Disease

Resistance, Enhanced Nutrition, Future Transgenic Products, Biofuel. There are also

issues raised with the use of GMO among those are Human Health (Allergens,

Antibiotic resistance) , Environmental Impact (Effect on non-target species, Super

weeds, Super bugs), Propaganda and Increased Dependency of Famers

GM crops has already been used in the Philippines although there are still

debates and issues concerning the use of them, some farmers already rely on this

technology which not only increases their profit but as some scientist says could also

help our economy as well.

UPDATES
REFERENCES

- Mason, Raven Biology 9th edition

- www.austincc.edu/awheeler/Files/BIOL%20Fall%202010/chapter%206.ppt

- web.mnstate.edu/.../Talk%208%20%20Plant%20Biotechnology%20and%20GM
Os.p...

-https://philippinesgraphic.net/the-gmo-in-your-food/