http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~frist/Seminars/biotech/

THE TOOLS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

TRANSGENIC PLANTS

• How does a gene work?


• Transformation occurs in nature


• Hitching a ride on the T-DNA


• In transgenic plants, it is possible to

  • express a novel gene from any species
  • overexpress a gene
  • inhibit expression of a gene (ie. "gene knockout")
  • express a gene in all tissues or organs
  • limit expression to a specific tissue, organ, or stimulus

MOLECULAR MARKERS

The Problem: Keeping the genes we want and getting rid of those we don't want.

• Wide cross to obtain a desireable gene
• Back cross to restore the original parental genome

The Solution: Molecular Markers

• Detecting specific DNA sequences: Polymerase chain Reaction
• Polymorphism - difference in DNA sequences
• Chromosome maps
• Use of maps in marker-assisted selection
• Applications of Molecular Markers

BREEDING VS. TRANSGENICS - Solutions, choices, benefits and drawbacks

For more information on biotechnology:

Biotech. Info at Agriculture and Agrifoods Canada
InfoBiotech Canada
Ag-West Biotech Inc.
USDA Biotechnology Information Center

next page