| 1. |
- Munthe, Christian, 1962
(författare)
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Precaution and Ethics: Handling risks, uncertainties and knowledge gaps in the regulation of new biotechnologies
- 2017
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This volume outlines and analyses ethical issues actualized by applying a precautionary approach to the regulation of new biotechnologies. It presents a novel way of categorizing and comparing biotechnologies from a precautionary standpoint. Based on this, it addresses underlying philosophical problems regarding the ethical assessment of decision-making under uncertainty and ignorance, and discusses how risks and possible benefits of such technologies should be balanced from an ethical standpoint. It argues on conceptual and ethical grounds for a technology neutral regulation as well as for a regulation that not only checks new technologies but also requires old, inferior ones to be phased out. It demonstrates how difficult ethical issues regarding the extent and ambition of precautionary policies need to be handled by such a regulation, and presents an overarching framework for doing so.
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| 2. |
- Sandin, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Technology neutrality and regulation of agricultural biotechnology
- 2018
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Ingår i: Professionals in food chains: ethics, rules and responsibility. EurSafe 2018, Vienna, Austria 13 – 16 June 2018 / edited by: Svenja Springer, Herwig Grimm. - Wageningen, Netherlands : Wageningen Academic Publishers. - 9789086863211
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Agricultural biotechnology, in particular genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is subject to regulation in many areas of the world, not least in the European Union (EU). A number of authors have argued that those regulatory processes are unfair, costly, and slow and that regulation therefore should move in the direction of increased ‘technology neutrality’. The issue is becoming more pressing, especially since new biotechnologies such as CRISPR increasingly blur the regulatory distinction between GMOs and non-GMOs. This paper offers a definition of technology neutrality, uses the EU GMO regulation as a starting point for exploring technology neutrality, and presents distinctions between variants of the call for technology neutral GMO regulation in the EU.
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| 3. |
- Guschanski, Katerina, et al.
(författare)
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The evolution of duplicate gene expression in mammalian organs
- 2017
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Ingår i: Genome Research. - : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. - 1088-9051 .- 1549-5469. ; 27:9, s. 1461-1474
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gene duplications generate genomic raw material that allows the emergence of novel functions, likely facilitating adaptive evolutionary innovations. However, global assessments of the functional and evolutionary relevance of duplicate genes in mammals were until recently limited by the lack of appropriate comparative data. Here, we report a large-scale study of the expression evolution of DNA-based functional gene duplicates in three major mammalian lineages (placental mammals, marsupials, egg-laying monotremes) and birds, on the basis of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from nine species and eight organs. We observe dynamic changes in tissue expression preference of paralogs with different duplication ages, suggesting differential contribution of paralogs to specific organ functions during vertebrate evolution. Specifically, we show that paralogs that emerged in the common ancestor of bony vertebrates are enriched for genes with brain-specific expression and provide evidence for differential forces underlying the preferential emergence of young testis-and liver-specific expressed genes. Further analyses uncovered that the overall spatial expression profiles of gene families tend to be conserved, with several exceptions of pronounced tissue specificity shifts among lineage-specific gene family expansions. Finally, we trace new lineage-specific genes that may have contributed to the specific biology of mammalian organs, including the little-studied placenta. Overall, our study provides novel and taxonomically broad evidence for the differential contribution of duplicate genes to tissue-specific transcriptomes and for their importance for the phenotypic evolution of vertebrates.
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| 4. |
- Lethin, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Development and characterization of an EMS-mutagenized wheat population and identification of salt-tolerant wheat lines
- 2020
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Ingår i: Bmc Plant Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2229. ; 20:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Triticum aestivum (wheat) is one of the world's oldest crops and has been used for >8000 years as a food crop in North Africa, West Asia and Europe. Today, wheat is one of the most important sources of grain for humans, and is cultivated on greater areas of land than any other crop. As the human population increases and soil salinity becomes more prevalent, there is increased pressure on wheat breeders to develop salt-tolerant varieties in order to meet growing demands for yield and grain quality. Here we developed a mutant wheat population using the moderately salt-tolerant Bangladeshi variety BARI Gom-25, with the primary goal of further increasing salt tolerance. Results After titrating the optimal ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) concentration, ca 30,000 seeds were treated with 1% EMS, and 1676 lines, all originating from single seeds, survived through the first four generations. Most mutagenized lines showed a similar phenotype to BARI Gom-25, although visual differences such as dwarfing, giant plants, early and late flowering and altered leaf morphology were seen in some lines. By developing an assay for salt tolerance, and by screening the mutagenized population, we identified 70 lines exhibiting increased salt tolerance. The selected lines typically showed a 70% germination rate on filter paper soaked in 200 mM NaCl, compared to 0-30% for BARI Gom-25. From two of the salt-tolerant OlsAro lines (OA42 and OA70), genomic DNA was sequenced to 15x times coverage. A comparative analysis against the BARI Gom-25 genomic sequence identified a total of 683,201 (OA42), and 768,954 (OA70) SNPs distributed throughout the three sub-genomes (A, B and D). The mutation frequency was determined to be approximately one per 20,000 bp. All the 70 selected salt-tolerant lines were tested for root growth in the laboratory, and under saline field conditions in Bangladesh. The results showed that all the lines selected for tolerance showed a better salt tolerance phenotype than both BARI Gom-25 and other local wheat varieties tested. Conclusion The mutant wheat population developed here will be a valuable resource in the development of novel salt-tolerant varieties for the benefit of saline farming.
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| 5. |
- Ortiz Rios, Rodomiro Octavio
(författare)
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Genetics and cytogenetics of the potato
- 2020
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Ingår i: The potato crop : its agricultural, nutritional and social contribution to humankind. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 9783030286828 ; , s. 219-247
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tetraploid potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a genetically complex, polysomic tetraploid (2n = 4x = 48), highly heterozygous crop, which makes genetic research and utilization of potato wild relatives in breeding difficult. Notwithstanding, the potato reference genome, transcriptome, resequencing, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping analysis provide new means for increasing the understanding of potato genetics and cytogenetics. An alternative approach based on the use of haploids (2n = 2x = 24) produced from tetraploid S. tuberosum along with available genomic tools have also provided means to get insights into natural mechanisms that take place within the genetic load and chromosomal architecture of tetraploid potatoes. This chapter gives an overview of potato genetic and cytogenetic research relevant to germplasm enhancement and breeding. The reader will encounter findings that open new doors to explore inbred line breeding in potato and strategic roads to access the diversity across the polyploid series of this crop's genetic resources. The text includes classical concepts and explains the foundations of potato genetics and mechanisms underlying natural cytogenetics phenomena as well as their breeding applications. Hopefully, this chapter will encourage further research that will lead to successfully develop broad-based potato breeding populations and derive highly heterozygous cultivars that meet the demands of having a resilient crop addressing the threats brought by climate change.
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| 6. |
- Seroussi, Eyal, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of the Long-Sought Leptin in Chicken and Duck : Expression Pattern of the Highly GC-Rich Avian leptin Fits an Autocrine/Paracrine Rather Than Endocrine Function
- 2016
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Ingår i: Endocrinology. - : The Endocrine Society. - 0013-7227 .- 1945-7170. ; 157:2, s. 737-751
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- More than 20 years after characterization of the key regulator of mammalian energy balance, leptin, we identified the leptin (LEP) genes of chicken (Gallus gallus) and duck (Anas platyrhynchos). The extreme guanine-cytosine content (similar to 70%), the location in a genomic region with low-complexity repetitive and palindromic sequence elements, the relatively low sequence conservation, and low level of expression have hampered the identification of these genes until now. In vitro-expressed chicken and duck leptins specifically activated signaling through the chicken leptin receptor in cell culture. In situ hybridization demonstrated expression of LEP mRNA in granular and Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, anterior pituitary, and in embryonic limb buds, somites, and branchial arches, suggesting roles in adult brain control of energy balance and during embryonic development. The expression patterns of LEP and the leptin receptor (LEPR) were explored in chicken, duck, and quail (Coturnix japonica) using RNA-sequencing experiments available in the Short Read Archive and by quantitative RT-PCR. In adipose tissue, LEP and LEPR were scarcely transcribed, and the expression level was not correlated to adiposity. Our identification of the leptin genes in chicken and duck genomes resolves a long lasting controversy regarding the existence of leptin genes in these species. This identification was confirmed by sequence and structural similarity, conserved exon-intron boundaries, detection in numerous genomic, and transcriptomic datasets and characterization by PCR, quantitative RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, and bioassays. Our results point to an autocrine/paracrine mode of action for bird leptin instead of being a circulating hormone as in mammals.
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| 7. |
- Hu, Jia
(författare)
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Climate-friendly rice - characterisation of rice varieties associated with low-methane emissions and improved bioenergy properties
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Paddy rice cultivation contributes to global warming by emitting methane into the atmosphere. The aims of the work presented in this thesis were to breed climatefriendly rice varieties, to increase rice straw utilisation to reduce the impact of rice cultivation on the environment. The results showed that fumarate and ethanol were the two major exudate compounds from SUSIBA2-rice roots regulating methane emissions from SUSIBA2-rice paddies. A naturally occurring low-methane rice variety was identified and field testing demonstrated that it could be successfully grown in Uppsala, Sweden, opening up possibilities for expanding rice cultivation into high-latitude countries. Key candidate genes important in adaptation of rice to Scandinavian light and climate conditions were identified. By crossing a naturally occurring low-methane rice variety with four high-yielding elite varieties, four independent lines of low-methane rice with high yield potential were developed. Field trials demonstrated that methane emissions from the selected lines were reduced by 70%. Analysis of carbon allocation and molecular analyses of gene activities revealed that sugar transporters such as SUT and SWEET participated in allocation of carbon to aboveground tissues, contributing to the high yield and lowmethane properties. The results also indicated that increasing the lipid content in rice straw could increase its value in bioenergy production. Overall, this thesis shows that plant breeding can successfully address several pressing issues affecting sustainability in rice production by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing crop productivity and diversity, and improving bioenergy production from straw.
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| 8. |
- Crespo, Leonardo
(författare)
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Resistance to aphids in wheat : from a plant breeding perspective
- 2012
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Wheat is one of the main staple foods in the world. Among the many constraints there are for wheat production, aphids cause severe damage by their feeding, and by virus transmission. The current document summarizes the available information regarding wheat resistance to aphids. The text is divided into four sections. The first section “Plant resistance to insects: from a historical perspective” serves as an introduction, where some important factors shaping Plant Resistance to insects as a discipline are presented. The section “Categories of resistance and plant defenses to aphids”, presents the concepts of Plant Resistance to insects, with wheat-aphid examples. The methods to assess the categories of resistance are briefly discussed in this section as well. “Genetic resources for resistance to aphids in wheat”, the third part of the document, is focused on the wheat relatives in which resistance to biotic stresses and to aphids in particular can be found. The aim of this section is to describe the resistance donors in relation to each of the main aphid species that attack wheat. Finally, some aspects on how to improve wheat for resistance to aphids are discussed in the fourth section, “Considerations for wheat breeding”.
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| 9. |
- Crespo, Leonardo, et al.
(författare)
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Resistance to multiple cereal aphids in wheat-alien substitution and translocation lines
- 2013
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Ingår i: Arthropod-Plant Interactions. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1872-8855 .- 1872-8847. ; 7, s. 535-545
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rhopalosiphum padi, Schizaphis graminum, and Sitobion avenae are three of the most destructive aphid species of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). They can significantly reduce wheat yields directly by feeding and indirectly by transmitting viruses. This study aimed to search for resistance to these aphid species among lines derived from different rye (Secale cereale) origins and from Aegilops speltoides, all in the genetic background of the wheat cultivar Pavon F76. Resistance was quantified as aphid weight (R. padi, S. avenae, and S. graminum) and the number of aphids and percentage of infested leaf area exhibiting chlorosis (S. graminum). The most resistant genotypes reduced R. padi and S. avenae weight by 24.2 and 34.3 %, respectively, at the seedling stage, compared with Pavon F76 control plants. Strong S. graminum resistance was found only in A. speltoides-derived lines, the most resistant of which (7A.7S-L5) sustained just 3 % chlorosis and reduced S. graminum colony weight by 67.7 %. One line carrying the 1AL.1RS(am) wheat-rye translocation from Amigo wheat (originally from Insave rye) reduced S. avenae weight by 23.2 and 21.8 % in seedling and adult plants, respectively. Single genotypes carrying the complete 1R chromosome or the 1RS chromosome arm derived from E12165 wheat and Presto triticale proved to be resistant to both R. padi and S. avenae at the seedling stage. Further research should be conducted to unravel the genetic basis of resistance to these aphids in 1RS genotypes. The sources of resistance identified here may be useful for incorporating multiple aphid species resistance in wheat breeding programs, particularly for R. padi and S. avenae, to which no resistant wheats have been bred.
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| 10. |
- Dida, Mulatu Geleta, et al.
(författare)
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Domestication of Lepidium campestre as part of Mistra Biotech, a research programme focused on agro biotechnology for sustainable food
- 2014
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Ingår i: Perennial Crops for Food Security Proceedings of the FAO Expert Workshop. - 9789251079980 - 9789251079997 ; , s. 141-147
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several important challenges are facing agriculture . In the stride towards lowering the negative environmental impact of food production while maint aining and increasing the production, both basic farming practices and novel technologies are important tools. The use of biotechnology in breeding, however, is not uncontroversial. The crit icism has many angles and often relates to the applications brought forward by large, multinationa l companies, and farmers growing dependence on these companies when it comes to seeds. Question s are being raised about ethical acceptability, and about the health and environmental impacts. A g eneral aversion to what is often referred to as the “industrialization” of agriculture, and t o “unnaturalness”, also emerges in the debate. In the research programme referred to as Mistra Biotech , we include both philosophy and natural and social sciences. The overall goal is to facilitate production systems that are sustainable from ecological, social and economic perspectives. The objectives of the programme include developing: * new elite plant lines that have benefits for consumers, farmers, the food industry and the environment; * agribiotechnology tools that are important for achieving new product qualities, healthier crops and livestock, and for solving environmental problems in agriculture; * basis for sustainable production systems that contribute to increased competitiveness in Swedish agriculture and food production; * tools for ethical scrutiny of agricultural biotechnology that combine high demands on safety with encouragement of innovations; * basis for improved regulatory approaches and private-public relationships. The programme includes six component projects, in which domestication of a new biennial oilseed crop Lepidium campestre (field cress) is a major research focus. Questions we will try to answer within this programme include: Can biotechnology be used to improve crops which mitigate climate change or benefit the environment? What potential is there to commercialize such a crop? How would the consumers react to products made from it? Can breeding technology be improved further? Why does the market for genetically improved plant and animal materials look the way it does? What ethical concerns does the use of biotechnology raise? And how do all these issues feed into future agricultural systems? The results are integrated in the synthesis project called the Centre for Agriculture and Food Systems Analysis and Synthesis (AgriSA). Here we emphasise the research within Component Project1, with a focus on the domestication of field cress.
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