Biotechnology Unzipped: Promises and Realities, Revised Second Edition

Presents an introduction to the complex subject of biotechnology for general readers.

pt. 1. How biotechnology came about. — What is biotechnology? — In the beginning — The voyager and the monk — A striking coincidence — Colored bodies — Fruit flies in the lab — Let there be DNA — Unraveling the double helix — How does DNA store information? — A copy in every cell — What do genes do? — Protein primer — Examples of proteins — Proteins are us — The amino acids — Genes, proteins, and your eyes — The genetic code — How genes make proteins — Steps on the road to biotechnology — D(aring) N(ucleotide) A(dventures) — pt. 2. Tools in the genetic engineering workshop. — Why bacteria? — A head start — Hijackers and molecule snippers — First, catch your DNA — Making recombinant DNA — Putting new genes into cells — Gene expression — Cloning plants, animals, and cells — Monoclonal antibodies — DNA probes — DNA "fingerprinting" — Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) — pt. 3. Biotechnology and the body. — New parts for old — The importance of stem cells — It's all in the genes — Examples of conditions known to be gene-based — Gene therapy — Retroviruses — The Human Genome Project — Microbes in medicine — The problem with antibiotics — Medicines from plants — The interferon story — Genes and vaccines — Nature's magic bullets — Designer drugs — The science of proteomics — Closing thoughts — pt. 4. Biotechnology on the farm. — Milking it for all it's worth — Let us spray — Insects facts — Developing regulations — Great expectations — A little plant with a big future — Pests and diseases — A versatile bacterium — Weather and soil — Farmer-ceuticals? — Closing thoughts — pt. 5. Biotechnology and the environment. — Microbes clean up — Microbes in uniforms — Add liquid and stir — Community genomics — Microbes as monitors — Finding the right microbes for the job — A quick reading — Microbes and mines — Hot bacteria — Golden harvest — Cells keep working after they're dead — A new angle to landscaping — Of cabbages and metals — Fighting chemicals with chemicals — Making new fuels — Electric trees — Closing thoughts — pt. 6. Biotechnology in seas and trees. — An ocean of opportunity — Foul is fair — Underwater drugs — A cornucopia of chemicals — Car parts from crabs — Research and development — Cholera kits — Fuels from the sea — Farming the seas — Diseases and pollution — Frozen fish — The forest and the trees — A harvest of wood — Building better trees — Forests of the future — Closing thoughts — pt. 7. Ethical issues. — Making opinions — Life