&CHAPTER 16

The Future of Plant Biotechnology

C. NEAL STEWART, Jr.

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee

DAVID W. OW

Plant Gene Expression Center, USDA-ARS/UC Berkeley, Albany, California

16.0. CHAPTER SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES

16.0.1 Summary

Plant biotechnology has been wildly successful and has literally transformed plant agricul-

ture. There are still undulating concerns about safety and sustainability that critics demand

be addressed. In that light, there are some biotechnologies that are being developed

that might improve not only the efficiency and precision of plant transformation but

also public perceptions and biosafety as well. Site-specific recombination and zinc-finger

nuclease systems are discussed in this chapter.

16.0.2 Discussion Questions

1. What is the main dichotomy between innovation and caution (or risk, or the percep-
   tion of risk)?


2. How might site-specific recombination enhance biosafety?


3. Describe site-specific recombination and how it could lead to greater precision in
   plant transformation.


4. What are zinc-finger nucleases, and how might they alter the future of plant
   biotechnology?


5. How serious do you think that the problem of adventitious presence or admixture is
   now and will be in the future?

16.1 Introduction

The world’s population of 6.5 billion is projected to reach 9.4 billion by 2050, requiring a

doubling of 1980s agriculture. The 1980s are an important benchmark because this was

Plant Biotechnology and Genetics: Principles, Techniques, and Applications, Edited by C. Neal Stewart, Jr.

Copyright#2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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