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Biotech companies are racing to alter the genetic building blocks of the world's food. In the United States, the primary venue for this quiet revolution, the acreage of genetically modified crops has soared from zero to 70 million acres since 1996. More than half of America's processed grocery products-from cornflakes to granola bars to diet drinks-contain gene-altered ingredients. But the U.S., unlike Europe and other democratic nations, does not require labeling of modified food. Dinner at the New Gene Café expertly lays out the battle lines of the impending collision between a powerful but unproved technology and a gathering resistance from people worried about the safety of genetic change.
Amazon.com Review
It may be true that we are what we eat. Now, with a flood of genetically modified foods overtaking the market, it is possible to eat what we are. But the prospect of genetic cannibalism is the least of the worries of food activists, and journalist Bill Lambrecht's Dinner at the New Gene Café follows both sides of the genetically modified organism (GMO) debate with vigor. He's been covering the story since the mid-1980s, interviewing agricultural officials, biotech industry executives, family farmers, and protesters to build a comprehensive understanding of the issues.

Lambrecht's writing, clear and direct, explains the science and politics plainly enough that even those who flunked Biology or Poli Sci 101 can understand his arguments. He is equally skeptical of the claims of industry shills and activists, and often shakes his head in wonder at the incompetence of government agencies. From academic conferences to the Battle for Seattle, he's seen every aspect of the GMO wars, as they ignited in Europe and slowly spread across the world and eventually penetrated the U.S. Peppered with short essays on his own illegal home experiments with GMO seeds, Dinner at the New Gene Café offers readers insight into a growing question that will most likely define our menu choices for many years to come. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Could be more concise
Although I second the other revierw here, I must add that this book could be some 100 pages shorter and still hit the mark. The way it is, Lambrecht uses too much words to deliver his message.
Also, because of the subject matter itself, the book is a bit outdated.
Other than that, good reading material.

balanced reporting
I was a little wary when purchasing this book that the entire premise would be zealotish anti-GMO and anti-biotechnology.The quotes on the cover seemed to indicate that would also be the case.I was extremely pleased to find a very balanced reporting of both sides of the genetic engineering debate.The author has been a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for over 2 decades, and has been covering the debate and progress since its inception.His style is engaging and fast-paced, with humor and human interest sprinkled in to lighten a complex topic.He seems to lean toward the side of caution, but gives full reporting to the biotechcompanies' claims and biotech's proponents' enthusiasm. I personally am hopeful of the promise and potential of this technology, but this book helped me understand opponents' fears in a very sympathetic way. Particularly frightening was the disclosure of some of the big biotech firms' less-than-open trials and political influences.I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the issues involved in genetically engineering our food.

a comprehensive look at gmo's
This book was very enlightening in the subject of GMO's, as they are a powerful new technology with frightening implications. Lambrecht uses entertaining anecdotes and accounts of his dealings with ordinarys farmer and head agricultural powerfigures. I recommend this book because it tried to show an objective perspective on the entire issue, and left no voice unheard.

The new age of eating
If you are curious about what you are eating this is a necessary book for you. Bill Lambrecht provides an unbiased resource for those intrested in the history of GMO food. Lambrecht gives the opinions of scientists, politicians and the farmers that grow these crops. This provides a balenced collage of information that allows anyone to make up their own mind about what the future of food should be. ... Read more

Product Description

Mammalian cell lines command an effective monopoly for the production of therapeutic proteins that require post-translational modifications. This unique advantage outweighs the costs associated with mammalian cell culture, which are far grater in terms of development time and manufacturing when compared to microbial culture. The development of cell lines has undergone several advances over the years, essentially to meet the requirement to cut the time and costs associated with using such a complex hosts as production platforms.

This book provides a comprehensive guide to the methodology involved in the development of cell lines and the cell engineering approach that can be employed to enhance productivity, improve cell function, glycosylation and secretion and control apoptosis. It presents an overall picture of the current topics central to expression engineering including such topics as epigenetics and the use of technologies to overcome positional dependent inactivation, the use of promoter and enhancer sequences for expression of various transgenes, site directed engineering of defined chromosomal sites, and examination of the role of eukaryotic nucleus as the controller of expression of genes that are introduced for production of a desired product. It includes a review of selection methods for high producers and an application developed by a major biopharmaceutical industry to expedite the cell line development process. The potential of cell engineering approch to enhance cell lines through the manipulation of single genes that play important roles in key metabolic and regulatory pathways is also explored throughout.

Product Description
Summarizing landmark research, Volume 2 of this essentialseries furnishes information on the availability of germplasm resources that breeders can exploit for producing high-yielding cereal crop varieties. Written by leading international experts, this volume offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on employing genetic resources to increase the yield of those cereal crops that provide the main source of nutrition for two-thirds of the world.

In thirteen succinct chapters, Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement: Cereals, Volume 2 focuses on wheat, rice, maize, oats, barley, millet, sorghum, and rye, as well as triticale: a wheat and rye hybrid with great potential.

An introductory chapter outlines the cytogenetic architecture of cereal crops, describes the principles and strategies of cytogenetics and breeding, and summarizes landmarks in current research. This sets the stage for the ensuing crop-specific chapters. Each chapter generally provides a comprehensive account of the crop, its origin, wild relatives, exploitation of genetic resources in the primary, secondary, and tertiary gene pools through breeding and cytogenetic manipulation, and genetic enrichment using the tools of molecular genetics and biotechnology.

Certain to become the standard reference for improving the yields of these critical grains, this book is the definitive source of information for plant breeders, agronomists, cytogeneticists, taxonomists, molecular biologists, biotechnologists, and graduate students and researchers in these fields. ... Read more

Product Description
In continuation of Volumes 8, 9, 22, and 23, this new volume deals with the regeneration of plants from isolated protoplasts and genetic transformation in various species of Actinidia, Allocasuarina, Anthurium, Antirrhinum, Asparagus, Beta, Brassica, Carica, Casuarina, Cyphomandra, Eucalyptus, Ipomoea, Larix, Limonium, Liriodendron, Malus, Musa, Physcomitrella, Physalis, Picea, Rosa, Tagetes, Triticum, and Ulmus.
These studies reflect the far-reaching implications of protoplast technology in genetic engineering of plants. The book contains a wealth of useful information for advanced students, teachers, and researchers in the field of plant tissue culture, molecular biology, genetic engineering, plant breeding, and general biotechnology. ... Read more

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This volume presents state-of-the-art discussions in Geneticsand Genetic engineering by focusing on plant science and technology,transport protein biochemistry, cell biology and gene therapyresearch. ... Read more

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The challenges for risk identification, assessment and management posed by genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms are some of the most demanding issues facing many countries and societies today. The evolving field of biosafety has developed in response to these challenges. "Biosafety First" is a stimulating collection of the latest thinking concerning biosafety science. It is a unique work as its approach to biosafety is holistic, encompassing not only the scientific, but also the socio-economic, cultural, policy and regulatory spheres. It does not claim to give all the answers, but acknowledges the issues and points to the uncertainties and knowledge gaps that still need to be addressed. Drawing on the new scientific field of 'gene ecology', and advocating a precautionary approach, this book provides a foundation on which countries can start to openly and responsibly appraise these new technologies and their products. ... Read more

Product Description
Metabolic engineering is a new field with applications in the production of chemicals, fuels, materials, pharmaceuticals, and medicine at the genetic level. The field's novelty is in the synthesis of molecular biology techniques and the tools of mathematical analysis, which allow rational selection of targets for genetic modification through measurements and control of metabolic fluxes. The objective is to identify specific genetics or environmental manipulations that result in improvements in yield and productivities of biotechnological processes.
Key features of the book are pathway integration and the focus on metabolic flux as a fundamental determinant of cell physiology. The book keeps mathematical complexity to a minimum, and provides a glossary of biological terms to facilitate use of the book by a broader spectrum of readers. A web page exists to communicate updates of the codes and homework problems.


Key Features
* Demonstrates metabolic engineering in action with numerous examples of pathway modification
* Includes methods for identifying key enzymes in metabolic networks
* Contains a comprehensive review of metabolic biochemistry
* Discusses metabolic regulation at the gene, enzyme, operon, and cell levels
* Explains concepts of stoichiometry, kinetics, and thermodynamics of metabolic pathways
* Minimizes mathematical complexity
* Links to a Web page to communicate updates of the software code and homework problems ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent
This book was a very pleasant surprise. It is rigurous yet accessible enough to provide a very clear picture of the metabolic pathway engineering field. Complicated topics like metabolic control and flux analisys (MCA) are very well treated. The examples are usually relevant and well explained, however, some need pen and paper to work up some jumps in the reasoning train. The first chapter is just an introduction whereas the second chapter is a review of cellular metabolism that may result too dense for most people (including myself). Most biologists can probably do away skipping it (althought some examples involving transport where quite interesting). I am glad I didn't put the book away because on chapter 3 things get really exciting. If you are interested in understanding how metabolic pathways are organized and what analytical tools are there available to model them (and eventually "reconfigure") this book for you.

Note: the book is meatn to be undestood and it is nice to see MCA depleted of the hoopla many authors insist on surrounding it with. ... Read more

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Plants, Patients, and the Historian examines therelationship between the act of historical recollection and the coming"age of genetic engineering." Paolo Palladino provides a historyof genetics in Britain from its inception as an agricultural sciencein the early years of the twentieth century to its contemporarybiomedical applications. The book focuses specifically on theinstitutionalization of two cases—plant breeding and the geneticsof cancer. More subtly, however, the author suggests that the abilityto tinker with genetic material—which is itself a form ofhistory—changes our understanding of the past. Like plants andpatients, the archive is not simply a repository of the past, but isinstead the principle of formation of the past, the present, and thefuture. In explaining the similarities and their conceptualimplications, the author argues further that the same principle offormation that creates the historical actor, the plant or patient thatonce was, also produces the historian or geneticist who is and willbe. Theoretically informed and empirically substantiated, Plants,Patients, and the Historian is an innovative study at the intersectionof critical theory, science and technology studies, andhistoriography. ... Read more

Product Description
The living world is all about cells - it is cells. Cells working alone and cells working together. All life is cells! A cell is too small for us to see without a microscope, yet this tiny chemical package holds all the ingredients of life. Some living things are just a single cell, but did you know that there are around 65 million million cells in your body? Cells are life's building blocks. All the living things you see around you are made up of millions and millions of cells - all working together. Cells and Life is a series of books that explore all aspects of cells and the living world, and include snippets of science history, as well as current key scientific achievements. The books include: - stunning photos, artwork and diagrams - further reading and websites - extensive glossary and index ... Read more

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A state-of-the-art review of nutrient metabolism and the nutritional management of genetic diseases. Leading authorities synthesize scientific data and the clinical management of patients. Provides an understanding of basic nutritional principles. ... Read more

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Recently, the first "zoopharming" product has reached market approval: it is a recombinant human protein for medical use that is produced in the milk of transgenic goats. In addition, other transgenic animals, including faster-growing salmon and „environmentally friendly" pigs with reduced levels of phosphate in their faeces are awaiting regulatory approval. These are only some examples of upcoming applications of genetic engineering in farm animals. Other potential applications include traditional breeding goals such as higher milk or meat yields, leaner meat, and disease resistance. While genetic engineering in livestock opens a huge range of possibilities, it also brings about concerns of safety and justification: does genetic engineering affect animal welfare? Is it safe and morally acceptable to apply genetic engineering to farm animals for the various purposes that are envisaged?

It is against this background that the Europäische Akademie GmbH and the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften addressed the topic of transgenic farm animals in an interdisciplinary symposium in 2007. In these proceedings the following topics are covered: an analysis of the state of the art of the technology and its applications, an introduction to the specific application zoopharming (including its historical industrial development and the market for biopharmaceuticals), an assessment of ethical aspects, and considerations regarding the investigation of animal welfare implications of livestock biotechnology. The proceedings address science, industry, politics and the general public interested in the chances and risks of this upcoming field of biotechnology.

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Genetic Engineering: Principles and Methods presents state-of-the-art discussions in modern genetics and genetic engineering. Recent volumes have covered gene therapy research, genetic mapping, plant science and technology, transport protein biochemistry, and viral vectors in gene therapy, among many other topics.

Key features of Volume 27 include:

- Identification and Analysis of Micrornas

- Dormancy and the Cell Cycle

- Long distance peptide and metal transport in plants

- Signaling in plant response to temperature and water stresses

- Nutrient transport and metabolism in plants

- Salt Stress Signaling and Mechanisms of Plant Salt Tolerance

- Gene cloning and expression

- Assisted folding and assembly of proteins

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The "21st Century Citizen" series focuses on social concerns, political problems, and new scientific developments in a rapidly changing world. With quotations from international commentators and young people themselves, these titles give a contemporary, global perspective on some of today's pressing moral questions. ... Read more

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This book covers the field of developmental systems which is of importance for researchers in systems theory, computer science, electrical and genetic engineering, applied mathematics and theoretical biology. It uniquely integrates recent results in mathematical control theory and cell biology and represents an effort not only to report new findings but also to outline main subjects for future research in the above areas. ... Read more