Crop Plant Genetic Engineering: Science Fiction to Science Fact

Abstract

Recombinant DNA technology covers a wide range of biochemical techniques used to cut, splice, and move DNA from one organism to another. Genetic engineering began as a basic scientific study to learn more about gene expression and gene structure in bacteria. In the last 10 years the techniques of recombinant DNA technology have moved from the university research laboratory to the industrial production level. The techniques are applicable to all organisms and studies have been made of the genomes of viruses, bacteria, yeasts, animals, and plants. It is the latter, genetic engineering of plants, which is covered in this article.