Molecular Biotechnology: Principles and Applications - Glick, B., & Pasternak, J. 2002

Preface to the First Edition

Molecular biotechnology emerged as a new field of research in the late 1970s at the intersection of Recombinant DNA technology and traditional industrial microbiology. Modern society is fairly well-informed about the issues in molecular biotechnology; practically everyone knows something about this science, one way or another. Some have seen the movie Jurassic Park, with its stunning, artfully rendered, yet scientifically completely untenable "cloned" dinosaurs. Others have read in the newspapers about the appearance on the market of new, "biotechnological" tomatoes with an extended shelf life. And still others have heard the reflections of critically minded experts on the dire consequences of Introduction/32.html">Genetic Engineering awaiting us in the future. In this book, we will attempt to explain what this scientific discipline is actually about, how biotechnological research is conducted, and how it can impact our lives.

The book Molecular Biotechnology: Principles and Applications is written as a textbook on biotechnology, recombinant DNA technology, and genetic engineering. It is based on a lecture course in biotechnology that we taught for 12 years to senior undergraduate and graduate students in biological and engineering programs at the University of Waterloo. The book is intended for students familiar with the fundamentals of biochemistry, Molecular Genetics, and microbiology, although we recognize that they are unlikely to have mastered all of these disciplines before starting to study biotechnology. Therefore, when introducing any given topic, we first review the basics and only then proceed to the details.

The primary focus of the book is on how recombinant DNA technology can be used to create products that benefit humanity. Wherever possible, we have tried to illustrate key theoretical concepts with concrete results and methodologies already applied in practice. From the avalanche of scientific publications, we selected as Examples those studies that not only illustrate specific principles but also provide the reader with a solid scientific foundation, enabling them to navigate Specialized Topics in molecular biotechnology. Naturally, we understand that this field of research is developing extremely rapidly, and some of our examples may become outdated by the time the book is published.

Very often, researchers—regardless of the scientific field—use specialized terminology, or jargon, in everyday communication, at conferences, and in correspondence. We have tried to avoid this and in many cases deliberately provided a verbal description of a phenomenon or process where using concise jargon could have saved many words. Synonyms often exist in any field of research to describe the same phenomenon. For instance, the terms "recombinant DNA technology," "Gene cloning," and "genetic engineering" are very close in meaning. When an important term first appears in the text, its synonym or equivalent expression is provided in parentheses. A comprehensive glossary at the end of the book will help the reader master the terminology.

Each chapter concludes with a detailed summary and a list of Review Questions to help reinforce the material. All key ideas are illustrated with carefully selected color figures (over 200 in total); we firmly believe that a picture is worth a thousand words. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the Fundamentals of Molecular Biotechnology and some of its commercial aspects, while the following five chapters (Chapters 2–6) cover its methodology. Together, these chapters prepare the reader for the material in all subsequent chapters. Chapters 7–12 in Part II examine The production of valuable metabolites, Vaccines, Pharmaceuticals, and diagnostic products, as well as Methods for the biodegradation of fertilizers and pesticides. Chapter 13 describes large-scale cultivation methods for genetically modified microorganisms to produce commercial products. Part III is devoted to PLANT AND ANIMAL molecular biotechnology (Chapters 14 and 15). Chapters 16 and 17 introduce the reader to the application of recombinant DNA technology in identifying human genes responsible for certain diseases and approaches to Gene Therapy. The final part, Part IV, addresses The regulation of research in molecular biotechnology and the patenting of various products and inventions.

At the end of each chapter, There is a list of References, which may include sources not explicitly cited within the chapter itself. Occasionally, we have excerpted articles or presented data in our own words. Naturally, we take full responsibility for any inaccuracies or interpretive nuances that may have arisen, although we hope to have avoided them. The reference lists also include broader works that facilitate a deeper understanding of the material.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank everyone who agreed to read various sections of this book while it was still in manuscript form. Their advice and comments were of immense help to us. Among those we wish to mention are Arthur I. Aronson, Purdue University; Ronald M. Atlas, University of Louisville; Fred Ausubel, Massachusetts General Hospital; David R. Benson, University of Connecticut; Jean E. Brenchley, Pennsylvania State University; A. M. Chakrabarty, University of Illinois at Chicago; Stan Gelvin, Purdue University; Janet H. Glaser, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; David Gwynne, Cambridge NeuroScience; George D. Hegeman, Indiana University; James B. Kaper, University of Maryland at Baltimore; Donald R. Lightfoot, Eastern Washington University at Cheney and Spokane; Cynthia Moore, Washington University; William E. Newton, Virginia Polytechnic University; Danton H. O’Day, University of Toronto in Mississauga; Richard D. Palmiter, University of Washington; David H. Persing, Mayo Clinic; William S. Reznikoff, University of Wisconsin; Campbell W. Robinson, University of Waterloo; Marc Siegel, University of Waterloo; Aaron J. Shatkin, Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers University; Jim Schwartz, Genentech; Daniel C. Stein, University of Maryland at College Park; Dean A. Stetler, University of Kansas; and Robert T. Vinopal, University of Connecticut.

We are also deeply grateful to the staff of ASM Press: Susan Birch, Editorial Director; Rith Siegel, Production Manager; Jodi Simpson, Production Editor; Susan Schmidler, Art Director; Peg Markow of Rüttle, Shaw & Wetherill, Inc., Project Manager; the illustrators at Network Graphics; and finally, Patrick Fitzgerald, Director of ASM Press, who assisted in bringing our Vision to life in every possible way.

Bernard R. Glick, Jack J. Pasternak