- Email: [email protected]
A catalog with no hopes
BOOK REVIEWS
reviews in the field. A number of biosynthetic schemes are included, which are very useful for reference purposes. Functions of Plant Secondary Metabolites and their Exploitation in Biotechnology (Volume 3) is concerned with the role that secondary metabolites play in the survival and fitness of plants, and also with the biotechnological applications of these molecules as antimicrobial agents and as therapeutic agents for medicinal purposes. Chapter 1 gives a general introduction to the functions of plant secondary metabolites both in nature and in biotechnology. The title of the second chapter is ‘Modes of action of defensive secondary metabolites’, but the theme is rather less general than the title suggests. This chapter focuses specifically on the effects of alkaloids on neuronal signalling (alkaloids are toxic to animals and so may serve as defence chemicals, protecting plants against grazing animals). Chapter 2 is extremely long (117 pages), and may be rather heavygoing for those looking for the broad-brush approach to expand their horizons. This is followed by two ‘cameo’ chapters on very
different topics, namely marine chemical ecology (Chapter 3) and jasmonate-mediated signalling in plant responses to herbivore attack (Chapter 4). These chapters are comprehensive, clear and concise, and give good up-to-date overviews of their areas. Chapter 5 is intended to cover the involvement of secondary metabolites in plant–microbe interactions and also general antibiotic activity in relation to medical applications. These two areas merit separate coverage, rather than being thrown together in a single chapter. Chapter 5 includes lengthy tables detailing the accumulation of antimicrobial compounds in different plant species in response to challenge with microbes, and lists of plant secondary metabolites and their activity towards different microbes. However, there are several recent key developments in the area of plant secondary metabolites and plant protection that are not included. For example, the author refers to the degradation of legume phytoalexins by fungal pathogens, but does not cover more recent literature providing genetic tests of the significance of these activities for fungal virulence.
A catalog with no hopes Biotechnology in the Developing World and Countries in Economic Transition edited by G.T. Tzotzos and K.G. Skryabin, 2000, CABI. UK£49.95 hbk (xv 1 312) ISBN 0 851 99331 1 This book tries to accomplish an impossible task: to create an account in an orderly and concise fashion of the state-of-the-art techniques in biotechnology of the so-called ‘developing world’. This book, of course, falls short of this, despite the impeccable credentials of the two Editors and the reporters for the ‘Country profiles’. The work encompasses a heterogeneous group of 29 countries from four continents with extremes of development and size, ranging from the People’s Republic of China to Zimbabwe,
322
as well as some European countries, such as Bulgaria and Lithuania, which are put in the same transition economy groups as Brazil, India and the Russian Federation. George Tzotzos correctly admits in Chapter 1 that ‘… it is deceptive to talk of developing countries as a single homogenous group’. Greater than a third of the book comprises appendices (37%), and only Chapters 1–3 are devoted to the most appealing aspects of biotechnology development in those countries, namely, ‘Industrial
0167-7799/00/$ – see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The last two chapters in this volume return to the cameo style, and are succinct and well written. Chapter 6 reviews new applications of plant secondary metabolites for medicinal and pharmacological purposes. The final chapter provides a good up-to-date summary of the use of plant cell and differentiated organ cultures for the study of secondary-metabolite biosynthesis and for biotechnological applications. This chapter will be very valuable both for students and as an introduction for those interested in working in this area. In summary, Functions of Plant Secondary Metabolites and their Exploitation in Biotechnology contains a mixed bag of subjects and styles. The book as a whole does not give comprehensive coverage of the functions and biotechnological applications of plant secondary metabolites. This is, after all, a huge area. However, some chapters will be extremely valuable for students and those trying to get an overall picture of the area, and others will be used by specialists looking for more detailed information. Anne E. Osbourn Sainsbury Laboratory, John Innes Centre, Colney Lane, Norwich, UK NR4 7UH. (E-mail: [email protected])
biotechnology: challenges and opportunities’ (Chapter 1), ‘Prospects offered by international cooperation in agricultural and food biotechnology’ (Chapter 2) and ‘Medical biotechnology’ (Chapter 3). The remainder of the book is dedicated to ‘Country profiles’, which are written by well-known experts in their fields, but are written in a catalog-type form with little insight or lessons drawn from greater than 15 years of investments and experimentation in biotechnology in their respective countries. Chapter 1, which is the most interesting, is a concise and wellwritten review of the development of biotechnology, reflecting the pathways and drivers, as drawn from the USA. However, this chapter does not succeed in fulfilling its objective of presenting ‘challenges and opportunities’ for TIBTECH JULY 2000 (Vol. 18)
BOOK REVIEWS
less-developed countries, and indeed gives little hope of ever achieving this. This is because of the specific features that have enabled the advent of modern biotechnology in industrialized countries, namely the seamless integration of well-funded academic centers of excellence, the vigorous venture-capital market and widespread entrepreneurial spirit. Such conditions are difficult to replicate even in the European Union and Japan of today, and therefore the author leaves industrial policy as the main hope of promoting commercial biotechnology. Asian countries are then cited as an example of the successful development of biotechnology to support public policy but, to date, the biotechnology market has not yet seen the likes of a Sony, Samsung or Fujitsu company in either the biopharmaceutical or agricultural sector. In the conclusion of Chapter 1, it is unfortunate that the Editors did not comment on any of the lessons learned from the information given in the ‘Country profiles’ by the numerous authors that collaborated in this study. Chapters 2 and 3 are also written in a catalog-type format, listing every international program that is available for cooperation in either agricultural or medical biotechnology. Again, there is no critique on the myriad of schemes that are available to foster and transfer biotechnologies from advanced to less-developed countries. Instead, there are brief descriptions primarily of the objectives of such programs, but little information is provided on their achievements and impacts for the economy of the developing world. Moreover, some of the international projects listed in Chapter 2, for example, have been phased out, such as the International Rice Biotechnology Program of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Cassava Biotechnology Network. This chapter also omits some examples of successful experimentation in biotechnology, such as work carried out at the CINVESTAV (Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Poytechnic 2 Irapuato Unit) TIBTECH JULY 2000 (Vol. 18)
center in Mexico, investigating the resistance to viruses in potato varieties. Although the field trials for these transgenic potatoes were performed as early as 1993, the chapter does not offer any information on their economic impact, if any, for Mexican farmers after the adoption and commercialization of this technology. Chapter 3, ‘Medical
biotechnology’, suffers from the same editorial pitfalls of Chapter 2, and does not include the important achievements and health impacts of successful international programs, such as those carried out at the TDR (UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases) and ICGEB (International Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology). This chapter includes aims of specific projects that actually, despite their enticing names, do not provide any information on the development of biotechnology in less-developed countries. The ‘Country profiles’, to the Editors’ credit, were written by well-selected authors, and they provide us with thorough information on their respective field’s biotechnology developments, but again with little editorial guidance to provide insights. For example, in China it would have been interesting to know the results of their novel agreement with a multinational company to develop pest-resistant
cotton on a large scale, or the hurdles that they had surmounted to develop and launch a large-scale vaccination program with recombinant hepatitis B virus. In India, another country with a strong biotechnology program originated at the Cabinet level, it would have been interesting to know more about their large-scale production of forest trees using biotechnology, as well as their provisions to minimize environmental risks. Equally informative for readers is the Indian experience in setting up a national infrastructure for both medical and agricultural biotechnology directed to solve indigenous needs. Mexico is another example that is not fully exploited in the ‘Country profiles’; it has both a world-class center of agricultural biotechnology (CINVESTAV, Mexico City, Mexico) and one of the most modern and technologically aggressive private companies in the Latin American agricultural sector (Agroindustrias Moderna, Monterrey, Mexico). In addition, a discussion on the interactions between these two parties would have been useful for readers studying the relationships of academic and private institutions in this region. In South Africa, where greater than 40 private companies compete in their local biotechnology market, there is no specific detail or data to illustrate how these companies established themselves, and what role, if any, was played by public policies or the government. In summary, this book could be useful as a catalog of research programs in biotechnology for the 29 countries covered, as well as to provide some guidance for understanding the driving forces of this technology in moreadvanced economies. However, it is unlikely to be useful for those in search of mechanisms and past experiences on how to run a biotechnology program or launching private endeavors in transition economies. Rafael Rangel-Aldao Research and Development Technology Center, Empresas Polar, Caracas, Venezuela. (E-mail: [email protected])
0167-7799/00/$ – see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
323
reviews in the field. A number of biosynthetic schemes are included, which are very useful for reference purposes. Functions of Plant Secondary Metabolites and their Exploitation in Biotechnology (Volume 3) is concerned with the role that secondary metabolites play in the survival and fitness of plants, and also with the biotechnological applications of these molecules as antimicrobial agents and as therapeutic agents for medicinal purposes. Chapter 1 gives a general introduction to the functions of plant secondary metabolites both in nature and in biotechnology. The title of the second chapter is ‘Modes of action of defensive secondary metabolites’, but the theme is rather less general than the title suggests. This chapter focuses specifically on the effects of alkaloids on neuronal signalling (alkaloids are toxic to animals and so may serve as defence chemicals, protecting plants against grazing animals). Chapter 2 is extremely long (117 pages), and may be rather heavygoing for those looking for the broad-brush approach to expand their horizons. This is followed by two ‘cameo’ chapters on very
different topics, namely marine chemical ecology (Chapter 3) and jasmonate-mediated signalling in plant responses to herbivore attack (Chapter 4). These chapters are comprehensive, clear and concise, and give good up-to-date overviews of their areas. Chapter 5 is intended to cover the involvement of secondary metabolites in plant–microbe interactions and also general antibiotic activity in relation to medical applications. These two areas merit separate coverage, rather than being thrown together in a single chapter. Chapter 5 includes lengthy tables detailing the accumulation of antimicrobial compounds in different plant species in response to challenge with microbes, and lists of plant secondary metabolites and their activity towards different microbes. However, there are several recent key developments in the area of plant secondary metabolites and plant protection that are not included. For example, the author refers to the degradation of legume phytoalexins by fungal pathogens, but does not cover more recent literature providing genetic tests of the significance of these activities for fungal virulence.
A catalog with no hopes Biotechnology in the Developing World and Countries in Economic Transition edited by G.T. Tzotzos and K.G. Skryabin, 2000, CABI. UK£49.95 hbk (xv 1 312) ISBN 0 851 99331 1 This book tries to accomplish an impossible task: to create an account in an orderly and concise fashion of the state-of-the-art techniques in biotechnology of the so-called ‘developing world’. This book, of course, falls short of this, despite the impeccable credentials of the two Editors and the reporters for the ‘Country profiles’. The work encompasses a heterogeneous group of 29 countries from four continents with extremes of development and size, ranging from the People’s Republic of China to Zimbabwe,
322
as well as some European countries, such as Bulgaria and Lithuania, which are put in the same transition economy groups as Brazil, India and the Russian Federation. George Tzotzos correctly admits in Chapter 1 that ‘… it is deceptive to talk of developing countries as a single homogenous group’. Greater than a third of the book comprises appendices (37%), and only Chapters 1–3 are devoted to the most appealing aspects of biotechnology development in those countries, namely, ‘Industrial
0167-7799/00/$ – see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The last two chapters in this volume return to the cameo style, and are succinct and well written. Chapter 6 reviews new applications of plant secondary metabolites for medicinal and pharmacological purposes. The final chapter provides a good up-to-date summary of the use of plant cell and differentiated organ cultures for the study of secondary-metabolite biosynthesis and for biotechnological applications. This chapter will be very valuable both for students and as an introduction for those interested in working in this area. In summary, Functions of Plant Secondary Metabolites and their Exploitation in Biotechnology contains a mixed bag of subjects and styles. The book as a whole does not give comprehensive coverage of the functions and biotechnological applications of plant secondary metabolites. This is, after all, a huge area. However, some chapters will be extremely valuable for students and those trying to get an overall picture of the area, and others will be used by specialists looking for more detailed information. Anne E. Osbourn Sainsbury Laboratory, John Innes Centre, Colney Lane, Norwich, UK NR4 7UH. (E-mail: [email protected])
biotechnology: challenges and opportunities’ (Chapter 1), ‘Prospects offered by international cooperation in agricultural and food biotechnology’ (Chapter 2) and ‘Medical biotechnology’ (Chapter 3). The remainder of the book is dedicated to ‘Country profiles’, which are written by well-known experts in their fields, but are written in a catalog-type form with little insight or lessons drawn from greater than 15 years of investments and experimentation in biotechnology in their respective countries. Chapter 1, which is the most interesting, is a concise and wellwritten review of the development of biotechnology, reflecting the pathways and drivers, as drawn from the USA. However, this chapter does not succeed in fulfilling its objective of presenting ‘challenges and opportunities’ for TIBTECH JULY 2000 (Vol. 18)
BOOK REVIEWS
less-developed countries, and indeed gives little hope of ever achieving this. This is because of the specific features that have enabled the advent of modern biotechnology in industrialized countries, namely the seamless integration of well-funded academic centers of excellence, the vigorous venture-capital market and widespread entrepreneurial spirit. Such conditions are difficult to replicate even in the European Union and Japan of today, and therefore the author leaves industrial policy as the main hope of promoting commercial biotechnology. Asian countries are then cited as an example of the successful development of biotechnology to support public policy but, to date, the biotechnology market has not yet seen the likes of a Sony, Samsung or Fujitsu company in either the biopharmaceutical or agricultural sector. In the conclusion of Chapter 1, it is unfortunate that the Editors did not comment on any of the lessons learned from the information given in the ‘Country profiles’ by the numerous authors that collaborated in this study. Chapters 2 and 3 are also written in a catalog-type format, listing every international program that is available for cooperation in either agricultural or medical biotechnology. Again, there is no critique on the myriad of schemes that are available to foster and transfer biotechnologies from advanced to less-developed countries. Instead, there are brief descriptions primarily of the objectives of such programs, but little information is provided on their achievements and impacts for the economy of the developing world. Moreover, some of the international projects listed in Chapter 2, for example, have been phased out, such as the International Rice Biotechnology Program of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Cassava Biotechnology Network. This chapter also omits some examples of successful experimentation in biotechnology, such as work carried out at the CINVESTAV (Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Poytechnic 2 Irapuato Unit) TIBTECH JULY 2000 (Vol. 18)
center in Mexico, investigating the resistance to viruses in potato varieties. Although the field trials for these transgenic potatoes were performed as early as 1993, the chapter does not offer any information on their economic impact, if any, for Mexican farmers after the adoption and commercialization of this technology. Chapter 3, ‘Medical
biotechnology’, suffers from the same editorial pitfalls of Chapter 2, and does not include the important achievements and health impacts of successful international programs, such as those carried out at the TDR (UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases) and ICGEB (International Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology). This chapter includes aims of specific projects that actually, despite their enticing names, do not provide any information on the development of biotechnology in less-developed countries. The ‘Country profiles’, to the Editors’ credit, were written by well-selected authors, and they provide us with thorough information on their respective field’s biotechnology developments, but again with little editorial guidance to provide insights. For example, in China it would have been interesting to know the results of their novel agreement with a multinational company to develop pest-resistant
cotton on a large scale, or the hurdles that they had surmounted to develop and launch a large-scale vaccination program with recombinant hepatitis B virus. In India, another country with a strong biotechnology program originated at the Cabinet level, it would have been interesting to know more about their large-scale production of forest trees using biotechnology, as well as their provisions to minimize environmental risks. Equally informative for readers is the Indian experience in setting up a national infrastructure for both medical and agricultural biotechnology directed to solve indigenous needs. Mexico is another example that is not fully exploited in the ‘Country profiles’; it has both a world-class center of agricultural biotechnology (CINVESTAV, Mexico City, Mexico) and one of the most modern and technologically aggressive private companies in the Latin American agricultural sector (Agroindustrias Moderna, Monterrey, Mexico). In addition, a discussion on the interactions between these two parties would have been useful for readers studying the relationships of academic and private institutions in this region. In South Africa, where greater than 40 private companies compete in their local biotechnology market, there is no specific detail or data to illustrate how these companies established themselves, and what role, if any, was played by public policies or the government. In summary, this book could be useful as a catalog of research programs in biotechnology for the 29 countries covered, as well as to provide some guidance for understanding the driving forces of this technology in moreadvanced economies. However, it is unlikely to be useful for those in search of mechanisms and past experiences on how to run a biotechnology program or launching private endeavors in transition economies. Rafael Rangel-Aldao Research and Development Technology Center, Empresas Polar, Caracas, Venezuela. (E-mail: [email protected])
0167-7799/00/$ – see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
323