Transgenic Organisms: Risk Assessment of Deliberate Release (Advances in Life Sciences)

The genetic structure of organisms is being altered to an ever-increasing degree by molecular genetic techniques. Thus far, more than 500 transgenic organisms have been tested or utilized in the field. The strides forward, however, have been encumbered by persistent and intense controversy. What is happening now on the forefront of genetic engineering? What are its aims, and inherent risks? What is its justification? The purpose of this book is to offer the reader a firm grounding in the subject by systematically reviewing several basic issues: the interaction between host DNA/RNA and the introduced DNA/RNA; the extent and effect of horizontal gene transfer; the fate in populations of genes inadvertently released into nature; the feasibility and effectiveness of risk assessment; and the manner in which this modern technique can best be harnassed to improve human health. More generally, but perhaps most significantly, the book calls for a critical appraisal of the desirability of the aims advanced by molecular geneticists today.