Interesting web sites related to agricultural biotechnology

 

Basics of Biotechnology

 
Biotechnology Educational Leaflets from ABA
A very useful collection of introductiory articles on different areas of biotechnology, with an Australian slant
 
A Primer on Biotechnology
A short article giving an overview of the scope of biotechnology, with an emphasis on preparing for a career in biotechnology
 
Primer on Molecular Genetics (Department of Energy)
A review of molecular genetics with an emphasis on mapping the human genome; useful material on the details of DNA structure
 
Biotechnology Timeline
A timeline of biotechnology starting with the brewing of beer about 4,000 years ago, a subject dear to my heart!
 
ISU Biotechnology Program
Iowa State University has a significant program aimed at providing information about biotechnology to the public. The link to Educational Resources takes you to the Biotechnology Information Series which reviews some of the major topics in agricultural biotechnology. These are somewhat dated but still useful.
 
About Biotechnology from Amgen
A brief introduction to biotechnology from one of the larger biotechnology companies which is focused on pharmaceuticals.
 
BIO intro to Food & Ag biotech
An introduction to biotechnology from the Biotechnology Information Organization, a business-sponsored trade organization that promotes biotechnology
 
The Royal Society: Review of GM plants
A review of the scientific background to plant biotechnology and the issues that surround these technologies, from a British perspective. Interesting given the recent public reaction in Britain and eslewhere in Europe.

Biotech news

Ag magazines

On-line versions of a few agriculture magazines, which have some articles about production practices as well as marketing of GM crops.

Welcome to Homefarm
from the south, especially useful for information on Bt cotton
 
ProgressiveFarmer.com: Today
 
Farm Journal Today
 

Newsletters

Information Systems for Biotechnology: Agbiotech Online
A good source of information and has a monthly newsletter you can subscribe to
 
The Bowditch Group, Inc. Homepage
A consulting company that publishes a weekly newsletter that emphasises commercial aspects of biotechnology
 
The Next Biotech Harvest
An interesting article from Technology Review (Sept. 98) about ag biotech
 
Biotech Goes Wild
Another article from Technology Review (July 99) dealing with more of the riskd and regulation of ag biotech
 
Welcome to AgBiotechNet
A good source of information including access to many publications on intellectual property rights and the potential impact of biotechnology on agriculture in less developed countries.
 
"What's Up in Biotechnology"
A review of biotechnology from Peggy Lemaux, an extension specialist in biotechnology at the University of Claifornia at Berkeley.
 
Biotechnology Industry Information from Inverizon International Inc.
Some useful statistics on ag biotech
 
Biotech, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical News
Geared toward the pharmaceutical sector and focusing on company news from a Wall Street perspective
 
Virus resistant papaya from APSnet
Excellent review of virus resistant transgenic papaya now being grown in Hawaii. Great pictures
 
The Royal Society: review of GM potato study
A scientific review of a study that purported to show that rats fed on a diet of transgenic potatoes suffered a number of severe complications. This study was one of the factors that has led to the very poor public opinion of GM foods in the United Kingdom.
 

Science magazines

 
AgBioForum - agbiotech journal
An on-line journal discussing agricultural biotechnology issues
 
New Scientist magazine
British weekly science magazine with plenty of coverage of the GM food issue
 
New Scientist issue on GM foods
Special issue on GM foods
 
Science Daily
an on-line source for science news in a format for the layman
 

Other sites with lots of links

 
National Biotechnology Information Facility at NMSU
A good starting place to look for information
 
The World-Wide Web Virtual Library: Biotechnology
same as above
 
Agbiotech Link Central
The name says it all!
 
Useful Biotechnology Websites
from Virginia Tech University
 
Public Perception of Biotechnology
also from Virginia Tech
 
Food Biotechnology
From IFIC, a food trade organization, I believe
 
The Biotechnology Information Center
From the National Agriculure Library of USDA. Unfortunately, many of the pages have not been updated in a few years, so some sections are less useful than they could be.
 
 

Biotech regulation

 
Royal Society: biotech reg. in UK
review of regulations in the UK
 
USDA APHIS home page on regulation of transgenic (GM) crops
Informative site on USDA's role in regulating GM crops
 
EPA-TSCA Biotechnology Program
EPA site, but information hard to find. Does this indicate how slow EPA has been to formulate clear regulations?
 
Food Biotechnology: Federal Regulations & Labeling
From IFIC, a food trade organization, I believe. Easy to follow.
 
FDA/CFSAN Biotechnology site
FDA site, much better than EPA's.
 
Biotechnology Information at OECD
Biotech views and information from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
 

Biotech & Seed companies

Florigene
GM flowers are us
 
DNAP Holding Corp
Small biotech company, I believe now owned by ELM, a Mexican conglomerate that owns a large fraction of theworlwide vegetable seed industry
 
The Monsanto Agricultural Sector
The Monsanto site for all ag products
 
Monsanto RR bean review
info on Roundup Ready crops
 
NatureMark Potatoes
Bt potatoes from Monsanto
 
DEKALB Genetics
now part of Monsanto
 
Biosource Technologies
making high value proteins in plants, not active last time I checked
 
Welcome!-Metabolix home
Plants as a source of plastics
 
Mycogen
now part of Dow Agrosciences, with an emphasis on Bt technology
 
Agritope
Focused on extending post-harvest shelf life
 
Pioneer Hi-Bred
now part of DuPont
 
Novartis
Swiss-based multinational
 
Garst Seed Company
part of Advanta, formerly Zeneca
 
Genentech Access Excellence
FromGenentech, the About Biotech section provides some excellent graphics of basic molecular biology activities (DNA structure, transcription of RNA, translation of proteins)
 
AgrEvo Homepage
The home of Liberty Link herbicide tolerant crops
 
Asgrow
I think this is now also part of Monsanto
 

Biotech discussion

 
Nuffield report on GM crops: ethical and social issues
A good review of this subject, from a UK perspective
 
FAO report on agricultural biotechnology
from a UN agency
 
Biotechnology and Ethics: A Blueprint for the Future
A workshop on the ethics of biotechnology
 
Agriculture and Biotechnology Program - Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)
An excellent site that puts forward some alternative views about the direction of agiculture

Biotech courses

 
Biotechnology, Society and the Environment (ScAg 1500)
A course at the University of Minnesota
Biotechnology course from Iowa State
with lots of on-line materials
 

Patents and Intellectual Property Rights

 
Biotechnology Patents
from USDA-NAL, but not up to date
 
IBM Patent Server Home Page
Searchable database of US patents. A little overwhelming!
 
Book - Intellectual Property Rights in Agricultural Biotechnology
A book available on-line
 
Plant patent overview
An introduction to plant patent law
 
AgBiotech patent page
links to pages dealing with basic patent information
 

Activist sites

 
Genetic Engineering
A German campaign to ban GM foods
 
Norfolk Genetic Network News
A group that publicises links between scientists, government officials and biotech companies in the UK, as well as highlighting concerns about the use of GM foods and working to ban these products

 

Greenpeace UK Homepage
pro-organic food, anti GM foods
 
The Prince of Wales - Online Forum
HRH's web site condemning ag biotech
 
Union of Concerned Scientists
 
 
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