h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

ps ... what do you think they use as the vector to introduce the genes in the first place

Yeah, but we're only talking about a few hundred base-pairs at most here, not even a 1kbase stretch or anything. And that isn't even considering the promoter. The chances that a virus can pick up a fully functioning gene and plop it down in another genome fully functional whilst avoiding insertional inactivation of any other genes is effectively zero.

Many domesticated species have been created by hybridisation of two different parental species. Tomatoes and wheat are two examples of this. In fact 25% of the tomato genome came from a poisonous ancestor. The poisonous genes were bred out during the development of the tomato but a lot of the genes remain. I wonder what brave/stupid fellow decided that was a good idea?

Ste

Agrobacterium tumerfaciens. The only known bacteria that naturally inserts it's plasmid into the genomes of it's host plant. Either that or with (excitingly named) gene guns. What's your point?



Ste

Oh, and tDNA sometimes too

probably a molecular biologist?

i agree its implausable but its the number of particles, the number of degrees of freedom and pure dumb luck that worry me.

as a biologist you know that GM bacteria use phages as vectors too

It goes well beyond implausable. Into the fantastically as-near-to-impossible-as-you-can-get . Virus genomes are so small that their genes often overlap each other!

I agree that biological systems are very complex, but that doesn't mean that we cannot or do not have any control over them.

Yeah, one that should spend less time on h2g2 and more time in the lab .

Ste

re:h2g2 as per usual... you may just have a point

i think we will have to agree to agree and agree to differ.

thanks for the conversation it was fun

Agrobacterium is used in the lab, it is never deployed.

Perhaps you're right about agreeing to disagree, your fear of the unknown may be insurmountable (, joke, joke)



Ste

so its a bit like a nuclear device... safe in its cosy little warhead

*dives behind the sofa*

Ok, so maybe "deployed" gave the wrong connotations...

But still, Agrobacterium only occurs as gall tumours on [plant name forgotten] and is used to transform plant tissue culture in the lab.



Ste

at the momment...

and maybe not in certain military research facilities

Do you work for Greenpeace by any chance?

you can not be serious!!!!

errr nope i am capable of jumping to my own conclusions without eating brown rice or wearing sandles or thinking that whale sonar is "in tune with my inner being" thanks

No, of course I'm not serious

http://www.satirewire.com/news/june02/greenpeace.shtml

Something for one's perusal...

hmmm too damn close to the truth...

Isn't it? I've lost all respect for Greenpeace nowadays. Where did the common sense go to?

one thing i have learnt is common sense isnt all that common

But there appears to be a high concentration of it around here. perhaps that's why it's uncommon elsewhere?