Genes from Sweet Pepper Arm Banana - Essay Example

However, in the present study scientists have infused the plant ferredoxin-like amphipathic protein or the hypersensitive response-assisting protein genes from a green pepper into the banana plant to produce a transgenic banana which showed strong resistance to the BXW disease under laboratory conditions. It is believed that these genes are expressed when cells come in to contact with the bacteria and the resulting hypersensitive reactions kill the cells thereby preventing the further spread of the disease.

In addition, the response generated also activates the defense mechanism of adjacent and distant uninfected crops against the disease thus resulting in a systemic acquired resistance against the bacterium. Thus these novel proteins provide enhanced resistance to plants and help them to effectively prevent the spread of infections by pathogens. The article deals with the concept of systemic acquired resistance and the potential application of genes that confer such resistance in preventing diseases in plants.

The acquisition of systemic resistance to pathogens by plants has great economic value as millions of farmers across the globe would be benefitted from it. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. “Genes from Sweet Pepper Arm Banana Against Deadly Wilt Disease.” Science Daily, 4 August 2010. Web. 17 November 2010. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100804080624.htmSummary 2Nanotechnology which was constricted to the field of electronics and engineering until recently has now found immense utility in the field of biomedical sciences.

Rapid research is underway to tap the potential utility of these particles in the field of medical and biological sciences. According to Dr. Shuming Nie, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, scientists are in the process of developing functional biological nanoparticles which would have various therapeutic and diagnostic applications when they are linked to biological molecules such as proteins and DNA. The most important advantage of nanoparticles is their size and their ability to emit light.

These two factors would definitely earn them a potential use as contrast agents in the field of imaging. Additionally, the color of these particles does not fade out quickly as opposed to conventional dyes and most importantly are less toxic to humans. Hence when these inorganic particles are combined with biological entities they can have several utilities. Man-made bioconjugated dots embedded in beads can be used to tag proteins and genes through a process referred to as multiplexing and more recently these bioconjugated particles are finding utility as molecular nanoprobes which can be used in cancer biopsy, drug therapy, and as molecules that can deliver a controlled amount of drug to cancer cells.

Nano-biotechnology represents an up and coming field that could bring about major revolutions in the field of molecular studies. Diagnostic imaging and therapeutic delivering of drugs could be made easier and less cumbersome with the use of nanotechnology.