The case for regulating intragenic GMOs

This paper discusses the ethical and regulatory issues raised by “intragenics” – organisms that have been genetically modified using gene technologies, but that do not contain DNA from another species. Considering the rapid development of knowledge about gene regulation and genomics, we anticipate rapid advances in intragenic methods. Of regulatory systems developed to govern genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, the Australian system stands out in explicitly excluding intragenics from regulation. European systems are also under pressure to exclude intragenics from regulation. We evaluate recent arguments that intragenics are safer and more morally acceptable than transgenic organisms, and more acceptable to the public, which might be thought to justify a lower standard of regulation. We argue that the exemption of intragenics from regulation is not justified, and that there may be significant environmental risks associated with them. We conclude that intragenics should be subject to the same standard of regulation as other GMOs.     

基因工程菌漆酶对蒽醌染料的脱色研究

利用基因工程菌甲醇毕赤酵母(PMAD16/pMETαA-Lcc1)培养产生的重组漆酶,研究了重组漆酶对蒽醌染料Remazol Brilliant Blue R脱色的影响。结果表明:重组漆酶对蒽醌染料RBBR脱色的最佳pH值为4.5,温度为45℃,当溶液中漆酶活力为10.0U/mL时,在最适脱色条件下作用14h,粗漆酶和纯化漆酶对蒽醌染料RBBR(80mg/L)的脱色率分别为95.2%和87.5%,重组漆酶可有效地使蒽醌染料RBBR脱色。     

固定化工程菌对偶氮染料脱色及强化作用

利用聚亚胺酯大孔泡沫吸附固定基因工程菌Escherichia coli JM109 (pGEX-AZR),研究其对偶氮染料的脱色动力学及生物强化作用.实验表明,固定的E.coli JM109(pGEX-AZR) 对酸性大红GR的脱色动力学符合Andrews方程,动力学常数为μ_max,c、K_c、K_ic分别为49 .2 mg·(g·h)^-1、710 .43 mg·L^-1和681 .62　mg·L^-1,R²为0 .995.将固定的E.coli JM109(pGEX-AZR)按10%的比例投加到厌氧序批式活性污泥反应器中连续运行32 d,含有固定化工程菌的强化体系耐浓度冲击的能力和脱色率均高于对照体系,脱色率可以稳定在90%以上.利用RISA对其微生物群落结构进行分析,E.coli JM109(pGEX-AZR)及降解酸性大红GR的优势菌群可以在污泥体系中稳定存在.     

Are Life Patents Ethical? Conflict between Catholic Social Teaching and Agricultural Biotechnology's Patent Regime

Patents for genetic material in theindustrialized North have expandedsignificantly over the past twenty years,playing a crucial role in the currentconfiguration of the agricultural biotechnologyindustries, and raising significant ethicalissues. Patents have been claimed for genes,gene sequences, engineered crop species, andthe technical processes to engineer them. Mostcritics have addressed the human and ecosystemhealth implications of genetically engineeredcrops, but these broad patents raise economicissues as well. The Catholic social teachingtradition offers guidelines for critiquing theeconomic implications of this new patentregime. The Catholic principle of the universaldestination of goods implies that genes, genesequences, and engineered crop varieties areineligible for patent protection, although theprocesses to engineer these should be eligible.Religious leaders are likely to make a moresubstantive contribution to debates aboutagricultural biotechnology by addressing theselife patents than by speculating that geneticengineering is ``playing God.'     

微生物降解苯酚的研究进展

苯酚是一种生物毒性物质,即使在低浓度下对人体及微生物也有毒害作用。从微生物对苯酚降解的生化机制和关键酶、高效降酚微生物菌种的分离筛选,降解特性以及利用高效基因工程菌处理酚类化合物的研究进展等方面,对微生物降解苯酚进行了综述。     

利用基因工程菌BL21处理有机磷混合农药废水的研究

研究了悬浮状态和固定化状态的基因工程菌BL21对有机磷混合农药废水的降解特性.工程菌能快速、高效地降解有机磷混合农药,其最适底物是对硫磷,而马拉硫磷不能被工程菌降解.不同农药降解速率的差别造成了不同有机磷农药的降解过程需要用不同的动力学模型来描述.比较固定化状态和悬浮状态的工程菌的降解效果可知,固定化工程菌的降解活性较后者明显降低,其比降解速率大约仅为后者的20%.考察固定化工程菌长期运行的效果,发现其降解活性保存良好,工程菌稳定性大大提高,未出现固定化细胞溶涨、破碎现象.固定化后,工程菌的比降解速率虽然比悬浮工程菌降低了,但固定化工程菌更适用于长期运行的废水处理系统.     

上海大气超细颗粒物和工业纳米颗粒的表征及细胞毒性的比较研究

采集了上海市石洞口地区2010年春季不同粒径大气颗粒物样品,使用ICP-AES和FESEM技术分析了颗粒物的化学组成和微观特征,比较了不同粒径的大气颗粒物与3种工业纳米颗粒物的生物活性.结果表明,在染毒剂量为25、50、100和200μg.mL-1时,大气颗粒物水溶组分和不溶组分及工业纳米颗粒均可以抑制A549细胞生长活性并能诱导细胞产生活性氧(ROS),且大气细颗粒水溶组分生物活性最强,在上述染毒剂量下对细胞生长活性的抑制率分别达到13.31%、18.15%、20.43%和23.78%.在纳米尺度的颗粒物染毒组分中,纳米NiO的生物活性最强,在上述染毒剂量下对细胞生长活性的抑制率分别达到11.81%、15.12%、17.62%和19.44%.因此,大气细颗粒物水溶组分是最主要的毒性成分.     

Protest,politics and produce: a resource account of anti-genetically modified organism activism

Activism research is over-reliant on social psychological frameworks emphasising framing or ideological-based explanations. The current underdevelopment of resource-based accounts requires urgent attention from social movement scholars. Stressing the rationality of social movement actors, resource mobilisation theory is used to assess and understand the empirical validity of resource-driven social mobilisation. Anti-genetically modified organism (GMO) activism in France is selected as a uniquely ripe context for exploring resource mobilisation. A resource-based examination reveals why, when and how key anti-GMO movement actors differentiated their strategies on the basis of protest, politics and produce. A new framework is proposed to encompass key variables around material, human and network-based resources. It is argued that resource mobilisation research designs need to move beyond financially driven causal arguments.     

钚在某处置工程屏障水环境中化学形态及影响因素

针对某放射性废物包装容器回填处置工程屏障结构特征,采用岩体裂隙水浸泡工程屏障样品的方式,在对各平衡水样化学成分分析的基础上,利用地球化学模拟软件EQ3/6对钚在回填工程屏障水环境中的存在化学形态进行了模拟计算,得出钚在回填工程屏障水环境中主要以Pu(Ⅳ)价态Pu(OH)5-形式存在,同时水环境中pH值和Eh值的变化皆会影响钚的存在化学形态和价态。     

Regulatory Oversight of Genetically Engineered Microorganisms: Has Regulation Inhibited Innovation?

/ Using detailed interviews with company representatives and researchers in the field, this paper examines the factors that might account for the slow pace of development of genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) intended for environmental release. We specifically analyzed the role of the regulatory system in shaping innovation. We identified at least two cases where industry decided to discontinue the development of a genetically engineered microbial product because of concerns over regulatory oversight. However, most often industry decisions to continue or halt development of GEMs were based on an evaluation of the particular product's efficacy and potential for profitability. Thus the inability of GEMs to perform up to expectations in the field, rather than the regulatory constraints, appears to be the factor responsible for the slow pace of development. KEY WORDS: Genetically engineered microorganisms; Biotechnology; Regulation of biotechnology; Innovation; Environmental release