Here is a link about transplanting genomes into plants to create viral resistance. Tonny and Brugman will probably understand this the best. http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/bcconf/talks/gonsalves.html
genetic engineering virus resistant plants
had to read about the papayas, grew my first, gorgeous trees. stalks 4-5 inches in diameter, were seedlings in May. i didn't see what they did though, do they inject them with a chemical?
Arlene, they use an enzyme to break down the DNA of the seed and virus and then combined them in the lab. Tonny can explain it better.
I like to put things simple, because if I can it means, that I have also understood, what I am talking about my self *lol* I have not yet had time to read this article, so please bear with me, if I assume wrong. Here is a little stuff of virus in generel:
A virus can only exist inside in a cell.
Outside the cell it is quickly killed.
A picture, that comes to mind is an egg.
Picture, that the virus lives inside the egg.
To kill the virus we have to put it outside.
We need to crash the shell, take the egg-mass through our beater.
By removing the egg-shell the virus is outside the egg and by taking the egg-mass through our beater, the fine membranes in the egg are opened too.
In both instances all virus will quickly die.
Next we have to separate the beaten and well mixed white part of the egg from the orange part and restore their positions (orangy inside in white sorroundings)
We finish, what we started by putting back the shell nice and easy and hatch out our healthy chicken.
I think that helps Tonny!! I know what they did, I'm just not good at explaining. Some of the genetically engineered plants USED a virus to carry the new gene into the cell. We bought our first genetically engineered corn this year. It had a Bt gene in it to kill the worms that ate the corn. It didn't seem to bother the squirrels though!
I definitly think that is a very good idea Calalily. Genetically enginering a few hybrids to have this gene would be prefered though so we could breed these into the population a bit quicker. Of course, one could be tempted to take the easy route and simply only use those that were enginered to cross to each other. Still, it would be a start...don't know how cost effective it would be though as I have never researched into the actual costs of this procedure. I do know some of the colleges around here do that kind of work though...FSU for one. I saw an article about it perhaps 6 months or so ago while I was in Gainesville. I admit I have read a bit on this subject in years past, but knowing the theory on something is vastly different from knowing how to do it. I did find some articles on actually doing protoplast fusion though through one of our colleges websites...procedures some time ago. Pretty basic chemicals if I remember correctly and it looked as if one could do it if one had a very basic lab setup.
I wish I could do that with eggs!!!
I don't know all that much about genetic engineering - but the whole thing is a bit scary to me. I think they go way to far with it... and who knows what the end results will be in 50 years. Ornamentals are one thing - but I don't like the idea in food crops - even though a lot of the nations corn supply is geneticly engineered. They're even messing with turf grass for the perfect pest & disease resistant lawn that you don't even have to mow. Don't you think we humans ask for too much sometimes?
Poppysue, I totally agree with you. What if some of those genes get "loose" and cause who knows what kind of health problems.
Cala and Brugmansia,
The technique of using a virus to carry the reststant genes into a plant is new to me, so I will wait to comment more on that, before I have done some more research, but I see the point. Normally there is a risk, that the plant will reject the resistant genes (particular if these come from a plant of another family, but disguising these genes like a virus, it is accepted on a micro-cellular level and absorbed and integrated in the plant as the most natural thing in the world. Correct me. if I am wring, because I am here to learn :)
It will sure be an advantage to have a couple of genetical engineered Brugs to cross to future hybrid generations. The disadvantage is, that only Brug strains with the resistent genes will survive on long term. I think that we have so many beautiful species and hybrids already and think, how great it would be to "resque" these too. It will be a time consuming technique to "resque" all the old varieties by crossing to the group of reststant brugs. I hope, that maybe it will be far more prosperous to collect poly-resistance genes from for instance tomatoes and transfer directly into the old strains (if it can be done???) via protoplast fusion. In a lab with the required space, time, epiquipment and fonds, I estimate it will take only a few years to do this.
As mentioned, many of these things are new to me. I sometimes don`t see the limits of these technichs. That is why I come up with these ideas, but because you are more exsperienced I like your comments. I also like, when things are getting practical and realistic. - easier to work with : )