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Why study plants? (photosynthetic organisms)
1. Primary producers of bio-usable energy
2. Immortal (cellular level)
3. Used for food, shelter, natural products (medicines), and biofuel
4. Source of some important scientific discoveries
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"The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture..." Thomas Jefferson
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The Green Revolution
• ~1950 – present
• Prevented the Great Famines that were forecast for the last half of the century
• Increased grain yields 500-1000%
• Increased global carrying capacity
• May have saved ~1,000,000,000 people
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1914-2009
By 1963, Mexico was a net exporter of wheat.- Also had success in India and Pakistan.
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Can Biotechnology:
1. Increase, or keep, yields up and production down?2. Bring the green revolution to the rest of the world?
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Adoption of GM crops is slow.
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Greenpeace protest in Thailand
Attacking Monsanto
Institute for Responsible Technology
“I know of no documented cases of GM crops doing anything that they weren’t designed to do” (D. Herrin).
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The Greening of Pharma & Energy
• Plants are being used to make cheap vaccines, and soon, “Pharma” factories.
• Increasing importance of renewable energy from plants (Biofuels)– Bioethanol (from biomass (cellulose))– Biodiesel (oil from plants and algae)
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Overall Scheme for Production of Bioethanol from Plant Cellulose
Photosynthesis
E 85/15
http://genomicsgtl.energy.gov/biofuels/index.shtml
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Plant Biomass for Cellulosic Bioethanol
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