Transgenic microalgae as green cell factories
By: edited by Rosa Leo n, Aurora Galva n, Emilio Ferna  ndez.
Contributors: Leo n, Rosa, Ph. D.; Galva n, Aurora.; Ferna  ndez, Emilio.
Series: Advances in experimental medicine and biology -- v. 616
Publisher: Springer Science+Business Media/Landes Bioscience
Published: 2007
Place of publication: New York, N.Y
Language: eng
Number of pages: 131
ISBN-13: 9780387755311
Subjects: Microalgae -- Physiology; Microalgae -- Biotechnology; Genetic transformation; Bioreactors; Algae -- physiology; Biological Factors -- biosynthesis; Bioreactors; Biotechnology -- methods; Transformation, Genetic
Description: Microalgae have been largely cultured and commercialized as food and feed additives, and their potential as source of high-added value compounds is well known. But, in contrast to the large number of genetically modified bacteria, yeast and even higher plants, only a few species of microalgae have been genetically transformed with efficiency. Initial difficulties in the expression of foreign genes in microalgae have been progressively overcome, and powerful molecular tools for their genetic engineering are now on hand. A considerable collection of promoters and selectable marker genes and an increasing number of genomic or cDNA sequences have become available in recent years. More work is needed to transform new species of microalgae, specially those that have commercial value, so that it would be possible to increase the productivity of traditional compounds or synthesize novel ones. Silencing transgenes remains as an important limitation for stable expression of foreign gen.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Nuclear transformation of eukaryotic microalgae : historical overview, achievements, and problems / Rosa Leo n and Emilio Ferna  ndez; title: Transformation of cyanobacteria / Agusti n Vioque; title: Molecular biology and the biotechnological potential of diatoms / Peter Kroth; title: Tools and techniques for chloroplast transformation of chlamydomonas / Saul Purton; title: In the grip of algal genomics / Arthur R. Grossman; title: Insertional mutagenesis as a tool to study genes/functions in chlamydomonas / Aurora Galva n, David Gonza lez-Ballester, and Emilio Ferna  ndez; title: Optimization of recombinant protein expression in the chloroplasts of green algae / Samuel P. Fletcher, Machiko Muto, and Stephen P. Mayfield; title: Phycoremediation of heavy metals using transgenic microalgae / Sathish Rajamani ... [et al.]; title: Hydrogen fuel production by transgenic microalgae / Anastasios Melis, Michael Seibert, and Maria L. Ghirardi; title: Microalgal vaccines / Surasak Siripornadulsil, Konrad Dabrowski, and Richard Sayre.