Agrobacterium: from biology to biotechnology

Agrobacterium is the only cellular organism on Earth that is naturally capable of transferring genetic material between the kingdoms of life, from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. Studies have uncovered a wealth of information on the process of Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and on the bacterial and host cell factors involved in the infection. Agrobacterium has been shown to genetically transform, under laboratory conditions a large number of plant species and numerous non-plant organisms, indicating the truly basic nature of the transformation process. It is therefore not surprising that Agrobacterium and the genetic transformation itself have also become the focus of numerous ethical and legal debates.

Agrobacterium is a comprehensive book on Agrobacterium research, including its history, application, basic biology discoveries, and effects on human society. Although the book largely focuses on providing a detailed review of virtually all molecular events of the genetic transformation process, it also provides coverage of ethical and legal issues relevant to the use of Agrobacterium as a genetic transformation machine. The result is an all-inclusive text which readers including scientists and students involved in plant genetic engineering will find useful as a reference source for all major aspects of the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of plant and non-plant organisms.