Biotechnology: Potentials and Limitations: Report of the Dahlem Workshop on Biotechnology: Potentials and Limitations Berlin 1985, March 24–29

314 Pages·1986·15.183 MB·English

by  S. Silver (auth.), S. Silver (eds.)

Dahlem Workshop Reports
Life Sciences Research Report 35
Biotechnology: Potentials and Limitations
The goal of this Dahlem Workshop is:
to evaluate how manipulated genes and
cells can be used for industry, medicine,
and agriculture
Life Sciences Research Reports
Editor: Silke Bernhard
Held and published on behalf of the
Stifterverband fUr die Deutsche Wissenschaft
Sponsored by:
Fonds der Chemie
in cooperation with the
Bundesministerium fUr
Forschung und Technologie
Biotech nology:,
Potentials and Limitations
S. Silver, Editor
Report of the Dahlem Workshop on
Biotechnology: Potentials and Limitations
Berlin 1985, March 24-29
Rapporteurs:
J. Collins· R. B. Flavell· M.-R. Kula
M. Smith
Program Advisory Committee:
S. Silver, Chairperson· P. Broda· A. M. Chakrabarty
J. Collins· J. E. Davies· D.A. Hopwood· C.J. Knowles
P. Starlinger· M. van Montagu
Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo
Copy Editors: K. Geue, J. Lupp
Text Preparation: J. Lambertz, D. Lewis
Photographs: E.P. Thonke
With 4 photographs, 17 figures, and 21 tables
ISBN -13 :987-3-642-70537-3 e-ISBN -13: 987-3-642-70535-9
001: 10.1007/987-3-642-70535-9
CIP-Kurztitelaufnahme der Deutschen Bibliothek
Biotechnology: potentials and limitations:
report of the Dahlem Workshop on Biotechnology, Potentials and Limitations
Berlin 1985, March 24-29/S. Silver, ed. Rapporteurs: J. Collins ...
[Held and pub!, on behalf of the Stifterverb. fUr d. Dt. Wiss.
Sponsored by: Fonds d. Chemie in cooperation with the Bundesministerium fUr
Forschung u. Technologiej.
- Berlin; Heidelberg; New York; Tokyo: Springer, 1986
(Life sciences research report; 35 (Dahlem Workshop reports)
ISBN -13 :987-3-642-70537-3
NE: Silver, Simon [Hrsg.j; Collins, J. [Mitverf.j;
Workshop on Biotechnology, Potentials and Limitations<1985, Dahlem, Berlin>; 1. GT
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of
the material is concerned, specifically those of translation, reprinting, re-use of illus
trations, broadcasting, reproduction by photocopying machine or similar means, and
storage in data banks. Under § 54 of the German Copyright Law, where copies are
made for other than private use, a fee is payable to "Verwertungsgesellschaft Wort",
Munich.
© Dr. S. Bernhard, Dahlem Konferenzen, Berlin 1986.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1986
The use of registered names, trademarks, etc., in this publication does not imply, even
in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant
protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
2114/3020-543210
Table of Contents
The Dahlem Konferenzen
S. Bernhard ix
Introduction
S. Silver 1
Technical Approaches
Group Report
M. Smith, Rapporteur
W.M. Barnes, H. Blocker, U. Krawinkel, H. Lehrach, R. Marquardt,
M. van Montagu, P. Weglenski, G. Winter, S.J. Wodak 5
Cloning and Expressing Genes for Clinically Useful Proteins
R.M. Kay, R. Kaufman, P. Schendel, K. Turner, and R. Kamen 19
Synthetic Genes
H. Blocker and R. Frank 41
Protein Engineering
G. Winter, P. Carter, H. Bedouelle, D. Lowe, R.J. Leatherbarrow,
and A.R. Fersht 55
Microbiology and Industrial Products
Group Report
M.-R. Kula, Rapporteur
Y. Aharonowitz, J.D. Burlock, A.M. Chakrabarty, D.A. Hopwood,
B. Mattiasson, J.G. Morris, O.M. Neijssel, H. Sahm, S. Silver,
J. Sobieszczariski, U. Stahl, K.N. Timmis 71
vi Table of Contents
Fermentation Products: Physiological and Bioenergetic Considerations
O.M. Neijssel and D.W. Tempest 83
Bioactive Microbial Secondary Metabolites
Y. Aharonowitz and G. Cohen 99
Technological Processes for Biotechnological Utilization of
Microorganisms
B. Mattiasson 113
Animals and Medicines
Group Report
J. Collins, Rapporteur
H. Betz, J.E. Davies, W. Fiers, E. Paoletti, E. Pfaff,
D.J. Rowlands, H. Schaller, G. Siewert, A.E. Sippel, E.F. Wagner 127
Vaccines - The Synthetic Antigen Approach
D.J. Rowlands 139
A Modem Approach to Live Vaccines: Recombinant Poxviruses
E. Paoletti, M.E. Perkus, A. Piccini, B.R. Lipinskas, and
S.R. Mercer 155
The Future Role in Medicine of Proteins Made by Genetic
Engineering
W. Fiers 165
Some Applications of Modem Immunological Techniques
U. Krawinkel 179
Gene Transfer into Mouse Stem Cells
E.F. Wagner, U. Ruether, and C.L. Stewart 185
Plants and Agriculture
Group Report
R.B. Flavell, Rapporteur
P.H. Abelson, W. Barz, J.E. Beringer, P. Broda, D.E. Eveleigh,
K. Hahlbrock, R. Kahmann, W.J. Peacock, H. Saedler,
F. Salamini, P. Starlinger, E. Weiler, M. Zenk 199
Plant Gene Engineering and Plant Agriculture
W.J. Peacock and E.S. Dennis 223
Table of Contents vii
Secondary Products
K. H ahlbrock 241
Plant-Microbe Interactions
J .E. Beringer 259
Importance of the Rhizosphere in Plant-Microbe Interactions
J. Sobieszczariski 275
The Production and Utilization of Lignocellulose
P. Broda 283
Social and Ethical Considerations for Biotechnology
J.E. Davies 293
List of Participants with Fields of Research 295
Subject Index 301
Author Index 313
The Dahlem Konferenzen
Founders
Recognizing the need for more effective communication between scientists,
especially in the natural sciences, the Stifterverband fUr die Deutsche
Wissenschaft*, in cooperation with the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft**,
founded Dahlem Konferenzen in 1974. The project is financed by the
founders and the Senate of the City of Berlin.
Name
Dahlem Konferenzen was named after the district of Berlin called
"Dahlem", which has a long-standing tradition and reputation in the arts and
sciences.
Aim
The task of Dahlem Konferenzen is to promote international, interdisci
plinary exchange of scientific information and ideas, to stimulate inter
national cooperation in research, and to develop and test new models condu
cive to more effective communication between scientists.
Dahlem Workshop Model
Dahlem Konferenzen organizes four workshops per year, each with a limited
number of participants. Since no type of scientific meeting proved effec
tive enough, Dahlem Konferenzen had to create its own concept. This
concept has been tested and varied over the years, and has evolved into its
present form which is known as the Dahlem Workshop Model. This model
provides the framework for the utmost possible interdisciplinary communi
cation and cooperation between scientists in a given time period.
*The Donors Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities
**German Science Foundation
x The Dahlem Konferenzen
The main work of the Dahlem Workshops is done in four interdisciplinary
discussion groups. Lectures are not given. Instead, selected participants
write background papers providing a review of the field rather than a report
on individual work. These are circulated to all participants before the
meeting to provide a basis for discussion. During the workshop, the
members of the four groups prepare reports reflecting their discussions and
providing suggestions for future research needs.
Topics
The topics are chosen from the fields of the Life Sciences and the Physical,
Chemical, and Earth Sciences. They are of contemporary international
interest, interdisciplinary in nature, and problem-oriented. Once a year,
topic suggestions are submitted to a scientific board for approval.
Participants
For each workshop participants are selected exclusively by special Program
Advisory Committees. Selection is based on international scientific reputa
tion alone, although a balance between European and American scientists is
attempted. Exception is made for younger German scientists.
Publication
The results of the workshops are the Dahlem Workshop Reports, reviewed by
selected participants and carefully edited by the editor of each volume.
The reports are multidisciplinary surveys by the most internationally distin
guished scientists and are based on discussions of new data, experiments,
advanced new concepts, techniques, and models. Each report also reviews
areas of priority interest and indicates directions for future research on a
given topic.
The Dahlem Workshop Reports are published in two series:
1) Life Sciences Research Reports (LS), and
2) Physical, Chemical, and Earth Sciences Research Reports (PC).
Director
Silke Bernhard, M. D.
Address
Dahlem Konferenzen
Wallotstrasse 19
1000 Berlin (West) 33
Biotechnology: Potentials and Limitations, ed. S. Silver, pp. 1-3. Dahlem Konferenzen
1986. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Tokyo: Springer-Verlag.
Introduction
S. Silver
Dept. of Biology
Washington University
St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
We need to place this workshop report into a broad context, considering
various aspects of biotechnology which differentiate it from more narrow
descriptions of industrial microbiology (including food technology, industrial
fermentations, and the pharmaceutical industry, which combined have a
history of more than 100 years). The various aspects of biotechnology in
clude a) the introduction of recombinant DNA and cloning techniques that
allow a more rational and planned (that is, engineering) approach to pro
duction problems than was possible in the past. This new logical approach is
in marked contrast to earlier use of genetics to isolate high production
mutants in the fermentation industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and in
agricultural plant and animal husbandry. b) The new genetic engineering
expands beyond the possibilities of product production in the factory. It is
clearly understood that it will have an enormous impact on human medicine,
on animal medicine and meat production, and on agronomy and the pro
duction of useful agricultural plants. c) We need to pay attention to more
than merely the technological questions. As introduced by Blocker and
Frank (this volume), we need to be concerned about how the new products of
biotechnology will affect the human community; and we must be especially
concerned about how this technology will affect lesser developed nations.
Most of us at the meeting were from developed, high technology advanced
nations. A few of us have backgrounds or special attachments to countries
where the level of technology, including biotechnology, is lower. Although a
few in each of the four groups were concerned with "biotechnology in lesser
developed and developing nations," this was not in the list of topics con
sidered during the week. In some cases, for examples, in the group on
TECHNICAL APPROACHES (Smith et al., this volume), there would have