This chapter presents current knowledge regarding dengue virus (DENV)-mosquito interactions, with a focus on mosquito anti-DENV immunity and the molecular entomological strategies for vector control (mosquito transgenesis, pathogen inhibition and reduction of mosquito lifespan by Wolbachia,...

In principle, it should be possible to modify the vector phenotype to prevent disease transmission in 2 ways: by modifying the genotype through transgenesis (i.e. adding or removing genes in the genome) or by modifying some aspect of the vector's internal environment. For vector insects, the...

This chapter describes the role of enzymes and genes associated with proline synthesis in plants, and discusses the role of proline in plant development, and response to biotic (fungal pathogens and Agrobacterium tumefaciens [Rhizobium radiobacter]) and abiotic (salinity, water stress and metal...

This chapter deals with the emerging challenges posed due to climate change and its impact on strawberry cultivation, including its influence on photoperiodic flowering, vernalization, disease and pest outbreaks. The major environmental factors affecting plant growth and productivity are described, ...

Microorganisms are considered to be absent in the human foetus during early development in the mother's womb, but later after delivery the numbers of microbes exceeds the number of total human cells. This human microbiota has tremendous influence on human physiology, development, nutrition,...

This chapter presents the different transformation methods used for Trichoderma genetic transformation, including Agrobacterium tumefaciens [Rhizobium radiobacter]-mediated transformation, polyethylene glycol-mediated protoplast transformation, biolistic transformation, and electroporation. The...

This chapter presents recently published studies on the long-term (more than 90 days) and adverse effects of feeding transgenic plants to animals. The GM feeds were derived mainly from marketed insect-resistant (Bt) and herbicide-tolerant varieties, while some studies tested experimental GM lines....

Asparagine (Asn) is an amino acid which serves as a carrier and storage form of nitrogen. In this chapter, the history, chemical properties and general role of Asn will be examined, followed by an account of the history of asparagine synthetase (AsnS) research in humans, microbes and plants. The...

Farmers planted genetically engineered crops that produce insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) on a cumulative total of 570 million ha worldwide from 1996 to 2013. These Bt crops kill some key insect pests, yet they are not toxic to most other organisms, including...

Transgenic cotton that expresses a gene derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been deployed for combating the cotton pests Helicoverpa armigera and Pectinophora gossypiella since 1997 in China. The pest management tactics associated with Bt cotton have resulted in a drastic...