The Promise of Biotechnology
An Electronic Journal of the U.S. Department of State
October 2005

Download Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version (2.02MB):
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/ites/1005/ijee/ijee1005.pdf 

CONTENTS

About This Issue
The Editors

Introduction
John Marburger, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President

Global Challenges and Biotechnology
Jennifer Kuzma, Associate Director, Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy, University of Minnesota

Governments and other organizations need to invest in biotech research and development tailored toward products that can help developing countries.

A Chemical Reaction for Biotechnology: The 2005 Nobel Prize
Cheryl Pellerin, State Department Science Writer

The Transforming Power of Medical Biotechnology
Bill Snyder, Senior Science Writer, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

The future refinement of "targeted therapies" aimed at the biological underpinnings of disease should dramatically improve drug safety and efficacy, and the development of predictive technologies may lead to a new era in disease prevention.

The Race Against Gene Doping
Huntington F. Willard, Director, Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, and Vice Chancellor for Genome Sciences, Duke University Medical Center

Plant Biotechnology: Advances in Food, Energy, and Health
Richard Hamilton, Chief Executive Officer, Ceres, Inc.; Richard B. Flavell, Chief Science Officer, Ceres, Inc.; Robert B. Goldberg, Professor of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles

Advances in agricultural biotechnology will result in crops that have improved tolerance to drought, heat, and cold; require fewer fertilizer and pesticide applications; and produce vaccines to prevent major communicable diseases.

Biotech Bugs

Designing Novel Materials and Molecular Machines
Shuguang Zhang, Associate Director, Center for Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

One day mankind may be able to use nanodevices to repair body parts or to rejuvenate the skin, enhance human capabilities, harness the unlimited solar energy, and achieve other feats that seem impossible today.

Whither Nanotechnology?
Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Distinguished Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University

The International Rice Genome Sequencing Project: A Case Study
C. Robin Buell, Associate Investigator, Institute for Genomic Research

A "map" of rice's genetic makeup will enable rice breeders to accelerate their breeding programs and develop more hearty rice varieties, and farmers to improve their growing methods and extend their growing seasons.

The Birth of Biotechnology: Harnessing the Power of DNA
Dinesh Ramde, The Associated Press

The speed at which the biotech industry took off, the magnitude of its success, and the scope of its impact have surprised even its pioneers.

Biotechnology's First 142 Years

U.S. Regulation of Agricultural Biotechnology
Glossary of Biotechnology Terms
Bibliography
Internet Resources

Download Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version (2.02MB):
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/ites/1005/ijee/ijee1005.pdf