Browsing by Subject "biotechnology"
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Item Cultural impacts on public perceptions of agricultural biotechnology: comparison between South Korea and the United States(Texas A&M University, 2007-04-25) Nader, Richard HarrisonAccording to Millar (1996), the gulf between science and society is growing. Technologies are tools cultures develop to solve society's problems. The rapid dispersion of science and technology across cultural borders through trade, technology transfer and exchange, increasingly requires people in different cultures to make choices about accepting or rejecting artifacts of science and technology such as genetically modified (GM) foods, which originate primarily from the United States. These issues challenge policy makers and scientists to account for the affects of different cultural perspectives on controversial scientific issues. Given the controversy across cultures over acceptance or rejection of genetically modified (GM) foods, GM foods are an excellent example with which to begin to reveal how culture impacts public perceptions of the risk and benefits of science and technology in different societies. This research will: 1. Define public awareness and understanding of science, specifically GM foods; 2. Examine culture's impact on knowledge, including different cultural approaches to research; and 3. Compare recent findings of a bi-national public opinion survey on GM comparing in South Korea and the United States. The proposed research outlines two research questions: 1) How and in what ways do South Koreans and Americans differ in their opinions about GMOs? This question is important for gathering current points of contrast about how the two cultures may differ; and 2) What role does culture play on opinion formation about GM foods? Through grounded theory, the researcher will investigate how cultural differences help explain opinion on public perceptions of GM foods. Is it possible to identify common cultural factors that impact public perceptions of GM foods between South Koreans and Americans? The study will utilize both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Higher education is a major producer of new science and technology. The study is significant for higher education administrators who must understand cultural factors impacting science internationally and globalization of the academic enterprise.Item Virus vector gene inserts are stabilized in the presence of satellite panicum mosaic virus coat protein(2009-05-15) Everett, Anthany LaurenceThe coat protein of satellite panicum mosaic virus (SPMV) was used to stabilize viral vector gene inserts in planta. A Potato virus X (PVX) vector carrying the SPMV capsid protein (CP) gene was successfully stabilized through three serial passages in Nicotiana benthamiana from the upper non-inoculated leaves following rub inoculation. The presence of SPMV CP expression from the PVX vector was confirmed by necrotic lesions that occur only when SPMV CP is present and by western blot and reversetranscription PCR analyses. In addition, PVX-SPCP was co-inoculated onto N. benthamiana with a Tomato bushy stunt virus vector carrying a green fluorescent protein gene, which normally does not yield GFP expression in upper tissue due to loss of the insert. However, upon co-inoculation with PVX-SPCP, upper non-inoculated leaves exhibited GFP accumulation based on green fluorescence by UV illumination at 488 nm and western blot analysis. GFP expression was more abundant in upper non-inoculated N. benthamiana leaves as well as systemic tissues when the co-inoculation experiments were performed at 20?C compared to 25?C. These results suggest that SPMV CP is a viable molecular tool for stabilizing viral vector gene inserts in planta.