Transgenesis and Secondary Metabolism

This handbook provides comprehensive reference information on the efficient production of secondary metabolites from plants by transgenesis and other genetic manipulation strategies. It reviews and summarizes selected important case studies in genetic methods applied to enhance the production of a given metabolite or a group of related or derived compounds. Readers will find reference information on a multitude of techniques and methods, including traditional breeding and screening; over-expression of genes encoding key enzymes; functional genomics approaches; metabolic engineering of the relevant biosynthetic pathways; indirect genetic approaches to improve metabolite production, including Agrobacterium mediated transformations. Furthermore, combinatorial biochemistry approaches to engineer secondary metabolic pathways are summarized, which can offer access to new structures or to the design of novel compounds.

Since many commercially valuable substances are still extracted from plants, being largely inaccessible to efficient modern laboratory synthesis methods, this book provides a valuable resource of information for biotechnological approaches that can help to find alternative and more efficient methods for the production of natural secondary metabolites. Thus adjusted production methods, with the help of tailored plant systems, can potentially help to release the stress on plants, which are currently suffering from extensive human harvesting, and to conserve global biodiversity.

Readers will find comprehensive reference information on plant genetic manipulation toward more efficient synthesis, accumulation and production of target secondary metabolites. The handbook will appeal to researchers and professionals, but also graduate students and scholars working in the fields of biotechnology, genetic engineering, medicinal plant research, pharmacy, and phytochemistry.

Prof. Dr. Sumita Jha is Professor in Botany in the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany of Calcutta University in India. She obtained her B.Sc. in Botany with Honours from the Lady Brabourne College in 1973. She then continued at Calcutta University, where she obtained her M.Sc. in 1975 and PhD in 1981 in Botany.

Sumitha Jha can look back on over 35 years of research experience in the fields of genetics and plant biotechnology. Her work has been honored with several awards during all stages of her career, from e.g. the “Science Academy Medal for Young Scientist” in 1983, to her election as Fellow of The National Academy of Sciences, India in 2008.

Prof. Jha has held positions at Calcutta University as University Lecturer, Reader, and then Professor in Botany and was visiting scientist e.g. in France and UK. She served as Head of the Department of Genetics and of the Department of Botany at her University.