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This thesis examines the development and changing practices of governance in China by example of the evolution of policy development in agricultural biotechnology (especially in the case of genetically modified rice). In particular, the process of negotiation between the central government, scientific community, NGOs and the media are brought up to investigate the paradigmatic change in China's development that has been taking place over the last three decades of reform. By drawing on an STS perspective in tandem with social theories, it is argued that the governance of agri-biotech in China could be seen as a process of defining and redefining collective action problems by a widening range of policy actors. This approach is of special pertinence in studying China since its 'techno-nationalist' milieu and complicated and often inconsistent policy process seem to defy the concept of governance. The thesis traces the historical policy development over the governance of agri-biotech in China, and provides a panoramic view on how an increasing number of agents have participated in the process and thereby shaped the collective policy problem. National agri-biotech policy has developed in four distinct phases: an initial phase, marked by technological optimism and lack of regulation; a second, 'the millennium policy‘, distinguished by international pressure from WTO and the Cartagena Protocol; the third phase when scandals of GM rice leakage mobilised widespread public opposition to challenge the current expert policy system; the last stage of intensive policy development occurred since 2008 when global food crises led to the re-evaluation of the collective problem in terms of food security. The China story is not a mere repetition of the European experience in regards to GMO regulation, in that China is still a developing country caught between international forces of trade liberalisation and global biosafety governance, a conflict that is currently complicated in the transatlantic disputes over GMOs. The current policy ambivalence of China is under great pressure to solidify into solutions that can both protect local biodiversity and stand the challenge from international GMO trade. Finally, the opaque nature of China's political culture compromises the efficacy of policy intervention from below, making the policy negotiations an interesting test ground for the possibility of governance from below in the budding prospect of democratisation in China.

Leung Chun-wah. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-122). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Thesis committee --- p.i / Statement --- p.ii / Acknowledgment --- p.iii / Abstract --- p.v / Table of contents --- p.ix / List of abbreviations --- p.xiv / List of figures --- p.xvii / List of tables --- p.xix / Chapter 1 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Artificial sweeteners --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- SACCHARIN --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- cyclamate --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Aspartame --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- acesulfame-k --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.5 --- SUCRALOSE --- p.5 / Chapter 1.3 --- natural sweet plant proteins --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- THAUMATIN --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- MONELLIN --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- CURCULIN --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3.4 --- PENTADIN AND BRAZZEIN --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3.5 --- MIRACULIN --- p.12 / Chapter 1.3.6 --- MABINLIN --- p.12 / Chapter 1.4 --- Genetic Engineering of Sweet Plant Protein --- p.19 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- biotechnological studies on thaumatin --- p.20 / Chapter 1.4.1.1 --- Protein modification and sweetness --- p.20 / Chapter 1.4.1.2 --- Transgenic expression in microbes --- p.21 / Chapter 1.4.1.3 --- Transgenic expression in higher plants --- p.23 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- BIOTECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES ON MONELLIN --- p.24 / Chapter 1.4.2.1 --- Gene modification and transgenic expression in microbes --- p.24 / Chapter 1.4.2.2 --- Transgenic expression in plants --- p.25 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- TRANSGENIC EXPRESSION OF MABINLIN IN PLANTS --- p.26 / Chapter 1.5 --- phaseolin and its regulatory sequences --- p.27 / Chapter 1.6 --- ARABIDOPSIS --- p.29 / Chapter 1.6.1 --- ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA as a model plant --- p.29 / Chapter 1.6.2 --- Transformation methods --- p.29 / Chapter 1.6.2.1 --- Direct DNA uptake --- p.30 / Chapter 1.6.2.2 --- Agrobacterium-mediated transformation --- p.31 / Chapter 1.6.2.3 --- In planta transformation --- p.31 / Chapter 2 --- GENKRAL INTRODUTION AND HYPOTHESIS --- p.22 / Chapter 2.1 --- General Introduction --- p.33 / Chapter 2.2 --- Hypothesis --- p.34 / Chapter 3 --- MOLECULAR STUDIES ON SWEET PROTEIN MARINLIN : THERMAL STABILITY --- p.28 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.38 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- laboratory wares --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Equipments --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Chemicals --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- commerical kits --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- DNA primers --- p.42 / Chapter 3.2.6 --- DNA plasmids --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2.7 --- bacterial strains --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2.8 --- Plant materials --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2.9 --- Protein and Antibody --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3 --- Methods --- p.45 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Transformation of Arabidopsis with mbliii and mbli genes --- p.45 / Chapter 3.3.1.1 --- Construction of mutant MBLIII and MBLI genes containing single codon mutation by megaprimer PCR --- p.45 / Chapter 3.3.1.2 --- Cloning of PCR-amplified MBLIII and MBLI cDNAs into vector pD3-8 --- p.48 / Chapter 3.3.1.3 --- In vitro site-directed mutagensis (for the construction of MBLIII and MBLI cDNAs containing single codon mutation) --- p.49 / Chapter 3.3.1.4 --- Cloning of the wild-type and mutated MBLIII and MBLI cDNA into vector pTZ / phas --- p.53 / Chapter 3.3.1.5 --- Confirmation of sequence fidelity and mutated codon in MBLIII and MBLI cDNA by DNA sequencing --- p.53 / Chapter 3.3.1.6 --- Transfer of wild-type MBLIII and MBLI cDNA flanked by phaseolin regulatory sequence into Agrobacterium binary vector --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3.1.7 --- Transformation of Agrobacterium with pBI / phas / MBLIII and pBI / phas / MBLI chimeric gene constructs --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3.1.8 --- Vacuum infiltration transformation of A rabidopsis --- p.58 / Chapter 3.3.1.9 --- Screening of homozygous transgenic Arabidopsis --- p.59 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Expression analysis of MBLIII transgene --- p.61 / Chapter 3.3.2.1 --- GUS assay of transgenic plants --- p.61 / Chapter 3.3.2.2 --- Genomic DNA isolation from transgenic plants --- p.61 / Chapter 3.3.2.3 --- PCR amplification of transgene --- p.62 / Chapter 3.3.2.4 --- Total RNA isolation from transgenic Arabidopsis --- p.63 / Chapter 3.3.2.5 --- RT-PCR of total RNA from transgenic Arabidopsis --- p.64 / Chapter 3.3.2.6 --- Verification of the presence of mutagenic site and the fidelity of RNA transcript from transgenic Arabidopsis --- p.65 / Chapter 3.3.2.7 --- Protein extraction and tricine SDS-PAGE of putative transgenic protein from Arabidopsis --- p.65 / Chapter 3.3.2.8 --- N-terminal amino acid sequencing --- p.66 / Chapter 3.3.2.9 --- Isoelectric precipitation of MBL --- p.67 / Chapter 3.3.2.10 --- Production of polyclonal antibody against purified MBL --- p.67 / Chapter 3.3.2.11 --- Western-blotting and immunodectection of Arabidopsis protein by anti-MBL polyclonal antibody --- p.69 / Chapter 3.4 --- results & discussion --- p.71 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Site-specific mutations of Arginine residue in mbliii cdna and glutamine in mbli cdna --- p.71 / Chapter 3.4.1.1 --- Megaprimer PCR --- p.71 / Chapter 3.4.1.2 --- Cloning into the seed-specific expression vector pD38 --- p.74 / Chapter 3.4.1.3 --- In vitro site-directed mutagenesis --- p.76 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Construction of plant expression vectors containing chimeric MBLIII and MBLI --- p.80 / Chapter 3.4.2.1 --- Cloning of MBLIII and MBLI cDNAs into the seed-specific expression vector pTZ / phas --- p.80 / Chapter 3.4.2.2 --- Cloning into the plant expression vector pBI121 --- p.83 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Generation of homozygous transgenic Arabidopsis --- p.84 / Chapter 3.4.3.1 --- Screening of transgenic R1 Arabidopsis --- p.84 / Chapter 3.4.3.2 --- Screening of transgenic R2 plants --- p.86 / Chapter 3.4.3.3 --- Screening of homozygous R3 transgenic plants --- p.88 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- Detection of MBLIII transgene in Arabidopsis --- p.89 / Chapter 3.4.4.1 --- Gus Assay --- p.89 / Chapter 3.4.4.2 --- Detection of transgene integration --- p.90 / Chapter 3.4.5 --- DETECTION of MBLIII TRANSCRIPT IN TRANSGENIC arabidopsis --- p.92 / Chapter 3.4.5.1 --- RT-PCR (Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) --- p.92 / Chapter 3.4.5.2 --- Verification of the presence of the mutant codon and sequence fidelity of the RT-PCR product --- p.94 / Chapter 3.4.6 --- DETECTION OF MBL III PROTEIN IN TRANSGENIC arabidopsis --- p.97 / Chapter 3.4.6.1 --- Expression of MBL protein --- p.97 / Chapter 3.4.6.2 --- Isoelectric precipitation --- p.101 / Chapter 3.4.6.3 --- Assay of titers and quality of primary polyclonal antibody against purified MBL protein --- p.103 / Chapter 3.4.6.4 --- Western blot / Immunodetection --- p.106 / Chapter 4 --- GENERAL DISCUSSION --- p.109 / Conclusion --- p.112 / References --- p.113

No description available.

No description available.

Graduation date: 1997

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, August 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

The production of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) haploids by crossing with H. bulbosum is a widely used tool in breeding and genetics. Certain barley genotypes have low seed set in this interspecific cross, a phenomenon known as partial incompatibility. Haploid production efficiency and gamete sampling are important issues with the bulbosum technique, particularly when partially incompatible genotypes are used. An in vitro floret culture system was developed that substantially increases haploid production efficiency by optimizing caryopsis growth, haploid embryo development, and plant regeneration. The individual and combined effects of three plant growth regulators (2,4-D, GA₃ and kinetin) on haploid production efficiency and its determinants were compared in the floret culture system. 2,4-D alone was superior to GA₃ alone in haploid production efficiency. 2,4-D alone or kinetin + 2,4-D are recommended for the purpose of haploid production in floret culture using the bulbosum method. Partial incompatibility between H. vulgare and H. bulbosum was studied by doubled haploid progeny analysis. Two different loci were hypothesized to account for the inheritance of partial incompatibility in the crosses of Vada x Klages, Harrington x Klages, and Vada x Harrington. The partial incompatibility gene in Harrington was found to be recessive. The dominant nature of the partial incompatibility gene (Inc) in Vada was confirmed. An association between the (Inc) gene and a deficiency in a stigma/stylodium-specific high pl protein was found in the cosegregation analysis of doubled haploid progeny. The Inc gene may be linked to the gene coding for the stigma/stylodium-specific protein, or the Inc gene may regulate expression of the protein-encoding locus. Segregation analysis of Mendelian markers in doubled haploid progeny showed that there is no evidence that the partial incompatibility status of the parents has an effect on gamete sampling by the bulbosum technique. / Graduation date: 1991

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Regeneration and transformation protocols for 'Comet' red raspberry were optimized with the purpose of making the Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer system efficient for this crop. Adventitious shoot regeneration from leaf discs was improved using explants 10 mm in diameter and transferring to fresh medium at the fourth week of incubation. Additions of liquid medium to solid medium during incubation decreased regeneration and attempts to release the suppressive influence of larger shoots on initials (apical dominance) did not succeed. The presence of claforan did not affect shoot regeneration, but inoculations with Agrobacterium and the presence of kanamycin decreased regeneration moderately or considerably, respectively. The threshold for kanamycin concentration for screening for kanamycin resistant transformed raspberry tissue was 30 to 40 mg l$ sp{-1}.$ The best co-incubation interval between wild-type Agrobacterium and 'Comet' leaf discs ranged from 2 days for highly virulent strains to 3 or more days for moderate to low virulent strains. Among several wild-type strains, C58 was chosen as the most appropriate partially because a disarmed form was commercially available for use as a non-oncogenic vector for transformation of red raspberry. / The binary plasmid pBI121 containing the marker genes NPTII and GUS encoding kanamycin resistance and $ beta$-glucuronidase activity, respectively, was successfully introduced into the Agrobacterium strain LBA4404, which is a disarmed C58 derivative. Transformation of 'Comet' red raspberry was apparently achieved by inoculating leaf disc explants with LBA4404 containing pBI121. The probable integration and expression of the foreign genes into the plant cells were confirmed by screening for kanamycin resistance, GUS assays and Southern blot analyses. This transformation system appears to be effective and may be useful in further studies on red raspberry for both introduction of genes for desirable agronomic traits and basic studies of gene expression.