3 and 4/1998 Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
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OCCASION This publication has been made available to the public on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. DISCLAIMER This document has been produced without formal United Nations editing. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or its economic system or degree of development. Designations such as “developed”, “industrialized” and “developing” are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgment about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process. Mention of firm names or commercial products does not constitute an endorsement by UNIDO. FAIR USE POLICY Any part of this publication may be quoted and referenced for educational and research purposes without additional permission from UNIDO. However, those who make use of quoting and referencing this publication are requested to follow the Fair Use Policy of giving due credit to UNIDO. CONTACT Please contact [email protected] for further information concerning UNIDO publications. For more information about UNIDO, please visit us at www.unido.org UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 300, 1400 Vienna, Austria Tel: (+43-1) 26026-0 · www.unido.org · [email protected] EMERGING TECHNOLOGY SERIES 3 and 4/1998 Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION Vienna, 1999 TO OUR READERS EMERGING TECHNOLOGY SERIES: Globalization, the information society, sustainable development: these are the keywords of the day. But what do GENETIC ENGINEERING all these trends and scenarios mean for the individual? Which AND BIOTECHNOLOGY criteria will we use to organize our lives in the 21st century? The president of the Club of Rome, Professor Ricardo Diez Hochleitner, takes an optimistic look at the years ahead. The 1998/3 & 4 Club of Rome (founded in 1968 as an informal gathering of academics, executives and politicians) has assumed responsibility for the overall concept of "Global Dialogue", a series of events to be held during the Expo 2000 world exposition, whose theme "Humankind-Nature-Technology" provides an excellent opportunity to make clear what sort of CONTENTS potential humanity has at its disposal in order to shape its future and survival based on sustainable development. SPECIAL ARTICLES: An Overview of Soil Remediation The members of the Club of Rome from all parts of the world Technologies by Toritseju Jakpa, A. share the view that the future of humanity is not pre determined and that current and foreseeable conflicts, crises Lodolo and S. Miertus and catastrophes, which to a certain extent are the result of Use of Biocatalysts for Industrial exaggerated selfishness and mismanagement, can be Applications by Fabiana Gennari et al. avoided. Humanity cannot continue to afford wars; in our Introduction to Combinatorial Chemistry increasingly tightly knit world, where "distant" conflicts no and Combinatorial Technologies by longer exist, such crises lead to a destruction of both human and natural capital, threatening our very existence. The issue Giorgio Fassina and Stanis/av Miertus of "governance in the global village" presents humanity with one of its greatest challenges, and is inspiring considerable NEWS AND EVENTS discussion also within the Club of Rome. COUNTRY NEWS The increasingly powerful information society holds many opportunities for building a better future. Overall, the information society possesses the promise of providing access RESEARCH to education in the broadest sense to all humanity. Therefore, information, education and knowledge ought to become a APPLICATIONS global public good which, in the long term, will create equality of opportunity and contribute to dismantling dangerous inequalities. Furthermore, improved access to information and PATENTS AND INTELLECTUAL its dissemination provides every individual with a voice and the PROPERTY RIGHTS practical possibility of control over the forces that govern them. BOOKS, JOURNALS, REVIEWS AND There can be no doubt that "globalization" has become one of the trendiest words in fashion as our millenium comes to an BIOINFORMATICS end, yet this word does not reflect an inevitable natural UNIDO's Emerging Technology Series: Genetic phenomenon but rather is sincerely indicative of a process to Engineering and Biotechnology is established as a be structured on a number of differing levels. Recent events mechanism of current awareness to monitor developments in the genetic engineering and have shown us that globalization also affects the foundation of biotechnology sector and inform governments, our culture and our living together. In the future, our main industry and academia, primarily in developing concerns will be to deal with, on the global level, four long-term countries. goals of equal inportance: first, environmental sustainability; The publication is issued four times a year and second, economic competitiveness; third, social justice; and distributed free of charge to readers in developing fourth, democracy rooted in the rule of law. While these four countries. It is not a formal document and has goals often stand in contradiction to each other, strategically been reproduced without formal editing. Opinions seen, they are nevertheless interdependent. A partial or total expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of UNIDO. Mention of the names of firms renunciation of any one of these goals would endanger and commercial products does not imply an achieving any of the others. Globalization, then, is a process endorsement by UNIDO. Copyrighted material which has to be structured quickly and in a positive way. If this reproduced in this publication may be quoted only is to be systematically achieved the population of the world will with permission of the journals concerned. Other material may be quoted or reproduced without have to assume a high degree of responsibility for a common further permission. Due acknowledgement is future. Humanity's future will only be secured 1f our intercourse requested. with nature becomes more respectful, sparing and sustainable. This will require not only all efforts to make use of technological advances, but will demand that we develop new Compiled and edited: Diana Rhind sustainable lifestyles which, at least in part, will require some Editorial Board: Y. Maruno, V. Podshibyakin; material renunciation. Moreover, it will be the affluent societies G. Tzotzos; B. Sugavanam; Z. Cziser of the north, in their roles as models, which will have to Published in 1999 by the United Nations Industrial embrace these sustainable lifestyles. Development Organization (UNIDO) Vienna International Centre The Club of Rome sees its main mission in the dissemination P.O. Box 300 A-1400 Vienna of this message. Those readers who wish to begin participating Austria in the Global Dialogue now, may do so via the Expo 2000 Tel.: (+43-1)26026-3736; Fax: +(43-1)26026-6843 website: www.expo2000.de e-mail: [email protected] Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 3 and 411998 Contents Page Page A. SPECIAL ARTICLES • • • .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Best-laid plans . 36 Sterile flies conquer sleeping sickness . 36 An Overview of Soil Remediation Technologies . 1 Biowarfare sleuths ....................... 37 Abstract ................................ 1 Dust to dust . 3 7 Introduction . 1 Montreal Protocol sets phaseout for methyl The basic concepts of remediation technologies . 3 bromide ............................. 38 The purpose of the survey . 3 United Nations agencies promote methyl Basic parameters of remediation technologies . 3 bromide alternatives . 3 8 Biological treatments . 3 ISAAA launches new intellectual propertyl/ Physical/chemical treatments ................ 6 technology transfer (IT/TT) initiative ...... 38 Thermal treatments . 9 Latest news on the International Molecular Conclusion . 10 Biology Network (IMBN) . 39 References . 10 Cassava Biotechnology Network . 39 Annex ................................. 12 Regulatory issues • • • • • • . • . • . • . 40 Use of Biocatalysts for Industrial Applications . 14 EU to amend view on GMOs . 40 Abstract . 14 EU court threat over French oilseed ban . 40 Introduction . 14 Modified potato withdrawn . 41 Detergent industry . 15 China to regulate removal of gene resources . 41 Food industry ........................... 15 New EC label regulation . 41 Textile industry . 15 Injunction saves Monsanto GM crops from Pulp and paper industry . 17 vandalism . 41 Starch and sugar industry . 17 You want to clone? Go ahead . 41 The wine and fruit juice industry . 18 Oils and fats industry . 18 Ethical issues . • • • • • • . 42 Animal feed industry . 18 EC ethics group established ................ 42 Alcohol industry . 19 AMA decides to wait before passing final Brewing industry . 19 judgement on cloning . 42 Baking industry ......................... 19 HUGO Ethics Committee statement addresses Leather industry ......................... 19 sample collection, sharing . 42 Fine chemical industry . 19 Ethical measures to boost biotech ........... 42 Biocatalysis products for the synthesis of P-lactam antibiotics . 20 Biosafety • •