284 Book reviews / J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 246 (2000) 281 –285
In short, this volume contains some useful information. Due to its highly diverse nature it is, however, not a much-needed addition to one’s own bookshelf but should rather be present in libraries, particularly those of institutions concerned with research at the land–sea interface.
Gerd Liebezeit Forschungszentrum Terramare Schleusenstr. 1 D-26382 Wilhelmshaven Germany
P I I : S 0 0 2 2 - 0 9 8 1 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 1 6 5 - 3
New Developments in Marine Biotechnology
edited by Y. Le Gal and H.O. Halvorson, Plenum Press, New York; 1998; 343 pp.; USA and Canada US$ 125.00, 20% higher in rest of world; ISBN 0-306-45907-8
The volume New Developments in Marine Biotechnology, edited by Y. Le Gal and H.O. Halvorson contains over 60 papers from those presented at the 4th International Marine Biotechnology Conference (IMBC ’97) convened at Sorrento, Italy.
Any such volume resulting, like the present one, from a symposium, is by definition bound to lack the stepwise, linear, structure of a textbook or treatise. An additional common problem of such books is the diversity of style of the different authors, as well unevenness of level. The editors of the present volume have, therefore, accomplished a remarkable task in structuring the papers into eight thematic sections, in addition to a ninth, covering three workshops.
The inspired keynote address by Nobel Prize Laureate, Dr. Arthur Kornberg, is an exceptionally appropriate cautionary introduction to the papers following it. While summarizing the contemporary revolution in biological sciences, emanating in part from the fertile interaction with chemistry and physics, he analyzes the dangers of the biologists aversion from the reductionist study of enzymes and of molecular level processes, potentially leading to the preference of untestable vitalistic values. He then proceeds to define the boundaries between ‘biotechnology’ seen by him as an euphemism for molecular biology whose main aim is the generation of profit, and true science devoted solely to the quest for knowledge.
Book reviews / J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 246 (2000) 281 –285 285 The sections are the following:
1. Molecular Biology and Transgenic Animals. 2. Natural Products and Processes.
3. Aquaculture.
4. Developmental Biology. 5. Biology of Cell Factories.
6. Bioremediation, Extremophiles, and Host-Pathogen Interactions. 7. Biodiversity, Environmental Adaptation, and Evolution.
8. Biomarkers, Symbiosis, and Viruses.
9. Workshops: (a) Fatty Acid Production, (b) Biodiversity, (c) Policy.
One of the most remarkable and unifying features of the book is the presentation of ingenious harnessing of the most innovative methods of molecular biology and analytical tools to the elucidation of key mechanisms on which the success of marine biotechnology depends. Among some of the most impressive ones are growth control, protection from adverse environmental agents and factors, establishment and stabiliza-tion of symbioses with beneficial organisms, spread of pathogens and competitors, and the onset and prevention of disease.
Among the many interesting papers in the book, it may be noteworthy to list some of the accomplished success stories reported; The production of growth enhanced trans-genic Tilapia (No. 5), antioxidants from algae (No. 7), biocompatible alginates for use in biohybrid organs (No. 12), marine-derived antitumor compounds (No. 15), tetraploidy in oysters (No. 17), acceleration of reproduction in economically valuable crustaceans (No. 18), development of DNA vaccines for aquaculture (No. 21), Porphyra cultivation (No. 30), bioremediation of heavy metal (No. 37) and oil pollution (No. 38), and the molecular ecology of marine invasions (No. 56).
The book is a must for all practitioners of marine (and freshwater) biotechnology, as a compendium of what is becoming possible, and of the remaining obstacles on the road to an environmentally acceptable exponential growth in the exploitation of marine resources for the production of safe products. But beyond this readership, the book is of great interest to practitioners of biotechnology in any other domain, microbial, agricultural, and animal.
Zvy Dubinsky Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan 52900 Israel
