Somatic Genome Manipulation: Advances, Methods, and Applications

Somatic genome manipulation is required when a sexual crossing approach cannot be used in breeding or genetic treatment of an individual organism. Examples can include gene- or cell-therapy of a person to correct disease, genetic improvement of vegetatively propagated plants, and genetic replacement of cytoplasm without significantly modifying the nuclear genome. The advantage of somatic genome manipulation is maintenance of the general genotype while correcting one or more traits. Somatic genome manipulation is also an option for genetic improvement of sexually propagated plants in polyploidy breeding or in overcoming issues of sexual incompatibility. Recent novel technologies in somatic genome manipulation are developing quickly but much of this literature is fragmented and difficult or inconvenient to access. This book represents the first attempt to assemble updated reviews, detailed protocols, and their applications in all fields in which somatic genome manipulation has thrived. This is a truely one-of-a-kind work that brings together the most important and relevant advances in somatic genome manipulation in plants, algae, microorganisms, humans and animals, and demonstrates where the science interacts and where it diverges. The chapters are written by experts on the topic with ready-to-use protocols that were originally developed or adapted from the literature in their laboratories. We expect that this book will be useful for students, researchers, and teachers in both plant and animal research as a resource for the latest information on somatic genome manipulation and for its useful laboratory methods.

Dr. Xiu-Qing Li serves as Research Scientist of Moleculat Genetics at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Dr. Li earned his degree of Docteur d’Etat of France in natural science from Université de Paris-Sud (1987), was an associate professor of biotechnology at Peking University (1987-1993), Invited Professor of Genetics (Université de Paris-Sud, 1988), Research Scientist of Molecular Genetics (Chargée de recherche, level II) at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France (1987), and Visiting Professor at Purdue University (1991). Dr. Li is the organizer and chair for the annual Somatic Genome Workshops at the International Plant and Animal Genome Conferences (San Diego, 2010-2014).  Dr. Li has extensive research experience and numerous publications on plant somatic genome characterization and manipulation, plant genetic engineering, plant cell technology, somaclonal variation, RNA polyadenylation, potato carbohydrate metabolism and potato processing quality improvement, plant male sterility, bioinformatics, and genome evolution.

Dr. Danielle J. Donnelly serves as Associate Professor of Plant Science at McGill University. Dr. Donnelly earned a doctorate in plant physiology from Simon Fraser University (1984) and a PDF at AAFC-Vancouver (1985). She has been an invited researcher, for periods of 1 year each, at AAFC-Vancouver, BC, The Plant Propagation Centre, NB, Université de Montreal, QC, and AAFC-NB. She currently directs the Plant Tissue Culture Facility on the Macdonald Campus and the Barbados Interdisciplinary Tropical Studies (BITS) field study semester at the Bellairs Research Station in Barbados. Dr. Donnelly conducts research on in vitro technologies for genetic improvement of potato. Field-based selection of somaclonal variants is used for improvement of tuber yield and type while lab-based selections are applied for phytochemical characters for improved human health. Dr.Donnelly has extensive research experience in micropropagation and hydroponic technologies, germplasm storage, and certification programs for clonally propagated species.

Dr. Thomas G. Jensen serves as Professor of Medical Genetics and Head of the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University. He graduated as Medical Doctor (MD) from the University of Aarhus (1987) and started his research career in human genetics as a medical student working on molecular genetics of the skin. Following MD graduation he was a research fellow, moving into functional genetics and experimental gene therapy research. In 1995, Dr. Jensen was invited to work in the laboratory of the gene therapy pioneer Michael Blaese at The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA. Dr. Jensen returned to Aarhus in 1997 as an Associate Professor and in 2001 was elected as Head of the Institute. In 2003, Dr. Jensen was appointed as research leader and professor at the Kennedy Institute in Glostrup, Denmark. In 2007, Dr. Jensen returned to Aarhus University as Full Professor, and in 2011 was appointed as Head of the newly formed Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University.