Targeted genome engineering via zinc finger nucleases

With the development of next-generation sequencing technology, ever-expanding databases of genetic information from various organisms are available to researchers. However, our ability to study the biological meaning of genetic information and to apply our genetic knowledge to produce genetically modified crops and animals is limited, largely due to the lack of molecular tools to manipulate genomes. Recently, targeted cleavage of the genome using engineered DNA scissors called zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) has successfully supported the precise manipulation of genetic information in various cells, animals, and plants. In this review, we will discuss the development and applications of ZFN technology for genome engineering and highlight recent reports on its use in plants

The development of a high-precision environmentally friendly method for measuring the thickness of rolled sheets

A triangulation method for measuring the thickness of flaws with the guided radiation of a sounding signal and its reflection from the surface of a rolled sheet and reception in transducer's elements, which correspond to the measured thickness and other parameters of a rolled sheet, is considered. The high density of dust in the atmosphere of rolling mill stands and the thermal radiation of a heated rolled sheet are shown to be the principal disturbances in the measurement of such flaws by this method. For this reason, the spectral wavelengths adjacent to the IR imaging wavelength range, viz., thermovision and microwaves, are used in this triangulation method. The advantages and disadvantages of both existing and our coordinate measurement methods are demonstrated by the example of measuring the thickness of a metal sheet. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2012