Les biotechnologies végétales appropriées dans le contexte du dialogue Nord-Sud

Appropriate plant biotechnology in the context of the dialogue between North and South. Appropriateness of any technology must take into consideration the ethical problems and the social, economical, scientific and ecological environment. For developing countries, plant biotechnologies definitely open interesting perspectives, but also raise potential problems, because their integration and valorisation require a progressive and adapted development. Biotechnologies depend on legal and physical infrastructures, as well as human skills for on-site control corresponding to the needs of the relevant populations and to the global environment

Littérature scientifique et formation à l'information, la situation des bioingénieurs à Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (ULg) (synthèse bibliographique)

Scholarly publication and education in Information Literacy within the bioengineering curriculum, the Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (ULg) case. A review. This article is based on a doctoral study on the role of scientific literature in the teaching of bioengineering at Gembloux. It is essentially a summary incorporating recent advances in Information Literacy. Data analysis indicates that the bioengineers working at Gembloux publish at least as much as research as other scientists in Belgium. These bioengineers choose to publish articles in journals with a high impact factor, preferring to read articles rather than books and using all the electronic resources available to them. Their fields of research, and reading, go beyond the bounds of agronomy in the strictest sense. The bioengineering courses provided at Gembloux are based on the concept of Information Literacy. This concept refers to a set of skills that allow individuals to recognize an information need and enable them to locate, evaluate and use the required information. The area of Information Literacy has evolved over the last two decades. The scope of education of this area goes well beyond the bounds of the library. In addition to intellectual skills, Information Literacy also involves social and cultural skills. These include an understanding of media and new information technologies, without being reduced to technical or technological skills. At Gembloux, education in Information Literacy is included in the student's timetable. It incorporates the production of scientific papers and is based on a methodological approach with its own didactic and specific content

cDNA-AFLP analysis of gene expression changes in apple trees induced by phytoplasma infection during compatible interaction

peer reviewedAbstract In order to gain insight into molecular and physiological changes in apple trees during compatible interaction with two ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’ strains (AP and AT), cDNA-Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) technique was used. A rootstock of apple (MM106) susceptible to ‘Ca. P. mali’ was used to extend the range of the potential host responses by the maximum number of identified genes that will be deregulated by phytoplasma in apple. Gene expression comparisons were studied in three directions: healthy versus infected samples, symptomatic versus nonsymptomatic sample, and AP-infected versus ATinfected sample. Forty-five genes whose steady-state levels of expression significantly changed in response to phytoplasma infection were identified. Among their partial cDNA sequences, only 27 showed similarity to DNA or protein data bases; of these, 18 were related to known genes in plants, and the rest were related to unknown or hypothetical proteins. Eighteen out of 45 did not show any similarity with sequences in data bases (potential novel genes). Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to confirm differential expression of AFLP identified genes, and showed the similar profile expression for 11 known genes among 18, and for 13 unknown, hypothetical or novel genes among 27. Changes in gene expression involved a wide spectrum of biological functions, including processes of metabolism, cell defence, senescence, photosynthesis, transport, transcription, signal transduction and protein synthesis. This is the first study of global gene profiling in plants in response to phytoplasma infections using cDNA-AFLP, and a model is proposed to explain the mode of action of the ‘Ca. P. mali’ in apple

Identification Of A Novel Source Of Resistance To Angular Leaf Spot Disease Of Common Bean Within The Secondary Gene Pool

peer reviewe