Resources
FAQs about Forest Biotech
- What is forest biotechnology?
- What scientific tools are used in forest biotech?
- What are the benefits of forest biotechnology?
- Which tree species are most applicable?
What is forest biotechnology?
Forest biotechnology is a collection of techniques that use living cells or their processes to solve problems related to forestry. Biotechnology in the forestry industry is still in the early stages of development. Only a few biotechnology-derived products and processes have been commercialized, mostly in the areas of pest management, forest regeneration and pulp and paper processing. You can learn more about the role of biotechnology in forestry from this 1999 report – Biotechnology: Working with nature to improve forest resources and products.
What scientific tools are used in forest biotech?
- Marker–aided selection: Molecular markers are used by geneticists in selection and breeding programs to identify desired genotypes in trees.
- Genetic engineering is the formation of new combinations of heritable material so as to allow their incorporation into a host organism in which they do not naturally occur, but in which they are capable of continued propagation. .
- Somatic embryogenesis: Somatic means "descriptive of non-reproductive cells and/or cell divisions." The definition of embryogenesis is "(1) The formation of an embryo from a zygote. (2) In plant tissue cultures, the introduction of a cell suspension to form embryos. (Dictionary of Biotechnology) Embryogenesis: A pathway of differentiation in plants, induced in undifferentiated cell, tissue, or organ cultures by appropriate control of nutritional and hormonal conditions, that results in the formation of organized embryolike (embryoid) structures. Under appropriate cultural conditions these organized structures can develop to form plantlets and eventually whole plants. (The Language of Biotechnology) We'll work on finding a better definition here.
- Genomic or gene sequencing: A technique used to determine the sequence of bases in the length of DNA coding for a particular polypeptide. (Dictionary of Biotechnology)
What are the benefits of forest biotechnology?
- Pest resistance
- Disease resistance
- Slower or faster growth rate
- Drought and frost tolerance
- Use in bioremediation (cleaning up environmental pollution)
- Improved wood quality for pulp and paper products
Which tree species are most applicable?
Links
State Links:
- N.C. Division of Forest Resources
- North Carolina State University's Forest Biotechnology
- Southern Research Station: USDA Forest Service in Asheville
- North Carolina's Forest Stewardship Program
National Links:
- American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project
- Council for Biotechnology Information
- USDA Forest Service
- USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: Forest & Fisheries Products Division
- Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics
- SUNY College's Forest Biotechnology Program
- Pinegenome.org
International Links:
- Biotechnology at the Canadian Forest Service
- IURFO: a non-profit, non-governmental international network of forest scientists that promotes international cooperation in forestry and forest products research.
- Forest Stewardship Council: promoting well-managed forests
General Forestry Links:
- Virtual Forestry Library: a collection of forestry-related links
- ForestWorld
- Forest History Society
Please send link suggestions to Boris Hartl, web content specialist
Governance
The Institute is a 501–C–3 private nonprofit corporation with a 19 member board of directors
Eighteen of the members will be drawn equally from three broad constituencies:
- Public Interest and Non-governmental. Public interest groups, environmental groups, policy research groups and institutions directed to religion, ethics, or the humanities.
- Academic and Governmental.
- Industry. The forestry, forestry-related, biotechnology, other related industry, non industrial private forest and energy sectors.
The other member will be the President of the IFB.
Working Committees
Standing and issue related committees will serve project needs and allow board members to interact with persons from throughout the forest biotechnology endeavor.