Sarad R. Parekh, Editor
Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
2004, 386 pp.
Price: $145 (hardcover), $130 (eBook)
ISBN: 1-58829-307-6

With breathtaking advances in biotechnology occurring monthly rather than yearly, how can a handbook devoted to genetic engineering be up to date? The answer, of course, is that it can’t. Any book on genetic engineering is out of date as soon as it is published. So, what is the value of The GMO Handbook: Genetically Modified Animals, Microbes, and Plants in Biotechnology? The editor, Sarad R. Parekh, and the 13 authors have attempted to provide readers with a comprehensive starting point from which to understand genetic engineering and biotechnology, and they have largely succeeded.

As its title implies, this book is about technology, not basic scientific research. It does not provide comprehensive discussion of basic research in molecular and cellular biology. Technology is the practical use of science, and this book is firmly grounded in that framework.

Part handbook, part scholarly text, and part textbook, the book is divided into three major sections: microbial GMOs, mammalian GMOs, and plant GMOs. It also contains a useful glossary and index, and introduction and conclusion chapters. Despite the numerous spelling and grammatical errors, the editor has done an admirable job of making the multiauthored book flow from one chapter to another.

The authors, many of whom are employed by the private sector, clearly are experts within their subject fields. In particular, the authors who are private-sector biotechnologists give their chapters a refreshingly real perspective. These are not academics holed up in ivy-covered university buildings; rather, they are on the front lines, succeeding in creating products based on advances in the biosciences. Chapters cover strengths and limitations in protein production and purification in different cell, tissue, and organism types. Regulatory and business issues also are discussed. As such, these chapters will appeal to individuals who need information on how to proceed from an idea or small laboratory success to commercial reality.

But the book does much more than appeal to aspiring biotechnologists. Each part contains a chapter dealing with the interface of biotechnology with the public. The authors expertly discuss the manifold challenges when science meets society.  Not only are biosafety, risk assessment, and regulation discussed for microbes, animals, and plants; but ethics and public perceptions are also examined in depth. These topics effectively expand the audience to include all appropriately educated individuals with an interest in biotechnology.

The editor gives conflicting statements about the intended audience for this book. In the preface, he states, “The handbook targets a unique range of scientists. Young researchers beginning their undergraduate- and graduate-level studies will benefit from the ability to see the full range of techniques and applications used to culture and analyze animal, microbial, and plant GMOs.” In the introductory chapter, he and his coauthor state, “The chapters of this book are crafted to provide a how-to handbook and provide the layperson with up-to-date information on recent developments in GMOs and their future directions.” A quick glance through the book immediately reveals that this book’s audience is the practicing scientist or apprentice scientist (advanced undergraduate and graduate students). The material is too technically complex even for midlevel biology undergraduates, let alone laypersons.

The handbook succeeds in providing scientists and advanced science and engineering students with a starting point for understanding biotechnology. As such, it should be on the shelves of most public and private research libraries around the world. Additionally, many of the chapters could serve as excellent readings for a variety of advanced courses. Given the extremely rapid pace of progress in biotechnology, the editor and publisher should consider publishing future additions online at regular intervals.

Robert K. D. Peterson and Leslie M. Shama
Agricultural & Biological Risk Assessment
Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
406-994-7927
bpeterson@montana.edu
American Entomologist
Vol. 51, No.3, Fall 2005