Environmental risk assessment of a genetically-engineered microorganism: Erwinia carotovora

Miscellaneous · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6752104

Orvos, D R

Environmental use of genetically-engineered microorganisms (GEMs) has raised concerns over potential ecological impact. Development of microcosm systems useful in preliminary testing for risk assessment will provide useful information for predicting potential structural, functional, and genetic effects of GEM release. This study was executed to develop techniques that may be useful in risk assessment and microbial ecology, to ascertain which parameters are useful in determining risk and to predict risk from releasing an engineered strain of Erwinia carotovora. A terrestrial microcosm system for use in GEM risk assessment studies was developed for use in assessing alterations of microbial structure and function that may be caused by introducing the engineered strain of E. carotovora. This strain is being developed for use as a biological control agent for plant soft rot. Parameters that were monitored included survival and intraspecific competition of E. carotovora, structural effects upon both total bacterial populations and numbers of selected bacterial genera, effects upon activities of dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase, effects upon soil nutrients, and potential for gene transfer into or out of the engineered strain.

• Research Organization: Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6752104
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
BACTERIA
GENETIC ENGINEERING
RISK ASSESSMENT
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
GENE REGULATION
GENETIC EFFECTS
MICROCOSMS
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
OXIDOREDUCTASES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ENZYMES
ESTERASES
FUNCTIONS
HYDROLASES
MICROORGANISMS
PHOSPHATASES
140505* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion- (1980-)