Engineering organisms to survive. Introduction.

Abstract

In this conference on Genetic Control of Environmental Pollutants, we have already heard about needs and strategies related to specific types of environmental toxicants. This session will address the challenge of engineering organisms to survive in marine, anaerobic, and highly unusual environments, both in terms of the organism itself and in terms of what the organism will encounter. We will discuss important aspects of the application of genetic engineering and biotechnology to environmental problems. The objectives of this conference are to consider mechanisms and to assess strategies for more effectively and safely managing wastes and toxic substances in the environment. This automatically involves both degradation and monitoring, since the process of degradation presents the problem of end products and changes in the organisms involved. Clearly, safe management of wastes imposes the need to ascertain that no adverse environmental or health impacts will result from the tools (microorganisms) or the products (metabolites).