Plants, Biotechnology and Agriculture

Denis Murphy received a D Phil in plant biochemistry from the University of York, UK in 1977. He went on to research and teach at universities in Australia, USA, Germany and the UK. He spent ten years as Head of Oil Crops Research at the John Innes Centre, Norwich and is currently Professor of Biotechnology at the University of Glamorgan in Wales, UK. He is an advisor and consultant on various aspects of agriculture and biotechnology to a range of international bodies including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the European Commission. He frequently participates in public debates on scientific issues such as food security, biofuels, and modern biotechnology. He has authored more than 280 peer reviewed research articles, and his recent books include: Plant Breeding and Biotechnology and People, Plants, and Genes: The Story of Crops and Humanity, both published in 2007.

• Part I: Plants and their Genomes 1: Plants and their Exploitation by People 2: Photosynthesis and the Evolution of Plants 3: Plant Molecular Genetics and Genomics Part II: How Plants Function 4: Plant Metabolism 5: Plant Organization and Development 6: Plant Responses to the Environment Part III: How Plants are Manipulated 7: Domestication and the Empirical Exploitation of Plants 8: The Scientific Manipulation of Plants 9: Crop Improvement in the 20th Century Part IV: Plants, Society and the Future 10: Plant Biotechnologies in the 21st Century 11: Social Context of Plant Biotechnologies 12: Future Challenges for Plant Biotechnology