Case study 07

Flatulence free baked beans

Sinpedo is a food company which aims to exploit the growing market in health foods and 'nutraceuticals'. They have noted the success of the 'Bean-o' α-galactosidase anti-flatulence pill (AkPharma) and are considering the possibility of a more direct route to achieve the same target, i.e. the 'Flatulence -free' baked bean. As a project leader in the plant biotechnology division, you have been asked to advise the company on the feasibility of developing such a bean. Your report to the company will need to be a wide-ranging survey of the area. It should consider the causative agents of the flatulence, which often results from ingestion of baked beans, and identify suitable targets for genetic modification of the bean to reduce this problem. You should also propose detailed strategies for achieving these goals. These should include a consideration of the source of the transgenes and the methods of transformation to be employed. Standard molecular and tissue culture techniques should not be included unless they have some relevance to the scheme. The food safety aspects of this project and the likely consumer acceptance of the product should also be addressed.

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Oxford University Press, Online Resource Centre, Case study 07.

Case study 07